p. 14 | Korea by W. R. SMITH

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 19, 1908

Korea

By W. R. SMITH

W. R. SMITH

WE are anxious that you should know at all times the true condition of the work here in Korea, so that you may be constrained to pray, and to give of your offerings, that the cause of God may be sustained and built up in this dark corner of the earth.

From time to time we have told you of the rapidly increasing number of Sabbath-keepers. If we had it to do over again, we would be more conservative in reporting this; because, as we are learning the situation and the language better, we think we have been misinformed as to the number of true believers.

From the first, it has seemed to us that the education of workers was the work of chief importance; but of course we could not do anything until we had gotten a fair use of the language.

Soon after we had started upon our second year here in Korea, Miss Mimi Scharffenberg came to the field. She has gotten along well with the language.

Already we have told you something of how the way opened that we might have a little training-school. Now we will tell you just how the means came in, how much the building cost, and how we are carrying on the school work.

You know how we obtained from the government a plot of land and some old buildings. When this was done, we had ground on which to build, and tiles to cover a building, but no money with which to build. It was one morning about the middle of July when the three of us, Mrs. Smith, Miss Scharffenberg, and I talked this matter over. As the Lord had blessed us in securing the land, and in view of the crying need for a school, we decided we would deny ourselves of some things we really needed, and use the money to build. As we look back over the situation, we think that right there, when we in our hearts made the sacrifice, the “sound of a-going” in the mulberry-trees began. We had only a small amount of money among us, but it was sufficient to pay the bargain price on what timber we thought we should need. We began with the small amount we had, and the building is erected, and we have 32.07 yen left, with which to do some painting and finishing work when the weather turns warm.

My sister in America, who is a consistent member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, collected and sent to us two hundred yen. Of this amount, 156 yen were given by Brother Raymond, whom many in the West know. The rest was contributed by three different Adventists. Miss Scharffenberg’s parents and friends sent her money with which to buy an organ; but as she had already purchased an organ, this amount was given to the school fund. Also, a sister living in Pennsylvania sent her fifty yen to be used for school purposes. Altogether, Miss Scharffenberg has put one hundred twenty-three yen into the erection of the building. Mrs. Smith’s parents, who have long been among the number who are looking for their Saviour, sent us one hundred seventy yen. The General Conference gave two hundred yen. In all, we have received six hundred ninety-three yen, and have a neat tile-roof building, which will accommodate from seventy-five to one hundred students. Besides this building, we have two Korean compounds, which are to be used as living quarters by the students. Miss Scharffenberg paid for one of these, and we the other. At a reasonable estimate, the buildings and ground are worth one thousand yen.

We have a partition of swinging doors in the house, and use one end for the boys, and one for the girls. We have sixteen students at present, ranging in age from nine to twenty-eight years. We teach them Bible, arithmetic, physiology, and geography, and are well pleased with the interest they are manifesting in their studies.

We also have another building, which was obtained from an educational society in the government. This is a compound, consisting of one large building and several smaller ones, about four miles from where we live. It was secured in the following manner:—

One day in August, one of our literary helpers was looking over a magazine, and said that there was an announcement in it that a certain class of buildings which this educational society had at its disposal would be given to those who would use them for educational purposes. One of them is the one we have just mentioned, and we went that same day to look at it. The next day we went to Pyeng Yang, to see about getting it. It was arranged that one of the Korean workers should go to Seoul, to be at a general meeting of the society which was to convene in a few days, and there make application for the property. He did so, and secured the place. We think this property is worth at least five thousand yen. This place and the houses and land here by us had first to be deeded by the authorities to individual Koreans, who then transferred them to us. This large building was secured in August. At first there was local opposition to our having the building, but this soon quieted down, and the people were willing that we should take the house. Although we had taken the responsibility of going ahead and securing the property, we thought best now to wait until we had

opportunity to consult with Elder Field, before beginning to make the necessary repairs on the house.

When Elder Field, Elder Shultz, and Brother Benson came in October, and thought it best to go ahead and repair the buildings for school purposes, we began to do so, but were forced to stop, on account of cold weather, as well as shortness of funds, after about one hundred yen had been expended. About three hundred yen will be needed to repair the buildings properly. When this is done, we think that the work in northern Korea will be quite well equipped, so far as school buildings are concerned. But we trust that the brethren in more favored lands will remember the crying needs of this people that have not yet been supplied.

Soonan.