Entering North Africa with the Large Books by H. A. B. Robinson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 20, 1916

Entering North Africa with the Large Books

By H. A. B. Robinson

My last report was sent from Melilla, a growing Spanish city of North Africa. It has about 30,000 inhabitants, but not even one representative of the third angel's message. Leaving Melilla by boat in the evening, I arrived at Oran next morning. Oran is a nice, clean city of 150,000 people. It stands on a rocky bluff, part of which juts out into the blue waters of the Mediterranean. It is one of the chief cities of French Algeria, and is growing in importance as a North African port. Brother W. E. Hancock is now in charge of the work there for the Spanish population.

Among the small group of believers in Oran there is a Spanish brother who has been selling our papers for a short time. I had been invited to help him get started on the large books, so we went to work at once. We were able to secure orders from the Spanish consul (who paid cash for a half-leather book), the best Spanish doctor in the city, and several other prominent persons, with which to start the list. Many of the orders were taken in French, as the younger generation of Spanish families understand French better than their native tongue. In about twenty hours' work the

Lord gave us 250 pesetas' ($50) worth of foreign orders, and the last report from Oran tells of successful deliveries.

Returning to Spain, I held meetings with the believers in Cartagena and Murcia, and then went to Alicante, where I passed the Sabbath and enjoyed the association of the brethren forming the little company that was raised up there by Elder Frank Bond. Then I visited some colporteurs in Valencia, and returned home to Barcelona, having been just five weeks on the trip.

Workers are greatly needed here to take care of the interests we already have. We have about a dozen colporteurs at work scattering the books and papers, and this year [1915] the total deliveries will probably be more than $10,000 worth of literature, despite the war conditions among our next-door neighbors, and the fact that we must sell here at much lower prices than in the countries of the New World. Our prayer is that God will send us more workers.

H. A. B. ROBINSON.