p. 10 | The Bahama Islands Mission by W. A. Sweany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 17, 1910

The Bahama Islands Mission

By W. A. Sweany

W. A. SWEANY

Although rents are very high, we secured a suitable and comfortable dwelling, in a respectable, quiet, cool, pleasant locality, near the sea, for a reasonable rental. There is land enough to enable us to keep a horse, a cow, and some goats and chickens. The value of these will be better understood when it is known that there is no means of transportation here except cabs at twelve cents a mile; milk is twenty cents a quart, and eggs fifty cents a dozen, and everything else in proportion.

Shortly after coming we found two lone, widowed sisters, who had for years been keeping the Sabbath, as the result of the work done by Brother C. F. Parmele about fifteen years ago, he having spent some time here in canvassing and other house-to-house work. This made an encouraging addition to our family Sabbath-school, as one of these sisters had three daughters in their teens, who also attended. This sister has since died, leaving the daughters alone in this hard, friendless world.

We were unable for some time to find a place for public meetings, as there are few suitable places to be had, and rent is so high.

Finally we found a building in a very desirable locality, that we were able to secure by the payment of six months' rent in advance, at $7.20 a month. By the removal of two partitions and some repairs and other changes, we have transformed it into a very nice hall, eighteen by twenty-eight feet, with a room at one end, twelve by eighteen feet. We believe the Lord sent us here to establish the work, so we moved out by faith, and made seats that will serve for a church later; we also bought lamps that will light the church when we have one to light, as we trust we shall have by and by.

Our hall will seat one hundred twenty-five, and there is a wide covered veranda the full length of one side, where nearly as many more can stand, or where seats can be placed if necessary. Those on the veranda can see and hear as well as those inside, as there are three doors and two windows on that side. We held our first meeting Sunday night, December 5, with all the seats full and the veranda crowded, and some went away for lack of room.

We held a service every night for a week, and on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights since, and the attendance still keeps up, and the interest deepens. I have never faced a more attentive audience. We have a question box and scores of questions are placed therein, touching almost every phase of the message. Answering these serves to clear away error and make plain the truth. They make liberal donations, thus refunding a part of the heavy, personal outlay in securing, remodeling, and furnishing the hall. They also buy some books and other literature at the close of the meetings.

We began canvassing and other house-to-house work as soon as we arrived, and this created an interest for the public meetings.

We have sold several hundred ten-cent magazines and other papers and some books, and have distributed many tracts and papers freely.

Of course all this is bound to stir up opposition. A series of very bitter articles has just appeared in one of the daily papers, to which the editor is giving us space to reply, thus enabling us to expose error and proclaim the truth to many who might not otherwise hear it.

We have not yet been able to visit any of the other islands, of which there are about twenty-five permanently inhabited, to say nothing of nearly three thousand islets, cays, and rocks and reefs, stretching over a distance of nearly eight hundred miles north and south, and about half as far east and west. We greatly need one or two good evangelistic canvassers to assist in carrying the message to all these islands, as it is the only way they all can be reached. There is frequent communication with all of them by sailing vessels, which is not, of course, the pleasantest mode of traveling, especially in the event of either a storm or a calm, both of which are very common occurrences.

Barring the hurricanes that sweep these seas so frequently during the summer

months, the climate here is about as nearly perfect as can be found on this old sin-cursed earth. The people, as is always the case in small communities, and especially in English colonies, are very friendly and hospitable, though many of them are poor. A canvasser who has learned to “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus,” and to “eat what is set before him, asking no questions for conscience' sake,” and “to be content with such things as he receives,” will find this a very interesting and fruitful field. Agents are not so common as to be a nuisance, and the people are rather glad to see a stranger, especially one who they find wants to do them good and not evil.

Hundreds of tourists come here to spend the winter. This makes the winter the most prosperous time of the year, as they spend much money. They are beginning to come now, and the hotels are opening, and times brightening up. We hope to place some of our truth-filled literature in the hands of the tourists while they are here. We shall be glad to receive late, clean copies of any of our magazines or other papers, for free distribution. Please prepay postage fully. Letter postage to these islands is five cents instead of two.

We are well and searching diligently for some pearls that will shine in the temple of truth throughout eternity.

Nassau.