Kwang-tung Province, China
By W. C. HANKINS
The writer has had the privilege of visiting our brethren in Kwang-tung province since our general workers' meeting in Shanghai, which closed January 25. After a short trip of two days and a half from Amoy, I was met Thursday morning, on board the boat at Canton, by Brethren E. H. Wilbur and J. P. Anderson. Thursday afternoon Elder Wilbur and I went out to the station at Fat Shan, where Dr. Law Keem, with his wife and family, is located. As it is only about an hour's trip from Canton to this place, we arrived at the doctor's home about dusk. That evening a number of persons came in for the regular Bible study which the doctor holds two or three times each week, and an interesting lesson was given on the first chapter of Revelation. Dr. Law has been keeping up the evangelical work, and also wishes to push the medical work in such a way as to combine the two, thereby doing medical missionary work in the fullest sense of the term. Friday we returned to Canton to the prayer-meeting, which is held every Friday night in the chapel. It was raining quite hard, but there was a goodly number present, about sixty in all. The Sabbath-school was well attended the next day, and was very interesting, even to an onlooker who could not understand what was being said. After Sabbath-school Brother Wilbur interpreted for me while I spoke to them from Romans 6, and we all felt the presence of the Spirit of God as the necessity of dying to sin was dwelt upon, and the glorious promise that sin should not have dominion over us was presented from God's blessed Word. In the afternoon the brethren from Fat Shan met with us to celebrate the ordinances, which was a blessed season indeed. What a precious privilege this that God has given us to show our love for our brother and our loyalty to him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light! Sunday morning the regular business meeting was held, and church officers were elected, as follows: Elder, E. H. Wilbur; deacons, Dr. Law Keem and Lo To Chun; clerk and treasurer, Sister A. Vanscoy. In the afternoon a meeting of the local committee was held, and plans were laid for the work during the coming year. It seemed to be the general opinion that the Hakka and the Cantonese work should be separated as much as possible on account of the race prejudice that exists in the minds of the Cantonese against the Hakkas; so Brother Anderson is planning to move to Wai Chow Foo to carry on the Hakka work, and will take all but two of the Hakka workers with him. Of the two left in Cantonese territory, one will have charge of the work at Brother Wilbur's former station at Kongmoon, and the other will act as his assistant in translating. It is hoped that soon it will be possible to let the Hakka workers labor in Hakka territory, and have only Cantonese to labor in and around Canton. One of the most encouraging features at Canton is the girls' schools. There are two—one a day-school, with about twenty-five pupils, and the other is the Bethel school, which is a combined boarding and day-school. This school work was begun by Sister Ida Thompson, who was one of the first workers to come to China. She started Bethel school as a day-school, then as the numbers grew, it was seen that it would be better for the girls to be kept as much as possible from their heathen home influences, and to live in the school home, where Christian influences would be constantly brought to bear upon them. As Sister Thompson is in America for a time, both schools are now under the management of Sister Vanscoy. The total enrolment of Bethel school for this year is sixty-two and twenty-six of this number are boarding pupils. Naturally the boarding pupils are the most promising, as they more readily yield to their daily Christian surroundings, and thus are more easily taught the gospel. The boys' school is small this year, but there seems to be a good spirit, and we hope it may grow in strength and usefulness. We need some one who can give this part of the work a great deal of time to make it a complete success. Brother Wilbur is the only one left in Canton who can give any attention to this work, and he has his hands more than full with other work. We need more help for Canton at once. The Work Among the Hakkas
As most of the readers of the REVIEW know, the work among the Hakkas was started by five young men, from the Basel Mission, who, wishing to learn more of the truth, came to the Bible school at Canton, and after some months' study accepted the things which they heard. They were afterward baptized and received into the church at Canton. For some time most of them have been working for the mission, but their work is largely confined to the Hakkas of Canton and its vicinity. The result is that the work among the Hakkas is flourishing, but that among the Cantonese is not in such a prosperous condition, as the Cantonese do not wish to mingle with the Hakkas; so it is thought best, as far as practicable, to conduct the work for these peoples separately. Brother Anderson and I went to Wai Chow Foo to see about the advisability of making that city the center for missionary endeavor among the Hakka people. We left Canton Monday morning, and traveled by a native passenger boat, which was towed by a small steam-launch, so that we arrived in Wai Chow Foo about one o'clock that night, although we did not go on shore until the next morning. We spent most of the next day looking around for a suitable location, but did not find anything that we really cared to accept. It was decided, however, that one of the native workers, a canvasser, who was with us, should return at once and spend some time in looking for a good house, after which Brother Anderson should join him, and do what he could to find suitable quarters for a permanent location. Wai Chow Foo is quite a large city, and seems to us to be the natural center for work in that region. Tuesday evening we went to Bok lo, a city about ten miles down the river, intending to go, the next day, to a city in the mountains nearly ten miles from Bok lo, where there is a good interest, and where there are no other missions located. (It is planned to carry on the work there by native workers.) During the night, while at Bok lo, it rained hard, and continued raining the next day, making it impossible for us to continue our journey, the mountain roads being almost impassable, so we returned by launch to Canton. Ere this reaches you, four canvassers will be making a special effort to sell the Gospel Herald, and to obtain yearly subscriptions15for it, and one native preacher will be located in the Hakka country, and we hope Brother Anderson will have found a house and by that time be located. We are all much in hopes that the Lord is going to raise up a strong man to help in this Hakka region. The first Sabbath the writer spent in Canton, an ordained pastor of the Basel Mission, who was acquainted with our young Hakka workers, some of whom had been his pupils, came to the services both in the morning and in the afternoon. This man had been a minister in the Basel Mission for twenty-five years, and according to their mission rules he is now entitled to half pay for life, and to do as he likes, not being accountable to them in any way for what he does with his time. He is about forty-five or fifty years old, is well educated, and is a good Bible student. He came to listen Sabbath, then on Sunday he went to the Presbyterian mission services, but during the next week he returned and requested Brother Wilbur to give him Bible studies on our faith. He is still studying, and seems very favorable to all he has heard. He has raised up many churches for his former mission, and will doubtless cause a stir in that section should he accept this truth. Let us all pray for him. Our last Sabbath in Canton was a day of blessings from the Lord. The writer spoke, in the morning, from 1 John 4:7-21, and the Holy Spirit was present with us. In the afternoon Dr. Law led one of the best praise and prayer services it has ever been my privilege to attend. It lasted about one hour and a half, and every moment was occupied by testimonies, prayers, and songs; sometimes two were praying at the same time. Not only did all our own members feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, but this visiting pastor felt it also, and spoke about it afterward. Monday evening I started for the north once more, and on my way stopped at Chow Chow Foo to visit the brethren there. Pastor Ang and family are loyally holding up the banner of truth in this region, but are very much in need of help. There is a splendid field for labor here, but it needs a strong man who will not fear persecution, and who has had experience in presenting the truths of this message in our organized conferences. Brethren, pray for us in this needy field, and that God will send laborers to fill these important openings, men of faith who can say, with David, “Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.” Ps. 32:7.