p. 22 | Provinces of Honan and Anhwei

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

Provinces of Honan and Anhwei

(Honan, 35,000,000; Anhwei, 23,000,000)

Our first work in central China was in Honan. From this province, our work this year spread into the adjoining province of Anhwei.

CHEO CHIA K’O STATION

Of the work in this station, Elder F. A. Allum writes:—

We have employed three canvassers during the year, and these with our evangelists, have sold 23,959 tracts, papers, and Bible portions. This was over half a million pages distributed by the canvassers of the Cheo Chia K’o station in this province and the province of Anhwei.

God has blessed our efforts, and seventeen precious souls have been baptized. Seven of these are located at Anhwei, and the remaining ten in Cheo Chia K’o. This is the result of the loyal and consecrated efforts of our native workers. We praise the Lord because we have native evangelists who are as true as steel to the message.

We had the privilege of seeing our language teacher give his heart to the Lord, and of his own accord he began to pay tithe. The teacher class is the hardest class of all to reach, and we feel greatly encouraged at seeing this man decide for Christ. One of the best evidences we have of his true conversion is the testimony of his own wife. Two or three weeks ago a little son was born into the family, and his thoughtful kindness and attention to her at that time caused her to tell her neighbors, “Surely my husband is a different man since he became a Christian; he is so good to me.” And then she told them of the many things he did for her that the ordinary Chinese husband would not think of doing for his wife. The change in her husband has made her anxious to learn the gospel, and now she is learning to read.

Two Bible schools have been held at Cheo Chia K’o, and one general meeting. At the meeting there were over 120 adults from Hsiao Iao (Elder J. J. Westrup’s station) and Cheo Chia K’o districts. Eleven attended from Ing Shang Hsien, province of Anhwei. The meeting was certainly the best that we have ever held, both foreigners and Chinese receiving rich blessings from the Lord. Dr. H. W. Miller was here several days. Following the meeting, we conducted a three-weeks’ Bible school, and over sixty remained throughout. The classes for the men were conducted by Elder Westrup and myself, the classes for the women by Miss Pauline Schilberg and my wife. We have two boarding-schools connected with our Cheo Chia K’o station, one for boys and young men, with an attendance of twelve, and another for girls and women, also with an attendance of twelve. These boys and girls are mostly children of Sabbath-keepers, and the women are wives of evangelists and colporteurs.

HSIAO IAO STATION

This station, about twenty miles westward from Cheo Chia K’o, is in charge of Elder Westrup. There is a church company, and school work has been

done for the children. Elder Westrup says:—

When people who have merely heard the name—Seventh-day Adventist Church—come from a distance of thirty-five miles, walking in the mud, and for miles wading in water above their knees (in the rainy season), it is certainly a fulfilment of the view given us by the spirit of prophecy, of people “standing in perplexity, and pale with anxiety, earnestly inquiring, What is truth?” When people come every Sabbath, some from a distance of two to seven miles, and return the same day, having only a little dry bread with them to eat, women walking on their crippled feet, which pain them at every step—and regularly, not spasmodically—this certainly is evidence that they desire the bread of life. Last summer I received letters from a place eighty-four miles west of us, petitioning us to come there to teach Bible truth, and in another place, 127 miles west, are also inquirers.

Recently I was over in Chang-sha, province of Hunan, to visit Elder and Sister P. J. Laird. We baptized some precious souls and organized a church. It rejoiced my heart to see how God has blessed these workers, who have been preaching the truth amid opposition, and ministering to the sick. We prayed and wept and praised God together.