p. 15 | Fat Shan, China by LAW KEEM, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 6, 1907

Fat Shan, China

By LAW KEEM, M. D.

LAW KEEM, M. D.

It has been nearly a year and a half since we came to China. The Lord has kept us through dangers seen and unseen, and many have been his blessings. We are thankful to be here and have a part in his great closing work.

The greater portion of this time we have spent in Canton; this has enabled my wife to get a good start on the language, and has given me an opportunity to study the field and find a good location for the work. After visiting several places, we decided to locate in Fat Shan, a city of nearly one million inhabitants. This city is ten miles from Canton, and is connected with that place by railway.

After deciding to settle here, I looked for several months before finding a suitable dwelling, as house-hunting is no easy task in China. We found one at last, with the help of a friend, and after making needed repairs, we moved in, the tenth of last December.

Before our chapel was ready, we held services each Sabbath in our sitting-room, and invited a few persons to come. The first Sabbath ten came.

I have visited among the people, and find them very friendly toward our work. We have also had many visits from members of the London and Wesleyan Missions. Some are inquiring already about the Sabbath and other points of our faith. One minister especially is in earnest. He has accepted the Sabbath, and is trying now to gain his father and mother also. He wishes to join us, but greatly desires his whole family to accept the truth with him. His father is also a minister. We are praying that he will take his stand firmly for the truth. Opposition against the work only creates a desire to learn more of what we believe.

To-day (February 4) we held our first service in the chapel, with fourteen in attendance, one being a Wesleyan minister. With this exception, they have not attended church services before, and, consequently, know little or nothing of church etiquette. They talked out loud. The women compared their clothes with those of my wife, making all comments aloud. One young man called out to them that it was not good to talk out

loud — of course forgetting what he himself was doing. When we sang, they all tried to sing, too. I talked to them about Christ and his soon coming, and on the whole, they paid very good attention.

The men looked up each text. Sometimes I had to stop talking, to find a text for some one. Some seemed to listen with real interest. The Lord grant that I may be able to give them the plain, definite message, and that it may find good soil in some hearts, and take root, bearing fruit to his glory.

Through the kindness of the San Francisco church, and a brother, we have a good organ. This is a great attraction, as well as a help in the singing. Our chapel will seat sixty persons comfortably.

We have done very little medical work so far, for lack of a place; but we are getting the bath-room and dispensary ready for earnest work as soon as I return from the Shanghai meeting. We have two earnest young men who will take up the nurses' work on my return, one coming from Amoy. My wife has more invitations than she can respond to for visits among the women. We are sure the Lord called us to this place, and we see many evidences of it already.

On my way from Hongkong last week, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Wu Ting Fang, ex-ambassador to the United States, who returned to China not long since. He is over sixty years of age. He inquired where I came from, etc. On learning that I was a physician, graduated in the States, he said, “Well, you fellows are behind the times. Nowadays the best-read men do not use much medicine. They depend more on rational methods, diet, and nature. Just look at me — over sixty years old. I do not eat flesh foods, or use any medicine. I live on vegetables, grains, and nuts. I take a cold bath every morning, and walk several miles before breakfast. Why, I feel as hale and hearty as a young fellow,' and believe I can live to be over one hundred years old.

“A few years ago, while in America, I had the rheumatism, with my joints swollen and sore. I heard that a flesh diet caused it, by forming uric acid in the system, and I quit eating meat. Now I have no rheumatism nor anything. All medicine went with the meat. I do not go to these big feasts, either — I have no use for such nonsense.”

I told him we were of the same belief on these points; that I, too, did not use flesh foods, and used very little medicine in my practise, treating more with hydrotherapy. “O, is that so? Well, now, you must teach this to the people here. Teach them physiology, and how to take better care of themselves; that's what I want.”

He asked me to what denomination I belonged, also where I was located. He took my address, and wished to correspond with me. This man holds high positions in the government at Peking, yet he is a real Daniel, so far as the principles of physical living are concerned. He is certainly a healthy-looking old gentleman, and walks as briskly as I can. It did me a great deal of good to meet him. Of course I shall write to him, and send him some of our papers and books, as he is well educated in English, as well as in Chinese, and can read anything I could send him. Perhaps the Lord will have a follower in the courts of China's palace some time. All things are possible with him. We are of the best courage, and trust in the near future to have something much better to write than heretofore.