A Brief Report of the Plainfield Mission, for Quarter Ending June 30, 1905
By Thomas H. Branch
We wish to report the work as onward; true, there have been many disappointments, according to our plans, but we trust that even these things that seem failures, in God’s way may tell on the side of right. We labored to get the message plainly before some bright young men who were in the school, but when the law of God and its obligations were made plain, these boys turned away, saying, “We will trust in Sunday.”
A FEW OF THE BOYS WHO CARRY THE MESSAGE TO
THE VILLAGES SABBATH AFTERNOONS
Of course one must meet many hard problems in a land of darkness, where darkness not only covers the earth, but gross darkness the people. Thanks be to the God of all love, whose mercy never faileth, there are some who are studying, and the message is taking hold on them. The boys were anxious to go out and teach what they have learned concerning the message for this time, and were so filled with a longing desire to go to their villages and speak to their friends, that they asked for a month’s vacation; this I granted them, and at present they are still there. Some of the boys wish to go to their former teachers, thinking, “Surely they had not seen these things in God’s Word.” I believe that God is fulfilling his promise among these young men, that he would put his Spirit on young men of every kindred, tribe, and tongue, and fit them to give the last message of mercy. If there is one thing above another that lifts the heart in hope, and inspires the worker to greater diligence, it is when he sees the children taking a deep interest in the written Word.
There is a good interest now in the villages, from the labor of the boys on Sabbath afternoons; and the people come regularly to the Sabbath services, and the older men and women are in constant attendance at the Sabbath-school, and take part the same as the children,—and children they are. There are a number of the village women who come once a week to study the Word of God, and also to learn a verse to say in the Sabbath-school. Mrs. Branch has charge of this department of the work. One afternoon, while teaching them the importance of prayer, she asked them, “Do you pray when you are at your homes and about your work?” The answer was, “If we did not pray, we would not be here.” Surely God’s word has found the way through superstition and close clinging ivy-vines of unbelief; and through the accumulated darkness of many years, the sunshine of God’s word is entering. Then, too, there are the small girls, who come every noon at the close of school, to study the Bible and learn verses for the Sabbath-school. Mrs. Branch has a prayer-meeting every Monday afternoon for these women, girls, and small boys, and those are precious seasons. It does one good to hear those heathen mothers praying for God to help them to get away from the old village life.
There has never before been such an interest taken by the people in the study of the Word of God since our coming to the station. We remember that it is written, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Not much is done in a hurry, or at a single bound, but it is the every-day, slow, plodding work that tells for the Master.
In our school the enrolment for the quarter has been fifty-two. Some of the village children have been dropped, as their parents have moved away; yet the attendance has been very good, and the interest is growing. We feel greatly encouraged at the progress most of them are making. We have two out-schools; one is six miles away, and the other is two miles. Two boys go every school-day to teach in each of these schools, returning in time for the afternoon session here. The attendance in those schools is good. At the Sabbath services which are held there, the children and their parents gather to hear the word of God, sometimes asking many questions about the word preached.
Our crops did not turn out well, though we planted three times. The first planting was burned by the sun, the second planting was washed out by the heavy rains, and the third planting, being rather late, was stunted by the hot sun; yet we have harvested enough to feed our boys. The crops consisted of corn, Irish and sweet potatoes, beans, and peanuts. We hoped to have an abundance for the market; we may have a small amount.16The market has changed greatly in prices, as so many of the planters have failed on the cotton and other crops, and they are leaving the country. The natives also are leaving this part of Africa in large numbers, until there is a dearth of laborers to the few remaining planters.
We know that the work is the Lord’s, and he will carry it forward to a victorious completion. We are striving to do all we can to teach all men that Jesus saves. Our courage in the work was never better, and our health has been good. Pray for the work here, that God may give us wisdom to do his will, and that there may be an abundant harvest of souls to the glory of our God.
