First Service in the Japanese Field

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

First Service in the Japanese Field

IN a letter from Brother A. N. Anderson, formerly of California, we are told of first efforts to work among the people while learning the Japanese language. “While I could use but little of the language,” he writes, “I endeavored to encourage the brethren, and thus was able to improve my Japanese somewhat by practice.” He adds:—

“A portion of some of the mornings, before the heat of the day, was spent in canvassing for our paper, the Owari No Fukuin (Gospel for the Last Days), and also for “Steps to Christ” in Japanese. I found many persons in the poorer districts living in the most abject squalor and misery. In tiny, damp hovels women were toiling wearily at looms, or eking out a bare subsistence on rice by making fans, envelopes, toys, trinkets, embroidery, and various other cheap articles of merchandise. I urged them to attend the meetings, assuring them that no kane (money) was needed to hear the gospel preached.

“Upon entering one of the many hundreds of shrines in the city, I saw a silken-robed, shaven priest ringing a large, deep-toned bell. Trying to put on my best Japanese manners, I approached him with a copy of Owari No Fukuin. He said something which I did not understand, and retired to another room, leaving me standing there at the entrance. After a moment’s puzzling on my part, he returned with the price of the paper in his hand, and said he should be pleased to receive an honorable copy. After that I sold quite a number of papers in temples and shrines. It gave me much pleasure to place copies in the hands of several young novitiates. I suppose the Buddhists and Shintoists branded me as a ‘sheep stealer’ after they found out what manner of doctrine I was representing. But only the Lord of the harvest knows what seeds may fall upon good ground.

“The language school starts again soon. I want to make it a good year. The amount to be learned yet before I can speak with freedom seems staggering. But I shall endeavor to put in practice all I learn as soon as possible, and trust the Lord to help me.”