China by F. A. Allum

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

China

By F. A. Allum

HONAN.—We take this opportunity of telling our friends and all lovers of the message something of the work in this province. At the last yearly council of the workers in China, it was recommended that Dr. and Mrs. A. C. Selmon and Mrs. Allum and myself open up work in Cheo-Chia-K’Ou; so we have all been very busy for some months fitting up this new station. God has led in coming here, and we have a good location. For this we thank our Heavenly Father.

This is the largest city in Honan, and is the commercial center of its thirty-five million people. It has good river connections, and one can readily reach all parts of the province from here.

There has been a rearrangement of the stations in Honan. Some have been given up; that is, as stations where foreigners are located. Some of these places where there are Sabbath-keepers are being worked as out-stations. Our present plan is to have one, or at the most two, central stations in this province. Then we plan to reach the other parts of the province by native evangelists and colporteurs. In this work our literature must play an important part. Our principal work just now is to train native workers. Of course we go out with these, and follow up any interest that is aroused. This seems to be the most feasible plan for doing a thorough work.

I am glad to say that the Lord is giving

us faithful evangelists and colporteurs. At Cheo-Chia-K’Ou we have had five foreign workers; namely, Dr. and Mrs. Selmon, Brother E. Miller, my wife, and myself. The only other foreign workers in Honan are Brother and Sister J. J. Westrup. Thus you will see that we have a large field before us. We ask you to make the work in this province a special subject of prayer. You can do much for China when you are on your knees.

A few days ago I returned from a trip into the country, and it may be of interest to know how one fares on such a trip. I had engaged a boat to take me ninety-five li [about thirty-two miles] down the river. We traveled all night, and the next day about noon arrived at Huei Tien. From here I still had thirty-five li [about twelve miles] to travel before the Sabbath began. This I made on a wheelbarrow. I arrived at Chien Ma Lu a little before the Sabbath. Here I was greeted by a number of Sabbath-keepers, who had never been visited by our missionaries before, although they had often been to our station, and our native evangelists had visited them. They were glad to have me visit them in their homes. It is impossible for those in the home land to imagine how poor these people are, but it will give some idea when I tell the contents of the room in which I slept during the three nights when I was in their village. In one corner were two cows, in another a donkey and its colt; my host and I slept in the other end. During the night, the colt came several times to my bed, and began nibbling my hair. However, I slept serenely; for I was on the King’s business. Sabbath and Sunday were profitable days. I presented the following subjects: How We Should Keep the Sabbath; How Christ Regarded His Father’s Law, and How We Should Regard It; Lessons from the Life of Peter; Why God Sends Us Afflictions; The Second Coming of Christ; etc. The native evangelist preached to the unbelievers on the true God, repentance, etc. There are eight in this village who are trusting in Jesus for salvation. They have not all come to the fulness of the truth, but they are anxious to be taught. They are looking forward to Jesus’ coming with much interest. Pray for them, that they may be kept faithful till the end.

I also had the opportunity to present the Sabbath truth to two believers from the China Inland Mission. They seemed like earnest men, and keep Sunday strictly. Sabbath and Sunday it rained so hard that I could not go to the other villages where there were Sabbath-keepers, as the water became too deep on the roads. So I had to return the way I went, this road fortunately being higher than the others. Even on this the water was two feet deep in places. The Christians provided three cows and a kind of sledge, and on this rather crude vehicle I rode fifteen or twenty li [five to seven miles], and then took my boots and socks off and walked the rest of the way. At Huei Tien we engaged a boat, and returned home in good time. In all, I was away five days.

This week we have had six cases of opium-poisoning. Two of these died. One was a young married woman, who had a child only three months old. Why do you suppose she took the poison?—Her mother-in-law blamed her for something that was not her fault, and the young woman answered back that she was not to blame. This angered her mother-in-law, who ordered her son to beat his young wife. He obeyed his mother, and gave his wife a terrible beating, and then she in despair took the poison. They brought her too late, and she died. Thus hundreds are dying in China every month.

To-day the girl’s parents and friends have been at the old mother-in-law’s home, breaking up the pots and pans and everything they can lay their hands on. The mother-in-law has fled, in fear of her life. This is China as we see it, not one day but often.

This summer has been very hot, and there has been much sickness among the Chinese. We are thankful that we have enjoyed good health all through the summer. We regret, however, that Dr. and Mrs. Selmon had to leave on account of Sister Selmon’s health. They went to Moh Kan Shan, near Shanghai, for a time, and now Sister Selmon is granted leave of absence on account of sickness. Dr. Selmon has also been appointed as a delegate to the General Conference, and so for a time we shall lose these valued workers from this field.

We have just concluded a month’s Bible school at this station. The native workers from Brother Westrup’s station and our own attended, and we had a class of ten men, and another class of women. Brother Westrup, Brother Esta Miller, and the writer conducted the daily class for the men, which covered the important points of present truth. It was indeed a blessed season; for we realized that the Lord came very near to us in the presentation of these subjects. As we approached the time to open our school, it was with no little fear that we thought of the various important doctrines that needed to be presented, for none of us had been in China long; but we are thankful to say that in answer to continued prayer, the Lord certainly helped us. The daily examinations revealed the fact that the members of the class clearly comprehended the subjects taught; and what is still better, a deep desire has taken hold of our workers to go out among the millions of this province, and warn them of the soon coming of our Saviour. This experience has done more to encourage us than any other since we came to China.

Since Dr. and Mrs. Selmon left us, we have had the privilege of welcoming to our station Brother and Sister R. F. Cottrell, who have been appointed by the China Mission Committee to this station. We extend to them a hearty welcome, and our prayer is that the Lord will richly bless them as they co-operate with us in the proclamation of the message in this land.

In closing we would thank our Heavenly Father for the progress which he has permitted us to see in this province, and our constant prayer is that we may always be kept in that humble position where he can use us to do still greater things. Brethren and sisters, pray for us, pray for China. As I have said before, you can do much for China when you are on your knees before God. F. A. ALLUM.