p. 17 | Sumatra by Marcelia A. Walker

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1903

Sumatra

By Marcelia A. Walker

PADANG.—I am very busy all the time, attending the sick, so do not even have time to study the language. I am picking it up slowly, however, as I often have to go alone, and must talk.

During the month of January I gave only one hundred and nine treatments. During February my helper and I together gave three hundred and seven; and so far this month I have averaged thirteen a day, and Hong Siong, five. I am kept busy from 7 A. M. till 10 P. M., and then have to turn away cases and neglect others.

The Lord has been wonderfully blessing every move. I took a case with a temperature of one hundred six and one-half degrees, and with one treatment the temperature was reduced to normal, and the child was playing the next day. The doctors had tried for two years to get the fever out of his system, and failed, as every two or three weeks he would be sick again. Of course I gave daily treatments for some time, and prescribed his diet. Now he is well and ruddy. I have had many malarial cases of long standing, which showed remarkable improvement with the first treatment.

Very early one morning we were called to see a Chinese babe which was dying. The doctors had all given it up, and as a last hope, they called me. I knew at a glance that the child had a poor chance for life, but I decided to do my best. After one treatment, it was a little better. As I could neither stay there nor trust them with it, Sister Munson and I decided to persuade its mother to take it home with us. At first, fear of us made her say, “No!” But at last her mother love conquered, and she came. After nine days, during which she heard the gospel, she returned home, rejoicing. I visit her once or twice a day to treat the babe, and she often asks us to pray for her and teach her how to care for her family. Before she had been in the house half an hour, she cut off all the charms she wore, and gave them to me. This family is poor, and can pay but little; but this shows them that our work is not carried on for money. I have several other cases just as interesting.

We have only one outfit for treatments, and so are handicapped some, as both Hong Siong (Timothy) and I should be giving the same kind of treatments at the same time.

There is a call for a class in gymnastics, and the schoolhouse has been offered free of cost. But sometimes I can hardly take time to eat. I can not stop without letting some opportunity slip which might be the means of drawing a soul nearer the Lord. We could easily keep two more nurses employed.

We are seriously thinking of having another native helper to assist in treating the women and children. I could not do all I do if Sister Munson and her daughter did not assist. Several times there have been from twenty-six to forty-seven natives here at once, some for treatments, some for examinations, and others come through curiosity or to accompany another of the family, as the women never go out alone. While I work, Elder and Sister Munson teach. So in reality the whole family is put to work, while everything else is dropped for the time being.

MARCELIA A. WALKER.