Keizan, Korea by R. C. WANGERIN

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

Keizan, Korea

By R. C. WANGERIN

R. C. WANGERIN

We are now comfortably settled in our little house, and have a Korean workers’ house in which to hold our church services. But this is too small by far to accommodate the many who come to worship with us. Our aim is a separate and larger church building. It may be some time before we shall realize this; nevertheless the project has been launched, God is leading on, and who can stay his hand and say, “What doest thou?”

Our December special (Li Chyensa Eui Reuipel, The Three Angels’ Message) paper campaign is now on, and all have taken a lively interest in giving it a wide circulation in the south. The proceeds are to go toward a church building.

These people are as yet not fully established Christians. They are heathen, with the exception of a few who come to us from other missions to study God’s Word as it reads, and who are thoroughly convinced that we have the truth. Three such young men have gone with one of our Korean workers on a month’s campaign with our literature, going from one village, town, or city to another. Others are working closer at home, and our Korean sisters, together with our workers, are doing a splendid work.

There are 15,000,000 people who speak the Korean language, for whom the Saviour died. It is estimated that there are 250,000 Christians, or that number who are under Christian influence. This leaves 14,750,000 who know nothing of a kind, merciful Heavenly Father, and have never heard of a Saviour’s love.

It is our special endeavor to reach some of these during this campaign, and bring joy and light into these dark hearts and homes. Those who are working near home have called for nightly prayer-meetings, that we may bear up in the arms of faith and prayer those who are toiling some distance from home, and ask God’s blessing upon the printed page, the seed which is being sown. These things have not been planned for either by a foreigner or by a native worker. They are to us evidences that the Lord is in the work. We have been too hesitating and too slow. We must step more quickly if we are to keep pace and at last triumph with the message.

Last Sunday we attended a funeral. The deceased was a man who one day came to our tent for medical aid. We did what we could for him at the time, and he continued to come to our meetings until shortly before his death. On his death-bed he confessed that he believed in our church and in the name of Jesus. Then came the request for a Christian burial. A collection was raised of two yen (one dollar) for a wooden box to serve as a casket, a Korean carpenter donating his time and work.

When my wife and I reached the house, which was too small to entertain so large a gathering, the casket was brought out into the open court of the village. There in the presence of several hundred spectators, we conducted the services. We sang one of our good advent hymns, told of the gospel of salvation through Christ and the hope of a resurrection in him, and then went to the grave on the mountain, where again a short service was held. There were no groans, there was no yelling by hired mourners, none of the peculiar demonstrations so common in burial services here.

In a quiet, peaceful manner the Spirit of Jehovah is melting hearts, breaking the barriers of customs ages old, and preparing the way for the ushering in of the kingdom of God. The day is not long hence when the work upon earth will be finished, when the redeemed of all ages, and of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall stand before the throne. In this connection the thought expressed in “Education,” page 271, comes to me, as I think of our Adventist young people:

“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world!”

Then let the great army of youth among us put on the whole armor and go forth to help finish the work.