Korea and Japan by H. Kuniya

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 1, 1906

Korea and Japan

By H. Kuniya

LATE in November of last year I left Kobe, arriving at Fusan, Korea, December 1. Here I remained two days. An interest in the truth has been awakened here, and I have been corresponding with some of the interested ones. During my stay I held three meetings, with an attendance of twenty-five or thirty. Several profess to be keeping the Sabbath, and the interest should be followed up as soon as possible.

From Fusan I went to Chinnampo and its vicinity, where I remained between three and four weeks. I found the believers of good courage, and the work in a prosperous condition, though not entirely devoid of perplexities. Lately quite an influential man has accepted the truth, and is very zealous in working for others. This has been a help and an encouragement to the believers there.

I held daily Bible studies with the brethren from the time of my arrival. After a week we arranged for a series of meetings and Bible studies, to which the brethren from the country were invited. These meetings continued for a week, and there were present members from each of the little companies in the country. We had Bible study for two hours every forenoon, and meeting again in the evening. Between fifty and sixty of our own members were in attendance, besides interested ones; so that our small meeting room was crowded, and some could not even enter. Some of the children had to sit under the table that was used as the speaker's desk. The meetings were thoroughly enjoyed, and the believers were edified. Since my earlier visits, some of our Korean brethren have been studying the Japanese language, so this time I got along much better in making them understand.

One man in a near-by boarding-house heard our singing one evening, and came to listen. He became much interested, and attended regularly from that time. And at the close of the meetings he earnestly requested baptism; so he, with eleven others, was baptized. Still others are interested and desire baptism; but some need to become more fully established.

The next week I spent in the village of Rongan, about twenty miles northwest of Chinnampo. This was my first visit to this place. Here quite a number are interested, and two families have fully decided to obey. After this I made a brief visit to Sondol. The believers there have built a good-sized meeting-house, with a room for a church-school; and they report an attendance of eighteen. One of the young men acts as teacher. The Kangdemuro church have also built a meeting-house, and the church at Pamegi still use the building they erected before they accepted present truth. Each of these companies reports several interested believers awaiting baptism. Of the little company at Rondon, one has died, others have become interested in politics, and so given up the truth, and the one remaining faithful brother meets with the believers at Chinnampo.

The company at Chinnampo is not yet fully organized. There are now over thirty baptized believers there, and they report quite a number of candidates for

baptism. They hold their meetings in the house where Brethren Lim Ki Pan and Kang Chang O, our workers, live; but they need a church building, and have started a subscription list for that purpose.

On my return from Korea I spent two days at Nagasaki with a merchant who had been writing to me. He has now fully accepted the truth, and is anxious to have gospel work done in his city. I hope to visit Nagasaki again in the near future. H. KUNIYA.