New Guinea by S. W. Carr

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 28, 1912

New Guinea

By S. W. Carr

S. W. CARR

The news that over one hundred pounds was donated by the Sabbath-schools of Australasia, in the special collection of September, 1911, for literature for New Guinea, brought gladness to all the workers here.

The work at Bisiatabu is moving steadily forward, the fourteen boys making as much progress as one could reasonably expect in Bible, reading, writing, and singing. They now know the following hymns in Motuan: “Lord, in the Morning,” “Beautiful Zion,” “Now the Day Is Over,” “Old Hundred,” “Art Thou Weary?” “Just as I Am,” “Home, Sweet Home,” and “There Is a Fountain.”

Every Sabbath three services are held for the “boys,” at its commencement, at midday, and at its close, and one service at each of the two neighboring villages, one and one-half and two miles distant.

The Bible lessons each day during the week are taken from the life of Christ, illustrated by the large Scripture roll. On Sabbath two or more of the boys take this roll to a village, and there tell what they have learned during the week, while I, with another boy or two, conduct services in the other village.

We were made inexpressibly glad when the boys consented to take their share of the work, and do their part in the preaching. To God be all the praise!

During the past three months the government has purchased a considerable quantity of native food from the mission station for the use of natives who have been making a road near by. The seven hundred pineapples planted seventeen months ago are in full bearing; two hundred fifty have been used or sold, and four hundred are not yet ripe. Some of the large variety weigh twelve pounds each, and measure twenty-four inches in circumference. These can be sold at a good price at Port Moresby, twenty-six miles away.

We very much appreciate Brother F. L. Chaney's few months' sojourn in this field, not only because of his help in building the Port Moresby and Bisiatabu mission houses, but also on account of the interest aroused among several Europeans with whom he became acquainted while at work. We believe that the experience gained by Brother and Sister Chaney in the mission field will be of much benefit to them, and through them to others in their future labors.

A little native boy living in the neighborhood was recently asked where Jesus was, to which he promptly replied, “At Bisiatabu.” We trust this will ever be true, and that His angels may ever delight to walk along the winding pathways of Bisiatabu, and enter our home as unseen guests.

Dysentery is once more claiming its victims, both white and black. We feel grateful for the immunity we have enjoyed from the dread scourge, and also from fever, since returning from Australia twelve months ago.

Bisiatabu.