South China-the Open Doors by George Harlow

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 21, 1911

South China—the Open Doors

By George Harlow

GEORGE HARLOW

For the last few months south China has been in great unrest. The people are continually looking for something to happen, but just what that something is they do not know. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to speak of the second coming of Christ, and to let them know that just before the Master comes, people will be in exactly this state of mind.

We thought at first that the revolutionary unrest would be a great hindrance to the progress of the work, because for awhile the selling of literature was prohibited under severe penalties. In one instance, a colporteur of another mission was taken without trial and beheaded; but our work has not suffered. Our boys stopped selling for a few days, but have renewed their work with as great vigor as before; and since the people are looking for something with revolutionary ideas, they buy any paper or tract that can be had. So the work goes on.

Brother Bach writes from Pakhoi: “The work here has made decided progress, as the church was awakened to its duty of helping the mission as far as it can. In our last monthly meeting our church-members decided to help the church next year, and offered fifty-two dollars. This is a noble gift toward the expense of the work here if we consider the hard times the people are in. Three more have accepted the truth. We now have seventy-three who keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and who are looking for the soon return of our Lord.” If you could have been with me at Pakhoi and seen the dire poverty of some of these people, fifty-two dollars would look much larger than it sounds.

Brother Bach sent an earnest appeal for another worker, but for lack of funds we did not feel free to grant his request; we hope ere many months roll by to be able to send another evangelist to him.

The workers at every station are reporting decided progress in the work. The only thing we lack, it seems to me, is sufficient funds to keep up with the work as it advances. If ever John 4:35 was true, I believe it is true to-day in China. Every day several come to me asking to know the truth, and nearly every day I find plenty of opportunities to hold Bible readings with as many as I have time for.

Our schools are both laboring under very trying conditions. The buildings were not built for school purposes, and are anything but what make a school pleasant. But still our boys and girls cling to their work. Most all our boys are earning their way through school by selling our periodicals. We certainly long for the time to come when we can have better quarters; but we have confidence that our people in the home land are pulling hard for us, so we patiently wait for what the Lord will send us.

Canton.