Samoa by W. A. Floding

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Nov 12, 1903

Samoa

By W. A. Floding

THERE are quite a few interested among the Samoans, and several have remarked to me that if our teachings did not prohibit tobacco and pork, they would like to join our church. But there is too much religion like that already in Samoa. It is surprising how externally religious the natives are. They never fail to have their morning and evening worship, and they always return thanks at meals. Even the criminals who work for the government can be heard singing and saying their evening and morning prayers, while locked up in their prison cells.

My heart would be made glad if some experiences could be reported similar to those in the early missionary history in these islands, when the Spirit of God convicted the poor sinners in Samoa, and men could be seen and heard a little way from the roads, pleading with God, and his Spirit seemed to drive some of them into the woods, where they would stay so long that their friends would become anxious and begin searching for them. Meetings would be held at night, and they never seemed to grow weary of talking to one another of the love of God, and how unworthy they were. The missionaries here at that time had never seen such manifestations before. God has promised the latter rain, and I hope the time will soon come when sinners shall be converted to God, and his Spirit will be manifested in godly sorrow for sin. Pray for the work in this field.

I enclose a tract, which is my first

effort at printing. In the first part of the tract are the texts that treat of the character and work of God and his Son; the second part treats of the gospel of Christ; and the third part consists of the same matter found in the tract “The Two Ways,” from Apples of Gold Library. You do not know how happy I am that I have the press, and that God is helping me to understand the running of it. With his blessing, I believe a good work may be done in Samoa, and the Lord will help me to redeem some of the years which I spent away from this field. I am looking forward to the arrival of the doctors, so that I shall be released from the responsibility of the institution and its work, and can devote my whole time to evangelistic work. W. A. FLODING.