First-Fruits From German East Africa by GUY DAIL

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 4, 1908

First-Fruits From German East Africa

By GUY DAIL

GUY DAIL

Our mission to German East Africa was opened in the autumn of 1903 by Elder W. Ehlers and Brother Enns, in the Pare Mountains. We now have three stations there,—at Kihuiro, Friedenstal, and Vuasu. Brother and Sister Ohme, Brother and Sister Langholf, Brother Enns, Brother Kotz, Brother Sander, and Sister Eiholtz are laboring in this field.

The people were rude savages when the mission was begun among them. They had no written language. They had none of the arts of civilization. They were without God, and without hope in the world. Our missionaries came; they settled among these heathen people; they opened schools; they taught them the gospel; they labored to sow the seed, watering it with their tears, trusting God to give the increase. bands of heathenism were strong, and often it seemed a hopeless task to attempt to break them. Satan was never at rest, for he did not desire to lose any of his subjects. He inflamed the relatives of those who were disposed to listen to the gospel. He circulated lies among the native huts, to stir up the people against the missionaries and their work. He made their heathen rites and ceremonies, their dances and incantations, appear very pleasing and desirable to them. And yet, April 4, 1908, six natives were baptized. Brother Kotz writes as follows, freely translated:—

“Eight candidates for baptism presented themselves for examination Friday evening. Two of these were advised to wait for a time, as they seemed to need more instruction in the principles of the Scriptures, although we do not doubt their sincerity, and we hope they may be ready for baptism in three months. Sabbath, we baptized six young men,—one, Davidi Mazumba, of Friedenstal; and five of Kihuiro: Abirahamu Salimu, Yohana Kajembe, Anderea Senamwaye, Filipo Mbago, and Lazaro Omali.

“The chapel was nicely decorated with palms. We had an interesting meeting, where I first called attention to the saving power of the gospel, as revealed in Rom. 1:19, and once more explained to them the meaning of baptism. Then all proceeded to the neighboring Sasseni River. On the way some of the women sought to persuade one of the candidates not to be baptized, crying aloud that the child would be lost. But we replied, ‘Not lost, but saved.’ However, they still insisted that this was no salvation.

“We had pitched a tent on the river bank, and the pupils sang, ‘Come, Holy Spirit,’ in the native tongue. Several hundred persons had assembled on both sides of the stream to witness the awful things that they had heard would take place at the baptism. Then Brother Ohme baptized the six young men in the river. Each of us could but say in our heart: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good.’

“The ceremony made a deep impression

upon those who were present,—upon the heathen as well as upon the Mohammedans,—and it will now be seen that the many evil reports about baptism were groundless. ‘Whoever is baptized, and then sins, must die;’ ‘those that are baptized must eat serpents and crows;’ ‘you will be bewitched;’ ‘they will take you off with them to Germany;’ and many more such foolish things were told the candidates for baptism, to intimidate them, so that they would draw back. . . . In the evening we had the Lord’s supper, and celebrated the ordinances together.”

We are glad for this good report from German East Africa. We desire to thank all our brethren and sisters who have remembered our missionaries in this heathen land, either by their gifts, or in prayer, and we hope many more souls may yet be gathered out from among the sons of Ham, in the Dark Continent.

Hamburg, Germany.