The Eastern Polynesian Mission
By Mrs. B. J. Cady
The second annual conference of this mission was held at Avera, Raiatea, July 7-18, 1904. The workers in attendance were Elder E. H. Gates, general superintendent of the island field, from Australia; Brother and Sister G. F. Jones and Miss Gooding, from Rarotonga; L. A. Roth, Paul J. Deane, and Mrs. Beckner, from Tahiti; and Brother and Sister B. J. Cady and Miss Nelson, of Raiatea. We hoped to have some of our people from Pitcairn with us, and several had planned to come, but it was thought unsafe for their cutter to make such a long trip again. The meetings were held in the home on the Hillsdale plantation, and most of the visitors were entertained there. No better time could have been chosen for holding the meeting in this place, as we have but little rain at this season of the year, and also have our coolest weather. I believe that all enjoyed their short sojourn in this quiet spot among the verdant hills, where God seems to come especially near. In leading us to this place, it is as if the Lord said to us, as to his disciples of old, “Come ye yourselves apart . . . and rest awhile.” And I trust that all found just the rest needed, and that they now go out to labor with new energy and courage. Part of the time during the meetings, the people of the island were in the settlement, celebrating the chief holiday of the French nation. The custom is to celebrate three days, July 13-15, but the natives try to lengthen it out all the way from one week to a month. The natives of the island were all compelled to attend this celebration, and help in the singing, or else pay a fine of $1 each. This is in accordance with an old native law which is still in vogue, and is quite in harmony with the tastes of these people, who love to attend such gatherings, and who are highly entertained for days at a time in watching the trials at the fortune wheels and listening to the singing. They call it arearea (pleasure); but while nearly the whole island were gathered in the village, vainly seeking their pleasure in this way, a few of us met day by day in our retreat at Avera, and found real joy in considering our relation to God and to his work. From the ninth to the eighteenth the time was quite well filled with meetings. Our week-day services were held each day from eleven to twelve o’clock in the forenoon, from one to about half-past three in the afternoon, and again in the evening. Considering the time it occupied, I think that what brought in the most light and blessing was a series of Bible studies, showing the importance of the spirit of prophecy and its relation to the church. These were conducted by Brother Gates, and were heartily appreciated by all. Our conference meetings occupied the larger part of the time. Though our delegates were few in number, most important matters were thoroughly discussed and decided. Quite a number of good resolutions were adopted. In the discussion of these resolutions, important matters of church discipline were carefully considered, and the truth was made plain to all present. At times, these meetings took the form of a brief social service, as in the consideration of the resolution urging all to be faithful in the paying, when many testified to the blessing received as a result of faithfulness in this respect, while some who had not been in the habit of following out this plan expressed a determination to do so in the future. As most of our brethren in Raiatea are English-speaking people, and usually all present understood the English, our services were conducted in that language. One interesting feature of our meetings was the reports from the various laborers in regard to their work during the past year. Though Rarotonga is about seven hundred miles from Tahiti, it is a part of our mission field, and we listened with much interest to the reports given by Brother and Sister Jones and Sister Evelyn Gooding of the work there. Sister Gooding came from Australia a little over two years ago to take up school work in that island. This work was first conducted in the form of a boarding-school at Arorangi, but has since been removed to Titikaveka, where it is carried on more successfully as a church-school. Brother and Sister Jones went to Rarotonga last August, and have since labored hard to build up and establish the work in that island. A church building has been erected at Titikaveka, and was dedicated last May. Brother Deane has spent the past year in Tahiti. He never before attended a meeting of quite such a nature as this, and it has brought a great blessing to him, and through him we trust that it may be a great help to our native people, for whom he is to labor. As Mr. Cady was away so long on his visit to Pitcairn Island, he has not been able to get out into an entirely new field, but his remaining time has been fully occupied in labor in connection with our churches, and looking after our industrial institutions. A sugar-mill has been started in connection with the Hillsdale plantation, which will help to furnish work for those receiving training, and also be a financial help to the place. Since our last meeting, Brother Roth has been laboring especially for the French people of these islands, principally through the distribution of literature. Brother and Sister Beckner moved to Tahiti a few months ago, and now have charge of the bakery in Papeete. Brother Leonard Christian has taken Brother Beckner’s place at Hillsdale as overseer of the outdoor work. Sister Nelson has been busy the past year instructing the youth who have been under her watch-care, and training them as best she could. Her efforts have not been in vain, as four of them have decided to take their stand on the Lord’s side. We rarely see children here take upon themselves the name of Christians and unite with the church, but we are glad to see these little ones take this step; for we know that the lambs are safer in the fold than they would be outside. The principal work of the writer during the past year has been in behalf of our Sabbath-schools. The work of translating and copying our Sabbath-school lessons in the Tahitian has been continued, and readings have also been prepared in that tongue for use in the Sabbath-school and church services. One result of this is seen in the development of a better missionary spirit among our members, which is manifest by a large increase in our Sabbath-school donations. I am sure that the efforts put forth to help our own people have not been in vain. Although they make very slow progress, we can see some encouraging results, and we have learned to rejoice over every apparent victory, though it may be very small. We are told that we must “educate, educate, educate;” and that is especially applicable to this field, where past education and hereditary influences have all been so very detrimental to all that is good and pure and true. The prevailing opinion in these islands is that the young people can not be Christians until after they are married, and native parents do not usually expect their children to keep themselves pure. As a result, the youth almost invariably give themselves up to licentiousness and revelry, which necessarily brings on physical, mental, and moral weakness, and an early death. The sad effects of such living is everywhere apparent in the diseased condition of the people, and in the many deaths. For instance, among the few Sabbath-keepers in the two islands of Raiatea and Tahiti, I can now bring to mind eighteen who have died in the past eleven years since we came here, and this does not include the small children, but only those grown to maturity. The death-rate is just as18great outside of our ranks. The native people are rapidly degenerating in every way. Excess in eating and drinking is one cause of this, and the free use of tobacco by both men and women is another. They are taught from childhood to indulge the appetite, and it seems almost impossible for them to see that it is their duty to deny the appetite, and not partake of such things as will weaken the body. They are trained to think that the more they eat, the better it is for them, and that it is a great mistake to urge one to refrain from eating everything in case of sickness. The fact is that when one touches a native’s appetite, it is as if he touched the apple of his eye. In spite of all this, many have gained the victory over tobacco and alcoholic drinks, and some have gone still farther; for the Lord is able to do for them what man can not do. The last Sabbath of our meetings will long be remembered. We had the pleasure of receiving into the church through baptism one young woman and four children. One of the children is a boy from the island of Aitutaki, who has spent the past year with our workers in Rarotonga. For the present, he is to remain here at Hillsdale under the care of Sister Nelson. The officers chosen for this coming year were as follows: Chairman, B. J. Cady; Secretary, Mrs. Cady; Executive Committee, B. J. Cady, G. F. Jones, and G. T. Beckner. Nearly all expressed themselves as having enjoyed these meetings as much as any they ever attended, though some have been in attendance at our large General Conferences. Probably one reason for this is that the burden of the work for this field rests heavily upon the few of us who are here, and we feel intensely interested in planning and working for its development. Then, too, the Spirit of the Lord has been with us in a special measure to soften and subdue hearts, and to help us to see eye to eye. The Lord has been true to his promise that where only a few are gathered together in his name, there he will be in their midst. On the whole, it has been a season of refreshing to the workers, and although we may not be able to do any more work during this coming year than in the past, we hope to do better work. We start out anew with a strong determination to co-operate with Christ, that his will regarding us may be fulfilled to the salvation of precious souls.