Mission Notes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 1, 1904

DURING the period of eighty-one years, from the printing of Dr. Morrison’s Chinese New Testament in 1813, to 1894, the total circulation, including the Scriptures given away before the principle of selling was established, was about 5,500,000 volumes. In the last eight years, from 1894 to 1902, the circulation has been over 4,660,000 volumes, of which 51,000 were whole Bibles and 184,000 New Testaments. Of this number, all but about 100,000 were sold.

ANOTHER of our Japanese native Christians—Dr. Kawasaki—was summoned to his native province recently, to get ready for service on the medical staff with the army in Manchuria. The medical examiner thought he would not be able to endure the heavy work this would entail, so he was allowed to return. Although he is not very strong in appearance, our workers believe that his return was due more to the goodness of God in sparing him for the medical missionary work than to the natural clemency of the examiner.

LAST year, in the town of Kuankai, China, one of the Bible Society’s colporteurs found a family using a Testament which they had buried when they were forced to flee for their lives to the hills during the massacres. The father had left the book to his children, telling them exactly where it was buried, so that if he were killed (as he feared), his children should still be able to find the book again some day, and read about the true God. It was then thought that the missionaries would never be permitted to return again to the country; and by means of the Testament the father hoped that the children would be able to help keep alive the knowledge of God in their heathen land. Fortunately, the whole family managed to escape the Boxers, and the colporteur supplied them with more copies.