The Philippine Islands by R. A. Caldwell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 3, 1908

The Philippine Islands

By R. A. Caldwell

ONE of our most recent mission fields is the interesting Philippine Islands. When the burden of working the great Malaysian field was laid upon the Australasian Union Conference, it included the eight million inhabitants of the Philippines. The first worker to visit the field was Elder G. A. Irwin, while on his way to attend the General Conference in 1905. An effort of a temporary nature, in the way of circulating our literature, was made in the closing months of the same year. A few months later the work was permanently established by the arrival of Brother and Sister J. L. McElhany, who are now laboring in New Zealand. The writer and his wife arrived early in 1908. Thus far the work has been distinctly seed-sowing. Thousands of copies of the Signs of the Times have been mailed to many of the Filipino school-teachers, who number six thousand; also to a number of American teachers. The past six months, two hundred fifty copies of “Patriarchs and Prophets” (Spanish) have been circulated, mostly among the Filipinos; and about five hundred more are likely to be required in Manila. As only about five per cent of the population can read Spanish, it will be necessary to prepare literature in some of the leading dialects. For this we are praying.

R. A. CALDWELL.