p. 16 | Hayti by Henry Williams

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jul 6, 1905

Hayti

By Henry Williams

CAPE HAYTIEN.—How mysteriously God works! Twenty years ago we came to this town from Kingston, Jamaica, our native land. At that time there was one Protestant church here; we were Roman Catholics. Two years later, the Sabbath truth came to us, and immediately we accepted it, and lived it alone, until two years ago, when a sister and her four children united with us. This cheered us to continue with strong faith in our singular belief, and to maintain our position as sentinels in this distant outpost, until again our hearts were made glad through another victory gained in favor of the truth, in the conversion of another brother about two months ago. This man is the founder and professor of a high school. He is intensely zealous for the proclamation of the message everywhere in his country, that his fellow Haytians may be enlightened and understand the serious nature of the everlasting gospel which is due to Hayti as a nation. He was so urged by his zeal to see his people converted from Romanism, that he invited the public, by advertisement, to lectures on Bible subjects, held every Sabbath evening at seven o'clock. He had in his audience at one time, ministers, doctors, lawyers, magistrates, and professors of schools.

He began with the two covenants, and now has come to the mark of the beast. His conversion to the Sabbath has caused a great stir, especially among the Protestant churches, because he was a prominent, active member in the Wesleyan body. He was the leader of a society of young men that did open-air preaching. The Wesleyan pastor took away his son from his school, saying, "He is gone to become a Jew," although the boy was getting a salary as an advanced scholar. Every Sabbath morning this brother conducts a Bible reading with his boarding pupils, and later meets with us for worship, with such students as care to come with him.

As a result of Bible instruction, one of his teachers, a Baptist, has accepted the Sabbath, and resigned his membership with the church, and one of the pupils has also accepted the Sabbath.

He sends his cook away on Friday evening, to stay until Sunday morning. He is not satisfied to work in town only; he has made some evangelical visits, with some of his students, about twenty-four miles into the interior, to a village called La Grande Reviere, where there is a Baptist church. This building is said to be a fine one, seventy-five by thirty-five feet, the largest Protestant house of worship in this northern part of the island. The result of these visits is that the preacher and the majority of a membership of ninety accepted the Sabbath, and told Brother Isaac that as

soon as Elder Bourdeau comes, the church will be given over to become a Seventh-day Adventist church. They are anxious for a minister to come to accomplish this, and they are free to do so, for it is an independent church.

Brother Isaac, a sister and her daughter, and perhaps three others, are awaiting baptism on the arrival of the pastor. I am sure that your hearts yearn to develop the work which has been begun here. I now leave Hayti's spiritual future with you.

Let me ask some good brethren and sisters to donate thirty numbers of the French Signs, of the twice-a-month issue, to come for a year, and also the regular weekly issue of the English Signs, as I have nothing with which to work.

HENRY WILLIAMS.