Our New Mission Station
By E. H. Gates
SINGAPORE is on a small island of the same name just off the southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, which is the most southern point of Asia. This island is about twenty-seven by fourteen miles in size, and is a British possession. The city has a population of two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand souls. There are in the city but a few thousand English-speaking people, but nearly every country on the globe has its representatives there, notably China and the different provinces of India. It is said that there are seventy-five languages and dialects spoken in this city. From here ships in large numbers sail to every part of the world, furnishing a fine place for ship mission work. It may be said in truth that this is a “strategic point,” from which to carry on aggressive warfare against the various forms of pagan and papal errors, in the great East India field. In the Malaysian mission field there are, in round numbers, about fifty million souls, the great majority of whom are either pagans or Mohammedans. In this immense field we have, until very recently, but one missionary family. Brother Munson, in Sumatra, has worked for the past five years against great difficulties, and is now seeing fruit of his labors. Now we are greatly rejoiced to see three more faithful workers enter these pagan lands, Brother G. F. Jones and wife and Brother Robert Caldwell, who have gone to Singapore. This is in harmony with the testimony of the spirit of prophecy, which says: ‘God calls upon his workers to annex new territory for him. . . . Advance. Enter new territory. Lift up the standard in every land. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. . . . Our burden for the regions beyond can never be laid down until the whole earth shall be lightened with the glory of the Lord.’ It was a pleasing sight to those who watched the N. D. L. steamer “Prinz Waldemir” as she moved away from the wharf at Sydney, September 28, to see the cheerfulness and hope expressed in the countenances of our missionaries as they started on the long trip of six thousand miles to meet the trials and difficulties of mission life in pagan lands. The prayers of all the faithful should follow them. The climate of their future home is a very trying one, the island being almost under the equator. Nothing but love for the perishing would induce them to go to such a place. Brother Robert Caldwell goes to Singapore as a resident canvasser. He has labored for some time in West Australia. Brother and Sister Jones, first began to labor in England, where they engaged in Bible work, canvassing, and nursing. One year was spent in one of the American schools. For the past two or three years they have labored in the Eastern Polynesian mission field. During their few-weeks’ stay in Australia just before sailing for Singapore, they spent some time at the Avondale school, also visited Maitland, Wahroonga Sanitarium, Stanmore, and Epping. In all these places they did much to stimulate the missionary spirit. Several of the young people in the sanitarium and the school expressed a desire to follow them later to the East Indian mission field. We hope before long to see several of these youth engaged in mission work in that field. In the East Indies there are not only pagans and Mohammedans, but in the Netherland East Indies there are thousands of Dutch residents. Among these are many persons of wealth and education. This will call for laborers who can speak the Dutch language. Prayers should unceasingly be offered by our people for the success of our work in those destitute regions. More means must come in to supply and sustain the14workers. If all will give regularly to this work, twice as many workers can be sent into the mission as we now have, and no one will miss the amount given. Listen to words of the Lord as found in a recent Testimony:— “God’s people have a mighty work before them. Our efforts in missionary lines must become far more extensive. A more decided work than has been done must be done prior to the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s people are not to cease their labors till they shall encircle the world.”
“The vineyard includes the whole world, and every part of it is to be worked. The waste places of the earth are to be cultivated. New territories are to be worked. New churches must be established, new congregations organized. At this time there should be representatives of present truth in every city, and in the remote parts of the earth. The whole earth is to be illuminated with the glory of God’s truth. The light is to shine to all lands and all peoples. It will not be long before every one will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come. . . . Scarcely a thousandth part of the work is being done that ought to be done in mission fields.”
“The home missionary work will be further advanced in every way when a more liberal, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the prosperity of foreign missions; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. It is in working actively to supply the necessities of the cause of God, that we bring our souls in touch with the Source of all power.”
I would suggest that all our people everywhere, especially remember these workers in their new mission field. Read the following from “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 80: “We should hold convocations for prayer, asking the Lord to open the way for the truth to enter the strongholds where Satan has set up his throne, and dispel the shadow he has cast athwart the pathway of those whom he is seeking to deceive and destroy.”