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Mission Notes

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 15, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 42.

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Mission Notes

THE missions in East Africa formerly operated by the German, British, and Scandinavian union conferences, have, during the recent sessions of these union conferences, been formally turned over to the direction of the European division of the General Conference. While the same unions continue their support, the direction of the work in these missions will be carried on by the General Conference in Europe, instead of being under the direction of the executive committees of the unions above named.
A FEW years ago a little Eskimo girl on the western shore of Hudson’s Bay, learned of Jesus, and with her father moved to the hunting-grounds in the far north. They settled in a camp of some one hundred twenty hunters. Here the little girl acted as their Christian teacher, reading the Bible to the Eskimo children in their snow houses, and in other ways helping the people. Later a minister visited the place, and was greatly surprised, at the signal for prayer, to see all these sturdy hunters immediately go down upon their knees. The little girl had passed on the good tidings she had heard, and the word had had its effect.
EUROPE, India, China, and the United States could all be laid down on the map of Africa, and still there would remain quite a fringe about the borders. According to statistics, within this vast region there are 4,789 places of worship, where 221,156 church-members meet, with others not enrolled upon any church-book, bringing the number of professed Christians up to 527,790.
IT is not the profession of Christianity simply which the unbeliever takes as evidence for Christianity’s genuineness, but he expects its professor to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. In Korea visiting Christians from Manchuria approached some Chinese merchants, who were not Christians, on an errand of inquiry.
“Who are you?” they asked.
“Christians from Manchuria.”
“Are they the same sort as the Christians here?”
“We do not know,” was their reply. “What are the Christians here like?”
“Good men. Good men.”
“Why do you think so?”
“O, a man owed us an account five years ago of twenty dollars. He refused to acknowledge more than ten, and we had no redress. A few months ago he became a Christian, and came and asked us to turn up that old account, and insisted on paying it up with interest all these years.”
This was the unmistakable evidence to these merchants of a real change of heart and life on the part of their old customer, — an evidence which requires no argument to prove.
A WHILE ago a gentleman in Chile made inquiry of one of our brethren there regarding a personal matter of interest to him. This brother was obliged to ask information of the Mission Board office regarding his inquiry. A letter in reply was sent, giving all the answer possible, a few words of kindly interest being expressed for this gentleman. This letter was forwarded to him. From a letter just received from Brother F. H. Westphal, we quote:—
“This little interest we took in the man has resulted in good; for just a few weeks ago I had the privilege of baptizing this same person. He is a man of no mean ability. He has served as a bookkeeper in a bank, also held the same position in another large establishment, as well as being manager of a large business concern in another city. When he accepted the truth, he gave up his tobacco and drinking habits.” He is now serving the cause to good advantage, having already instructed a brother in bookkeeping, so that he is acting as secretary and treasurer of one of the conferences in that field. In other ways this new brother is helping the work with his business qualifications.