News From the Seat of War by L. R. CONRADI

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 17, 1914

News From the Seat of War

By L. R. CONRADI

While the daily newspapers are read with the greatest interest because of the news which each day brings from this terrible war which affects the whole world, God’s people have a still deeper interest in the question of how this war may affect the cause of God itself. The last few days have brought us some very encouraging news from our workers in the different parts of the field, who have personally been at or near the battle field. They have also brought us the sad news from those who suffer more or less from the ravages of the war. But with them all, amid the terrible thunder of the guns and the dreadful slaughter of contending arms, joyful news has reached our ears of souls brought to the knowledge of God’s truth.

Elder H. F. Schuberth has lately been put in the East German Union, visiting his different conferences, and has visited East Prussia to the Russian border. He sends us the good report that during the third quarter not less than 264 believers were added in his union. Of these, 28 were in East Prussia and 4 in eastern Galicia. In spite of the war, over $18,000 tithe and $3,000 offerings has come in from the 6,975 members of that union. In East Prussia, Elder Schuberth had to visit some places with a boat, some on foot or with team, and some he could not reach at all.

A good sister from that field gives us the following experience: On August 24, the first Cossacks came into their little town, destroyed the railway, and threatened the inhabitants; but nobody was hurt. A few days later this sister, with two other families, fled by team. She had six children with her; her seventh son had been carried away by the Cossacks. But the Russians overtook them, and they had to return to their old home. They met thousands of Russian soldiers on the road. Later a battle was fought in their neighborhood; they had to give up all their provisions. The men had to hide themselves, only the poor people remaining in the place. On the tenth of September, the Russians had to leave. Many of the villages and farms were set on fire, but in the midst of the battle, our sister and those with her sought God, and he kept them and protected them, though they lost most of their belongings.

Elder Oblaender, the president of the West German Union, recently visited Belgium. He had great difficulty in securing the necessary permission, but found our people, on the whole, of good courage. At Brussels he found Brother Klingbeil at home, and had a meeting with our people and the workers there. Brother Klingbeil had been to Antwerp, where he found our people of good courage. Thus far they have not suffered any loss of their property. They cannot conduct any public efforts, but they have their regular Sabbath meetings. About $250 tithe has come in during the last quarter, and Brother Oblaender provided our workers there with the necessary means. Hundreds of people stand about in the streets, talking politics, but they do but little. The Belgian police in Brussels still maintain order. Last quarter that union conference had 204 additions, but as some conferences lost, the net gain is small. The tithe was about $18,000 and the offerings about $4,500.

In the Central European Union, God has also signally blessed the work. Over 160 believers were received during the third quarter. Of these, 64 were in Austria, 32 in German Switzerland, and 70 in southern Germany. The president of the South German Conference has lately spent eight days in Alsace. He had two good meetings in Kolmar, and four in Mulhausen. This city was twice under French control, once for two days, the other time for ten days. For hours the city was shelled, and most of our people spent their time in the cellars. The worst time they had was when there was no government at all, and the mob ruled the situation. In Metz, where we had a church of 21 members, all had to leave on account of martial law. All our people in this field are of good courage, and they have been benefited by this experience. When the brother told them how our people prayed for them everywhere, many of our dear people wept. This brother reports that in his conference about 60 of his members have been enrolled in the army.

In the Danube Union the Lord has also been blessing his work, and above all in Roumania. Last quarter 79 new members were added there, bringing the membership in Roumania up to 594; in the whole union 172 were added. Several of the directors of the mission fields and a number of the workers have been called to military service, and yet God’s work is advancing. We have already

more than 200 members in Bukharest alone.

From Brother Boettcher we learn that in spite of all the troubles in his field, where traveling is very difficult, he was able to receive 25 new members into the church. One of their Russian-German brethren, who was made a prisoner of war, is now in a military camp, with about ten thousand other men. He seems to be the right-hand man of the German officer in charge of the camp, and has excellent opportunity to circulate the truth. We have sent him literature in several languages, and we hope and pray that thousands may thus learn of the present truth who otherwise could not receive it. Thus, as Daniel, when a captive, let his light shine in dark Babylon, so some of our brethren can be light bearers in captivity.

We have also some good news, as well as bad, from our mission fields. One of our workers from Bulgaria, who works near the Dardanelles, called at our office recently, and told us of the good work in that field. Four have been baptized in Bulgaria. This brother has been freed from the military service, and is now returning to his field with new courage, trying to hold up the standard of truth. Brother Staubert, who just before the outbreak of the war had gone into the interior of Persia, to Kasbin, to look up a new location, had for some reason to return by a rather circuitous route. He came via Bagdad to Constantinople, and on this long trip caught the malaria. He is called to military service. This leaves his wife alone at Tabriz, Persia, and we hope and pray that she may be preserved and be able to join Brother and Sister Oster at Maragha.

From the British Victoria Nyanza field, East Africa, we learn that the Germans have invaded that field, and have had possession of part of it for some time. It is likely that our mission station at Kisi, which was just being erected, has been damaged, probably Karunga station also. Gendia station is being used as a hospital. Our workers had to leave their stations and gather at their headquarters. This certainly will be quite a blow to our work, and will delay its development. But all these lessons, if rightly learned, will only bring our workers nearer to God, while they bend all their energies to the work of soul saving.

From Abyssinia, we hear the good news that on September 10 two young men were baptized there.

At present we print 140,000 copies each fortnight of the Herold der Wahrheit, and are printing 500,000 of the extra number, also 30,000 of our mission paper Der Adventbote. We learn that our sanitariums are improving their patronage slowly. One doctor and his wife are hard at work in a hospital here, where they have, besides 30 to 40 regular patients, over 100 wounded. Our Swedish school at Nyhyttan has opened with 50 students. At Friedensau a second teacher and several of the students had to enter service; still about 120 remain.

We surely appreciate the many prayers which ascend to God in our behalf in all parts of the wide harvest field, and we know that God is answering them from the very fact that in spite of this terrible war, his cause advances triumphantly.

L. R. CONRADI.