Russia by Guy Dail

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 31, 1908

Russia

By Guy Dail

RIGA.—Elder J. T. Boettcher and I arrived here a few days ago, and are to leave this evening for the tour among the fields, where we expect to have the annual meetings in East Russia, in the Caucasian and South Russian conferences, and in the West Russian Mission.

We had a good Sabbath and Sunday in Riga, where there is now a growing church of one hundred eighty members, the majority of whom are Lettonians, with a large number of Germans, and a few Russians. Services for strangers are being carried on with a good interest. It is surprising how the people come out to hear, even where we are so well known as we are in this place. There is an excellent class of people in the church, and among those who are deeply interested are some talented men and women, such as lawyers, teachers, officers in the army, etc., as well as prosperous business men.

We have a brother here who is in the electrical business, employing eighteen men. He has other departments, aside from the electrical work, and has more to do since he accepted the truth than ever before. As his employees are not Sabbath-keepers, it is sometimes a little hard for him to get them to stop their work just at the beginning of the Sabbath. Before he was an Adventist, sometimes his men wanted to work on Sunday; but he would not let them. Now he has told them they may do so, but they will not. Such is human nature.

On Sabbath I was also able to visit the young and growing church at Mittau. They had just had fifteen additions through baptism. It made my heart glad to see how happy these people, mostly Lettonians, are in the faith. Nothing cheers one's heart more than to be out in the regions beyond, and have actual, visible proof of the way the Lord is doing his work in these needy fields. I find that an Adventist among the Lettonians is the same as one in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, England, Germany, or America. GUY DAIL.