p. 9 | A Week at Honolulu by A. G. DANIELLS.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 13, 1914

A Week at Honolulu

By A. G. DANIELLS.

AFTER a very pleasant and restful voyage of six days from San Francisco, we steamed into the harbor of Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday morning, June 9. A number of the brethren and sisters met us at the boat, and gave us a real Hawaiian welcome. It was a great pleasure to meet our workers and people in these islands. We remained with them eight days, holding meetings with the church, and counseling with the workers regarding plans of labor for the coming year.

Our church in Honolulu is the only one we have in the Hawaiian Islands. The membership is forty-three. Eight or ten others are keeping the Sabbath, some of whom are to be baptized soon and unite with the church. To a stranger the congregation seems rather mixed. There are about a dozen Americans, eight or ten Chinese, six or eight Hawaiians, and about the same number of Portuguese, besides two Scandinavians and one Javanese. The most of them understand English well enough to follow the speaker, though some are not able to get the full benefit of the sermon.

These dear brethren and sisters love this message, and are endeavoring by their lives and labors to lead others to accept it. Elder and Sister F. H. Conway, who are in charge of the work in the islands, are doing all they can to help the members to be true missionaries. As it is very difficult to hold public meetings among people composed of so many nationalities, the church members are being instructed and trained in personal missionary work, such as selling magazines and pamphlets, lending tracts, and holding Bible readings. All the members, and even some of the larger children, are responding very encouragingly to these kinds of missionary effort. They meet with great encouragement in the sale of literature among the Japanese, Hawaiians, Chinese, Portuguese, and the soldiers stationed at the army barracks. They need a greater variety of literature for some of these nationalities. They also need some one of experience and ability to take charge of the work and teach them how to work systematically and to persevere against difficulties. The readiness with which the people purchase our literature in their various languages is about the most encouraging and hopeful omen for the advancement of the message in these islands.

In planning the work for the future, it was thought best for Brother and Sister McKeague to make their home in Hilo, on the island of Hawaii. Brother McKeague was born in the islands, and has a good knowledge of the Hawaiian language. He attended school in Healdsburg College, and later took the nurses' course at Loma Linda. Sister McKeague is an experienced nurse from the Glendale Sanitarium. Although they are both excellent nurses and deeply interested in medical missionary work, they feel that they must make the evangelistic work first, using their knowledge of the medical work to help the people as the way may open. Arrangements were made to provide them with a tent and a stereopticon for public meetings. They will first do personal work with our literature and in missionary nursing. Later they will use the tent to gather the people for public services. Their field is a difficult one, but they are going there trusting the Lord to give them success; and I wish to solicit in their behalf the earnest prayers of those who read this report. This request will surely appeal to their fellow students, both in the college, and in the sanitariums from which they were graduated.

Brother and Sister Conway will remain in Honolulu to build up the church and to carry forward the work in behalf of those who have not heard the message. They will be assisted by Sister Ada Robinson, who has spent several years in Japan and knows the Japanese language. She embraced the truth about a year ago in Honolulu, and is now doing Bible work and selling magazines. She is making a special effort among the Japanese, none of whom at the present time are members of our church. As soon as it can be brought about, Elder Conway will conduct a tent effort in Honolulu. He hopes to do so during the coming winter.

Besides these five workers under the direction and support of the Mission Board, Brother and Sister Bartholomew are conducting nurses' treatment rooms in the city. Brother Bartholomew was graduated from the Washington Sanitarium, and was for a long time connected with the Iowa Circle Sanitarium. He has been in Honolulu nearly two years. At first he was connected with the Y. M. C. A. building, in which he installed an excellent treatment equipment. He has recently rented rooms in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. His place is neat and well equipped. Among his patrons are some of the best and most influential families in the city. Brother Bartholomew does most thorough and efficient work, and enjoys the confidence of those who come to his institution. His reports show that since opening the first treatment rooms in Honolulu there have been given 3,116 treatments. The value of these treatments, at the regular rates charged, would be $7,986. The amount received for them was only $3,675, showing a reduction of $4,311 having been made to those unable to pay regular rates. During the first half of June as many treatments were given as during the entire month of May. Our workers in Honolulu are very glad of the good work being carried on in these treatment rooms. They are cooperating with Brother Bartholomew in every possible way.

My association with the workers and believers in Honolulu gave me a new conception of our Hawaiian Mission field, and awakened a deeper interest for the prosperity of the work there. A week was too short a period for all that I found to do. The kindness, loyalty, and earnestness manifested by these brethren and sisters endeared them to our hearts. As they waved us a kindly good-by, I could but pray the Lord to keep them faithful to the end of the struggle. It will soon be over, and the faithful will be gathered to that blessed and eternal home where they will be forever with the Lord.

A. G. DANIELLS.