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In Sumatra

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 31, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 44.

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In Sumatra

By G. F. JONES

G. F. JONES
OUR mission station in Sumatra is at Padang, the chief city on the west coast. The work was begun there nearly eleven years ago by Elder R. W. Munson and family, who were there for about six years. On their departure for Australia, Elder G. A. Wantzlick and wife were sent there. They stayed about two years, then Brother B. Judge and wife and Sister T. Judge, Brother T. Roberts, and Tindek (a native worker who was trained in Singapore) followed. These faithful workers have all done their best, but judging from results, it is difficult to reach the people in this place with the third angel's message. The present mission house was bought by the Australasian Union Conference with the intention of making it our headquarters in Sumatra.
The brethren here have a day-school, which about sixty students attend; quite a number of these also attend the Sabbath-school, and a good work is done in giving them a religious education. Sister T. Judge has exerted a good influence through her missionary nursing, and has made many friends, while the evangelistic work has been carried on by Brother Judge and wife. When I visited Padang, there were six ready for baptism.
The west coast of Sumatra is very mountainous, while the east is flat and more prosperous. There are several busy towns along the coast which should be entered, but the worker before entering a place must get a special permit, which it often takes six months to secure; and even this gives him no liberty to labor in but the one city. It is as if a worker were given a parish in which to stay and labor, but were not permitted to do anything outside that limit. This makes progress exceedingly slow and difficult; and an aggressive tent effort carried on from city to city, as in the States, can not be thought of in Netherlands East India, under the present policy of the government on religious affairs. There is, however, one blessed privilege which the law still allows,—the liberty to sell books anywhere. So, with this open door, we must select and train faithful native workers to carry our message into the homes of the people, and in this way these workers can gain converts as they come in contact with inquiring minds.
In the mountainous districts in the interior of Sumatra are many heathen tribes whose religion is that of demon worship. Some of these tribes are cannibals, others are fanatical Mohammedans, while still others are open to conviction regarding the gospel. In certain districts many of these are now becoming Christians, but the real heathen is the most easily taught.