p. 10 | Our Work in Burma by R. B. Thurber

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 1, 1914

Our Work in Burma

By R. B. Thurber

R. B. THURBER

A Survey of the Past

THE powerful wedge of the truth, our literature, began to split the log of Burma’s Buddhism about twelve years ago, when an interest was created among the English-speaking people of Rangoon. The living messengers, in the persons of Elder H. H. Votaw and his wife, came in 1904. Like Judson, the first great Christian missionary to Burma, Brother Votaw left the homeland with his eyes fixed on India; but the “land of pagodas” has claimed him up to the present time. As the interest grew, other workers, Brethren Hansen and Cook, with their families, were sent, but they were unable to remain long in the field. This left the pioneers with much to do. No money could be supplied to rent a meeting place. The people gathered in private houses to study the Word. Many of the early days were dark. The missionaries’ efforts apparently were unappreciated, as is often the case in the beginning of a great work for God. The adaptation of oneself to the feelings and customs of the people is not to be classed among the least of our difficulties. But there is much good in all nations, although sometimes we have to look through our tears to find it.

From the first, a strong effort has been carried on in Rangoon for English-speaking people, giving special attention to Sabbath and Sunday night services, house-to-house Bible readings, and the sale of literature. As a result, we have a strong church organization there, which gives prestige to our other lines of work. Brethren Votaw, Cook, Comer, and Hamilton have been most prominent in this work.

Burma presents a very promising opportunity for the canvasser. Money flows more freely than in most other countries of the East. From time to time our bookmen have covered the field with English books and papers, and have been uniformly successful. A young Englishman, William Carratt, who accepted the truth under Elder Enoch in Poona, India, has had good success with our books here.

In 1906 Dr. Ollie Oberholtzer came to Burma and settled at Moulmein, where a great work was done by Judson and his successors. Her effort to start medical work was marked with some success, but we have found that in towns where the government maintains a good, free hospital, our efforts along this line are not so much in demand. Dr. Oberholtzer later married Mr. C. Tornblad, a mining prospector who accepted the truth, and they are now carrying on a self-supporting missionary, medical, and agricultural station far up in the Shan hills, about four hundred miles northeast of Rangoon. Just recently Brother Denoyer, from America, came here at his own expense, and is pushing the work alone at this station while Dr. Tornblad is on furlough.

Burmese Work

Although there are a number of other peoples in Burma, our chief work must be for the Burmese. For some reasons they are not especially susceptible to Christianity. They are easy-going and shun sacrifice; but this is a general statement, since there are many notable exceptions. The first requisite in working for them is to get their language; for he who would get the heart without first getting the tongue, will get the shoulder—and that cold. Burmese is second only to Chinese in being a difficult language to master; but its vocabulary is not large. We cannot say that great success has been attained by our workers in acquiring the language, mainly because on entering the field the workers have had to “get under the load” without being given a chance for a year or more of undisturbed study. It has been said that if one does not get over the chief difficulties of the language the first year, he will not get it later.

However, some of the workers now in the field are able to converse quite freely with the people in their own tongue. R. A. Beckner, who entered the work early in 1909, has been able to give his time almost exclusively to the Burmese work. Also A. H. Williams, who accepted present truth while engaged in business in Rangoon, is doing a good work for the Burmans at his station on the Salween River, thirty miles above Moulmein.

Brother Beckner has labored mostly in and around Mandalay, the old capital. Before these workers began, Brother Votaw had given the truth to several English-speaking Burmans in Rangoon and Moulmein. Of these, three are now engaged in our ministerial and teaching work.

The most effective and far-reaching effort for the Burmans, however, is the Kin Soung (Watchman), our quarterly magazine in the vernacular. It is only two years old, but from five to eight thousand copies of each issue are sold, more than half of which are in yearly subscriptions, at twelve cents a year.

It is really the first magazine of any kind published in Burmese which sells to Christians and non-Christians alike, and pays expenses. It is easy for an energetic Burmese canvasser to make a good living by its sale. The literary quality of its Burmese has been highly praised by scholars. The true value of this journal cannot be estimated, for it has made many openings for our other literature and workers.

In common with the other divisions of the India Union, Burma is publishing a book of Bible readings in the native script. We expect this book to do a great work; for nearly every Burman can read. The different workers have already pledged to dispose of nearly all the first edition of two thousand copies. Brother Beckner has had excellent success selling the Kin Soung, and now has charge of the publishing and distribution of our vernacular literature. We are training boys at the school at Meiktila for this canvassing, a few having already been very successful in the field.

(To be concluded)