In the Marovo Lagoon by G. F. Jones

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 16, 1916

In the Marovo Lagoon

By G. F. Jones

Pioneering Experiences in the Solomon Islands — No. 9

In the Marovo Lagoon

G. F. JONES

OUR first mission in the Marovo Lagoon is located on the island of Marovo, in about the center of the lagoon. In the northern part of the island are gathered the few remaining stray tribes. Here Brother and Sister Nicholson are working. A large native schoolhouse has been built, which also serves as church. The mission house is native built, but it has an iron roof; and recently a board floor has been put in. Previously we had only the earth for a floor. The Marovo people love everything that is hope, which means sacred, or sanctified. So a holy day—the Sabbath—is very acceptable to them. They love to attend the Sabbath meetings, and will come in their canoes a distance of from two to ten miles to do so.

Some have tried to intimidate them, and prevent their joining us, by telling them that we had so many things hope in our teachings that they would not be able to eat anything they liked nor do anything they wanted to do. They replied: “And you teach us to eat everything. You are very dirty Christians. We don’t want you.” Their weapon against us was turned back against themselves.

These Marovo natives who first met Christianity a few months ago, are now as eager to follow the light as they were before to hunt heads. Most of them will compare favorably with members in the homeland. So quickly are they developing that even now in the Sabbath school one will take the review and go through the entire lesson, emphasizing interesting points, and another will offer prayer. Several are able to assist in these ways. They seem to take to the Bible as to a long-lost friend. Their aged people say that their ancestors had the Holy Book long ago. This agrees with the story from the German New Guinea natives, that over sixty years ago they were looking for the return of their holy King of ancient days who had promised that he would come back again some day. They all believed that the time had arrived, and they were waiting and looking for him. But one day they saw a strange-looking craft passing their coasts, something they had never before seen. They concluded it was their great King returning, and they hastily prepared dainties for him, and they themselves lined up on the shore. When this enormous canoe puffed out smoke, and fired a cannon, they concluded that it must belong to the evil spirit, and not to the Holy One they were expecting, and they fled back into the bush. They had no one to encourage them to hope on and to prepare to meet their King. That strange thing those natives saw for the first time was a Russian man of war, an emblem of the era of war that must precede the coming of the Just One.

We are doing all we can to train our Marovo young people, that they may be able and willing to carry the truth to these poor lost sheep in the uttermost parts of these islands. Soon there will be a rich harvest of souls. One poor native who helped us build the Marovo Mission just before he died, said: “Take my family. They belong to the mission.” All the natives say that this man never said one cross word to his wife. This testimony concerning a heathen shows us that the Holy Spirit is teaching the savage righteousness.