Province of Hunan

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 16, 1910

Province of Hunan

(Population, 26,000,000)

This was the last province of China to open to gospel effort. In Chang-sha, the capital of Hunan, Elder Laird and wife (Dr. Emma Perrine-Laird) have conducted a combined medical and evangelistic mission station, in limited quarters, with a Chinese teacher and two colporteur-evangelists as helpers. Through this colporteur work from Chang-sha, a company of believers has begun to form in Hankow, the “Chicago” of China, in the neighboring province of Hu-peh. Of the Hunan work Brother Laird says:—

THE MISSIONARY'S DAILY ROUND

As the bamboo catch-water cup, whirling round and round on a Hunan undershot water-wheel, — descending empty hundreds of times daily, and as often being swished up again, filled with the crystal stream to pour out upon the thirsty land, — so also the labors of the workers in Hunan. It is the daily round of compassionating the sick, the constant telling of the message of a Saviour from all sin, given to all sorts and conditions of men. It is living Chinese, eating Chinese food, talking Chinese, sleeping among Chinese, in fact, almost everything but dreaming in Chinese.

The prefectural cities, Yochow, Chang-sha, Hengchow, and Yungchow; the country-towns, Siangyin, Iyang, Taoyuan, Liuyang, Pinchiang, Liling, Siangtan, Hengshan, Leiyang, and Kiyang, as well as numerous intermediate and smaller places, have been visited, though not all during 1909. In Hankow, beyond our province, more than ten thousand of our tracts and papers have been scattered.

I have recently returned from nearly a month's trip to and from Hengchow. The inquirers bravely trudged through sleet, rain, and slush, for the privilege of hearing the truth of the soon-coming Saviour. They willingly came twice daily, and after three, and even four hours' meeting, were quite ready to ask other intelligent questions on the Bible lesson given. About a dozen men and women decided to keep all of God's commandments. Calling at Hengshan on our way home, we greatly enjoyed a night meeting with a few other earnest inquirers after truth. We also made calls at Siangtan, where there are a number of Sabbath believers.

FIRST CHURCH ORGANIZED

Two days before Thanksgiving day, Elder J. J. Westrup, in the teeth of a gale, baptized four precious souls at Chang-sha. There were others, also, but they were unwilling to break with their evil habits, and could not go forward, for there can be no compromise with evil, even in China. Next day a little church was organized.

Hunan has but this one tiny church of only six church-members, no schools or Seventh-day Adventist text-books, no proper treatment-rooms, and no permanent headquarters. Means of travel are very slow, making it difficult indeed to meet with and instruct the widely scattered groups of inquirers at the above-mentioned places. Twenty-six millions

of Hunanese are waiting to be warned of the end of the world in this generation. Were we to look at the lack of facilities only, our hearts might well fail. But, no; our God is able! And joined to his promises we praise him for the prayers and self-denying zeal of our people in all lands, as we see them pouring their men and means into China. [As we go to press, reports continue of uprisings in the province of Hunan, and especially in Chang-sha, its capital city. Our workers escaped safely to Hankow.]