Hupeh (China) General Meeting by Frederick Lee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 14, 1913

Hupeh (China) General Meeting

By Frederick Lee

FREDERICK LEE

THERE were seventy-six believers in attendance at our meeting. To say the least, these are all grateful for a knowledge of this truth. They all plan for, and look forward to, these meetings just as we look forward to our camp-meetings at home. Some of these people began, several months ahead, to plan for their board during the meeting by giving a few coppers every week to our evangelist, who kept the money for them so they might be sure to have the right amount at the right time. As for their traveling expenses, they walked, some a distance of four hundred li [133 miles] each way. This they did in order that they might be able to testify to what the Lord has done for them, and also that they might gain a greater spiritual blessing. Indeed, these seasons are times of great refreshing to us all. Brethren get right with brethren, sins are confessed, heathen are converted, and many times scoffers are turned to praisers. They must also endure just as much ridicule and persecution for the truth's sake as any in the home land. Sometimes I feel they bear much more slander. Some Chinese Christians say they had to endure much more persecution when accepting the truth of the third angel's message than when they first accepted Christianity many years ago.

We first planned to have our meeting across the river at Wuchang; but the last few days before the meeting were very unsettled over there. A plot had been laid to assassinate Li Yuan Hung, vice-president of the republic. The plot was discovered, and as a result a score or more were executed. The gates were closed at sunset and the streets patrolled at night. So at the last moment we changed the meeting-place to Hankow. We had to provide beds for about fifty persons, which were procured at the reasonable sum of $1.40. They were only coarse straw mats laid on the floor.

We were glad to have Elder R. F. Cottrell and his wife to assist in the meeting. Our home is about two and one-half miles from the chapel, and it was not very convenient to go back and forth, as we have no street-cars. We rode in very poor jinrikishas, which would go bouncing and swinging first one way and then the other. When our wives went, we had to go through the trying ordeal of hiring chairs for them. Before a reasonable price can be agreed upon for one of these chairs, one must stand, surrounded by a dirty crowd, and coax and argue, and make a great stir with the chair-bearers. Often jinrikisha coolies will grab hold of us till we give them more money, though we know they have already been well paid. These things are very trying, especially as they are the rule and not the exception by any means. What we need is a chapel in a better location, so we shall not be obliged to pass through this dirty, wrangling crowd every time we go to our chapel. We hope to secure means with which to buy land and build a chapel. This is one of our many needs in this large metropolis of China.

At this meeting our little company pledged and donated seventy-five dollars, Mexican (thirty-seven dollars gold). Our Sabbath-school donations for the last quarter were ten dollars gold. The average attendance was one hundred and thirty-four, the church-membership at that time being thirty-nine. This does not seem large, but when we consider that the average man does not earn more than ten cents a day, we are thankful that they are learning to give so well.

We thank the Lord that twenty-one were baptized, Brother Cottrell performing the ceremony. Sixteen out of this number came to us direct from heathenism. We now have a church-membership of sixty, and plan to open a new station in the north of this province. The Lord has gone before us and opened a place where no work has been done; one of our workers will be sent there.

The meeting, we believe, was a great blessing to all, and especially at our communion service heart seemed to meet heart. As confessions were made, these seventy souls, most of whom had some time bowed down to “wood and stone,” and who naturally would be hard to make of one purpose and heart, united as one, and God's quiet Spirit rested on all. As we sang to close our meeting, all hearts seemed to echo the song,—

“Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love! The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.”

Now they have all scattered, some to their farming, others to their small business duties, still others to their hard toil of coolie work; yet all go forth as witnesses, with the hope of meeting Christ at his coming.

Hankow, China.