MRS. E. C. BOGER by Mrs. E. C. Boger

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 6, 1916

MRS. E. C. BOGER

By Mrs. E. C. Boger

Jamaica

MRS. E. C. BOGER

“Jamaica, thou lovely isle in the sapphire sea, Where breezes blow soft as breezes can be; Where hill and dale vie with his brother, To cover with beauty the faults of the other.”

I WONDER who could help finding beauty here, it is so lavishly strewn. Waving palms; soft banana leaves uncurling gently to the passing breeze, which takes delight in whipping them into fringe; ferns peeping from the rocks along the hillside and highways,—beauty everywhere, when one looks for it.

Through the REVIEW we send sincere greetings to all in the homeland.

As we look back over the past year, we see changes, some defeats, and many victories.

Pastor G. A. Roberts, with his wife and daughter Ruth, from Arizona, reached us January 10. Brother Roberts will act as pastor of the Kingston church, which has a membership of more than five hundred; so he is sure to find plenty to do.

Brother N. J. Aalborg, the former pastor, was asked last October to settle in the hill country, at Balaclava, where there are seventeen churches for him to care for. Mrs. Aalborg often travels with him, as they have a horse and buggy to use, and they greatly enjoy their work together.

During the past year we laid away two of our faithful workers, Pastor W. M. Crothers and Sister Mary Van Deusen, the first in October and the latter in December. Elder Crothers rests by the sounding sea, near the spot where Sister E. W. Webster is laid, who died of yellow fever soon after coming to the island, twenty-one years ago, in the early days of the work in Jamaica. Grandmother Van Deusen rests in the Riversdale churchyard, in the spot which she selected for her grave. Two days before her death the church was holding its yearly Harvest Ingathering service, and she sent as one of her offerings a neat, finely quilted patchwork quilt, every stitch the work of her loving hands.

During the year two hurricanes with their attendant coast tidal waves, together with other floods due to the fierce storms, have caused immense loss in property. The banana and cocoanut crops were practically ruined in the portion of the island visited. Houses were wrecked, and railroads and bridges washed out. But nature is kind here; she quickly spreads her mantle of green over all the defects, so that now, save for shattered hopes, little can be seen of the effects of the storm.

The war is making a great drain on the island, in both men and money. Taxes are high, and money is scarce. But in spite of all, the Lord’s work has steadily advanced. During the year, 221 have been baptized, many of whom are young people.

Our Watchman Press has done a noble and far-reaching work. The Watchman’s growth has been steady, the total issue being 86,892 copies, an increase over 1914 of 16,427. We are finding continually little companies accepting the truth as the result of having read the Watchman.

We have held three tent efforts since the new tent came a year ago, two very successful ones in Kingston, and one in the parish of St. Mary, Port Maria. Unfortunately, at the latter place, the rain fell so heavily that the meetings could not be held regularly. However, ten have promised to obey, and others are investigating.

Brother Degering, our tract society secretary, gives an encouraging report. Sometimes we wish the large books could be sold as rapidly as the smaller ones, but our canvassing agent, Brother A. E. Holst, has sold quite a number of copies of “Practical Guide,” and some other books of the same size. He has a band of faithful colporteurs who are doing a good work, and the churches are taking hold of the paper selling with encouraging results.

We know many prayers are going up to the great white throne for the workers in Jamaica, and our prayers ascend likewise for strength and courage to go forward with the work.