p. 9 | Do Not Forget Us in the Philippines

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 14, 1912

Do Not Forget Us in the Philippines

By Elbridge M. Adams

ELBRIDGE M. ADAMS

The work in Manila is progressing very encouragingly. It is extending beyond Manila into the provinces. We have a church of over one hundred members. And I think that we shall receive about twenty-five more into the church at the next quarterly meeting, which we expect to hold the last Sabbath in this month.

We find these people, it is true, addicted to vices, but the tropical sun can not take any of the cleansing properties from the blood that was spilled to wash away our sins. The people are inveterate smokers, and the women are not outdone by the men. Little girls and little boys smoke as freely as do the elder ones. In fact, I have seen the women and girls smoke in a way that I never saw a man,—with the lighted end in the mouth,—not to show off, but a way that they have of smoking. Swine's flesh is a very choice meat with these people. Pedlers go around carrying little live pigs for sale. If the people do not wish to eat them when so small, they tie them to the house and keep them there till they get large enough to eat. But the people do not hesitate to give these things up when the truth finds them. It almost seems sometimes that they are more ready to give up such things than are our people at home. In one study on jewelry there was a young woman present with two rings on her hand; before the study was over, she took them off. Some of our American girls would not do that. One

young man took his ring off before he had had any study on that subject. He saw that we did not wear jewelry, and supposing it to be wrong to wear a ring, took his off. This is a strong testimony to the power of example. I tell you that God is preparing a people in these islands to meet him. Brethren, let it not be said of us, “The last shall be first, and the first last.”

We have about ten workers here. Three are white, and the rest are native. Two books and a number of tracts have been translated into the Tagalog. We are blessed in being able to start a monthly paper in the vernacular. It has twenty-four pages, and although recently started, has already a subscription list of over three hundred. The people show their interest not only by subscribing, but also by sending to us questions to be answered in the paper.

I do not mean to give you the impression that there is no opposition to the work here. In one of the near-by towns, where we have a company being raised up, some one saw a note pasted up in a public place which read, “The reason that Manalaysay [the leader of the company there] is trying to get the people to give up their vices is that they may have more money to give to him.” The money question is a delicate point with them.

Now I know of some in my home land that are praying for us. I hope that with the many petitions offered, especially during the week of prayer, we in the Philippine Islands shall be remembered.