The Work in New Zealand by S. M. COBB

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 2, 1908

The Work in New Zealand

By S. M. COBB

WHILE we have been intently watching the progress of the work in other fields, and rejoicing in the success and triumph of the truth in other countries, and while our prayers and thanksgiving for God's wonderful leading and mercies in all the work abroad have been ascending to the throne of grace, his gracious providence has also been manifest in this field.

The urgent calls for laborers to support the work in our foreign fields has greatly reduced our force of laborers in New Zealand. Three ordained ministers, one holding ministerial license, and one Bible worker have been taken from us within the last twenty months. This leaves our working force small at the present time; but we are not discouraged, and have been doing what we could.

A goodly number have accepted the truth the last year in our field, and we are planning to push the work as vigorously as possible with the help we have. Our next tent season will open about the first of October, and we are planning to put two tents in the field at that time. We are now having our winter in New Zealand, as May, June, July, August, and September are generally wet, and too cold for outdoor work. We have, however, one tent in the field at present (May 8) and we shall keep it there as long as the weather permits.

Brother J. L. McElhaney has recently connected with the work in this field, having come from Manila, where he has been laboring for the last two years. This addition to our working force will be very helpful to us.

The Maori work is receiving the labors and attention of two of our workers, and we are seeing some fruit; but the work for that people is slow and difficult, and attended with many perplexities. We are issuing a little monthly paper in the Maori tongue, filled with the truths for this time. Besides this we have a goodly number of our tracts and small books translated into Maori, and the natives are eager to get them. We shall continue to translate our tracts into the Maori till we have all the truths of the message in tract form in that language.

For several years our people in New Zealand have felt the need of a school for the education of their children, without sending them to Australia, so far from home, and without this great expense, as the return trip to Australia alone costs over fifty dollars. The urgent need for a school in New Zealand to accommodate the pressing demand of the many youth in this field, caused this matter to be brought before the union conference; and when their consent was obtained for a school in New Zealand, steps were at once taken to establish such an institution.

The first step was to raise what money

which was about fifteen hundred pounds, or seventy-five hundred dollars, for the purchase of a farm for the school. A locating committee was then appointed to find a farm and secure it; and after searching over the most of New Zealand, and spending nearly thirteen months, a farm was found in the northern portion of North Island, near the beautiful town of Cambridge, in the district of Waikato. This farm is all that we could wish it to be in every respect. It contains one hundred seventy acres, and is so situated that its location gives the school a commanding view of all the surrounding country. The scenery is really inspiring, the soil is good, and the climate the very best for a school or a sanitarium.

This farm cost eleven thousand seven hundred dollars. The stock, consisting of thirty-five cows, several young cattle, and four horses, with the farming implements, are all paid for, but we still owe fifty-seven hundred dollars on the land. This farm is all under cultivation, and very productive. The milk is taken to a creamery about one mile from the school, each day except the Sabbath, when it is kept at home. The farm was bought Dec. 22, 1906, possession was taken Jan. 23, 1907, and we began work on the farm at once, and continued till the last of February, when we began to make arrangements for the building of the school.

Prof. C. W. Irwin and Brother F. L. Chaney were, through the kindness of the union conference, permitted to come and help us in counsel and plans for the buildings, and Brother Chaney was left with us to connect with the work in New Zealand. He superintended the building, as he had some experience in such work. The work was nearly all done by Brother Chaney, eight students, and the writer, with some help that was donated. In this way the building which is represented in the accompanying cut was erected, ready to open the school, within thirteen months from the date of starting the work of excavating for the foundation.

This building is a three-story on the front and four-story on the back. The basement contains a kitchen and a store-room 36 x 36 feet. Directly above this room is the dining-room, 36 x 30 feet.

Still above this room is the chapel, 36 x 36 feet, seated the same as the Avondale school, except that each seat is divided into two parts, so that each student can rise and sit independent of the other or without disturbing his neighbor in the same seat. Directly above the chapel are the students' rooms, making that part of the building four stories high. Then there are class-rooms, an office room, and a library,—sufficient in all to accommodate sixty students. When we are able, and as the needs require, another wing can be added to the left side of the main building, and this will accommodate about one hundred students. There are now in attendance at the school about sixty students, counting the day students.

PUKEKURA TRAINING-SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, NEW ZEALAND

The building is well planned for school purposes, and is neat and well ventilated. This building has cost sixty-five hundred dollars, not counting the work, and to pay this our people of this conference are just completing the sale of five thousand three hundred sixty “Christ's Object Lessons” at $1.33 each. We expect to have these all sold by the first of next July, less than two months. This will greatly reduce the building debt, and will leave the school in a fair way for prosperity with the blessing of the Lord.

A five-roomed cottage has also been erected for one of the teachers, a barn 60 x 30 feet, and a cow stable at the back of the barn the same length as the barn and thirty-four feet wide, capable of housing twenty-six cows. The barn has a loft in which thirty-six tons of hay and oats were put during the last harvest.

The teaching staff consists of six teachers, as follows: Prof. F. L. Chaney, and Mrs. Chaney; W. J. Smith, Miss Piper, Miss Sisley, and Miss Hare, besides the matron, Mrs. A. S. Higgins, and the teacher in carpentry, Brother A. S. Higgins. The conference pays the Bible teacher, since he is as truly teaching the truth as if he were in the field.

Our school has now been running three and one-half months, and all are of good courage and are happy in their work. Since the camp-meeting, which was held on the school farm last January, about two weeks before the school opened, more than twenty of the students have been brought to the Saviour, and now are rejoicing in the love of God and in the truth. This good work is still going on in the school.

We are now hoping not only to provide our own field with laborers in the near future from the young men and women at the school, but to be able to send many to the fields beyond, to help to finish the great work that God has committed to us as a people.

S. M. COBB.