Another Year in China by J. N. Anderson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 23, 1905

Another Year in China

By J. N. Anderson

J. N. ANDERSON

OUR dear people in the home lands are continually praying for, and giving of their means to, the work in the great dark heathen fields, and it is but natural and reasonable that they should feel a deep interest in its progress. The work is quite as much theirs, though they are separated from it by thousands of miles, as it is ours who are on the ground. This is God's own arrangement, and it can not be improved upon: it is life and salvation both to the churches and to the heathen. Let this relation be broadened and deepened until the glorious message of our Lord's return shall have embraced all nations, peoples, kindreds, and tongues, and we, with those for whom we have labored, are gathered home.

Looking back over the past year, the special blessings and providences of God are manifest and many. The health of all our workers in this part of China has steadily improved. Apart from our language study, which has been pursued daily with vigor and enthusiasm, at least four different lines of work have been inaugurated wholly for Chinese: a girls' school, regular public preaching services, a boys' school, and the publication of literature.

By a special offering of several hundred dollars by the Wisconsin Conference, money has been provided for the support of school work among the Chinese girls. The enterprise is being carried on by Sister Ida Thompson, who felt a special burden for this work. The school opened last March with an attendance of twenty, which number has been increased to thirty-two at present. Two Chinese teachers do the drill work. It is a Christian school, the sole object being to lead the girls to a knowledge of Christ and to the acceptance of the truths which save the soul. The girls are both intelligent and responsive, manifesting a deep interest in their work. This is especially true of their singing, which they enter into with zest and enthusiasm, and they have already learned many gospel songs. All their work is in Chinese, and the memory faculty is put to the stretch. Apart from their other work, they have already committed to memory the entire Gospel of Mark, and the influence of the gospel is evident in the lives of the girls, some of whom are apparently having a Christian experience.

About the first of May I began public meetings in the native tongue. It was a small beginning, yet it was a beginning, and has continued to grow until now we have a good attendance every night. At first the attendance was irregular, made up largely of pedlers and burden-bearers, who dropped in for a few minutes, and then went their way. But this was not true of all. Some sat down and listened to the singing, which was followed by Scripture reading and as many comments as my limited vocabulary would permit me to make. It was a novel thing, and I never failed to have at least a few attentive hearers.

About August 1, Brother Wilbur moved his family from Hongkong to Canton, and has since assisted in these services. With some unavoidable interruptions, this work has continued to the present time. About a month ago we secured the assistance of a native preacher, a man of considerable ability and experience. Another man, educated in the practise of Western medicine, and who professes to have accepted the Sabbath, has for the past six weeks assisted us gratuitously in preaching. With the help of these two men, we are able to teach intelligently the Bible truths to those who attend our meetings. When it is remembered that our hearers are the product of many generations of deep-seated heathenism, you will realize that the process of inculcating the principles of the gospel must necessarily be comparatively slow.

The eleventh of August a school for boys was opened in which instruction in both English and Chinese is offered. Properly, everything in China should begin at their new year, some time in February, if success is to be hoped for. In this and other matters our school went counter to Chinese custom, which is all but law, and the handful of boys that entered the first month or so made us think our school would meet with little success. But the tide turned, and the enrolment has reached thirty-two in the English and nine in the Chinese department. The study of the Bible and singing is a prominent feature of the daily program. On Sabbath an hour's Bible study in English, together with a short sermon in Chinese, is given. In this way the Bible is taught to a class of boys that otherwise would not be reached.

China is a land of letters and books. Some one has expressed the opinion that China has as many books as all the rest of the world combined. Be that as it may, it is clear that our literature will

play an important part in carrying the message to the millions of this vast empire. It has been a matter of regret that this work could not begin earlier; but our knowledge of the language would not warrant our assuming such a task until we were able to judge of the merits of literature. The Chinese language is very difficult; and while our knowledge of it is not even now very extensive, yet we have been blessed in acquiring such a hold upon it that we are able to judge of it with a good degree of certainty. From this time we hope to put out the printed page—both translations of tracts and books, and original matter—till every phase of the truth has been set forth. Already a two-thousand edition of a tract of eight thousand characters has been printed. The matter in this tract was prepared by the Chinese brother at Amoy, who has lately accepted the truth and connected with our work. It deals with the Sabbath truth in a fresh and convincing way, appealing to the Word for evidence and authority. This tract is now ready for distribution, and can be had at two cents a copy.

In addition to this, we have ready for press a translation of the chapter in “Steps to Christ” entitled “The Sinner's Need of Christ,” which can be sold for one dollar a hundred. Another tract setting forth the true God is also ready, at about $1.50 a hundred. Still another, prepared by Brother Pilquist, chiefly for school work, arranged on the plan of question and answer, is ready for the printer. This is the first of a series beginning with the first chapter of Genesis, and designed to cover the history of Israel. Our workers in Honan write encouragingly of their openings; but of this I hope to write more definitely a few weeks later, when I return from a visit to them.

Canton, China.