Chaiju Island, Korea by C. L. BUTTERFIELD

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 6, 1916

Chaiju Island, Korea

By C. L. BUTTERFIELD

C. L. BUTTERFIELD

CHAIJU ISLAND, or, as it is sometimes called, Quelpart Island, is the largest island belonging to Korea, and is about 120 miles to the southwest of the peninsula. The first authentic record of the island is in 477 A. D., when the little kingdom of T’am-na, as Chaiju was then called, sent an envoy to the court of Pak-je, one of the three kingdoms existing on the peninsula at that time, with gifts. The people of the island were strong, and their history has been one of war and carnage. No more than sixteen years ago there was an uprising, and all the Catholics, about six hundred in number, were put to death in two days. The island is about thirty miles wide and fifty long. Hal-la mountain stands in the center, and is the second highest peak in all Korea. The island is covered with lava stone that was at some early date thrown from the crater of this mountain. There is so much of this stone that, although the fields are very small, they all have high stone fences about them, house lots are inclosed with the same, and all roads are kept within bounds by the never-ending lava stone. The population of the island now numbers about 200,000.

MOUNTAIN WITH CAVE (WHERE ARROW POINTS), WHERE THE PERSECUTED BROTHER KEPT THE SABBATH

Early in the year 1914 a canvasser went to this island, and one day met a man who had been drinking liquor. When the agent saw that the man was intoxicated, he was not anxious to sell to him, but the man wanted to buy; and he did buy a copy of everything the canvasser had,—“Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,” “Helps to Bible Study,” and a pamphlet on the “Nature of Man,” and three copies of the magazine. Later this man discovered that while intoxicated he had bought Christian literature, and not desiring to spend his money in vain, decided that, although he knew nothing of Christianity, he would become a Christian and study the literature. To be a Christian he thought it would be necessary to attend church, so he went to the only church in that part of the island, supposing that it was the church that had published the literature he had bought.

For four months this man was faithful in attending church and studying his literature. But one Sunday the pastor notified the congregation that, without doubt, workers of the Sabbath church would soon come to that place, and for them to have nothing to do with the false teachers.

At the close of the meeting the man went to the pastor and said, “Pastor, are we not the Sabbath church? I do not understand your warning.” To this the pastor replied that they were not keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, but were keeping the resurrection day. This was a surprise to our new Christian, and he replied, “Why, Pastor, since I became a Christian I have studied much and have been trying to lead other souls to Christ, telling them that they should keep the seventh-day Sabbath.” This was too much for the pastor. He became angry, told the man that he was a deceiver, an employee of the seventh-day church, coming in there to break up his congregation.

Until this time our new Christian had never heard that there were other churches, and knew nothing of the Seventh-day Adventists. But he was no longer allowed to attend that church, and so it seemed best for him to move to another part of the island. He went to a place called Sa Kae Re, where there are about five hundred houses, but not a Christian inhabitant. He rented a house, and with his wife decided to keep the true Sabbath, worshiping on that day in their rented house. However, the people of the place said that they would not allow a Christian to hold religious services in that village.

About one mile back of the village

there is a rocky mountain, and high up on one side of it is a large cave. Our man now decided that as he was not allowed to worship in what was called a Christian church or hold meetings in the house in which he was living in that heathen village, he would go to this cave and worship God on the day he had blessed and set apart for his worship. Each Sabbath morning for three months he, with his wife, would leave his house before daylight so that people would not see them, and spend the day in this cave, studying the Word of God, praying, and singing. As they were spending one Sabbath in the great cave,—a natural cathedral,—some people from the village came to the cave sight-seeing, and were surprised to find a man and his wife there studying the Bible. They soon became interested in what was told them, and returned the next Sabbath, bringing others with them. Thus an interest was aroused, and by the end of that month a man of influence in the village had also decided to become a Christian, and he said that they should hold meetings in the village from then on, and he would see that they were not molested.

In these native villages there are no large houses suitable for meeting purposes, most of the rooms being eight feet square, and so only a few persons can assemble. The man of influence, Mr. Yun by name, said that as he had spent most of his money for drink, he would now spend what he had left to build a church in which they could worship God. He had a little piece of ground that had been given to him by his father for his house lot, which he said he would use. He planned to build a little church that would seat about thirty persons, but the people of the place strongly objected to having a church building erected there. They were so determined that he should not build that he said he would change his plan and make the new church the largest building in the place, capable of seating at least one hundred people.

ROCKY CLIFF BY SEASHORE, WITH BAPTISMAL GROUP

THE SA KAE RE CHURCH BUILDING ON CHAJU ISLAND, KOREA

That building is now about finished, and the expense has been borne mostly by Brother Yun, although it has taken almost all his worldly possessions. The building is well located, and besides the meeting-room there are living-rooms for the native worker who will labor there for a time. Brother Yun, anxious that this building should be used only for the proclamation of the third angel’s message, has given a deed of the land and building to the Korean Mission.

On the last Sabbath in February, in company with Pastor R. C. Wangerin, who is director of the work in that part of Korea, it was the privilege of the writer to visit this place and by a rocky cliff in the ocean baptize eleven candidates, including the above-mentioned two brethren. These have taken a firm stand for the truth. A Sabbath school of nineteen members has been organized, and many others have promised to become Christians. The opposition that was manifested at the first is rapidly giving place to friendliness, and we trust that a strong church will be built up there, and many souls won for Christ.

The people told us that this was the first time that a Westerner had ever visited their village, and from the way they flocked to our room, or gathered in groups by the road as we passed, or peeked through the stone walls at us, we could easily believe that they had never seen our like before.

The journey to the island has to be made on a small boat which runs when the wind is not too strong, which is the case much of the time, as we found out. To one who is not a good seaman the trip at sea is not at all pleasing, and even Pastor Wangerin, who is a good sailor, broke his record this time and experienced the pleasures (?) of seasickness while going to the island.

At the time a steamer was scheduled to leave, we returned to the port, but had to wait just five days in a small room in a Korean inn before the ship came. Our food supply had been exhausted even before we returned to the inn, and all we could get to eat was rice and eggs. Those were days of anxious waiting, yet God’s ways are not our ways, and even those days of “exile” proved to be days of blessing to us. We are glad to have visited the place, and trust that much will be accomplished on the island during the present year. Two native evangelists are now stationed on the island, and many are anxious to know what they must do to be saved. Pray for the work in this part of the vineyard.