p. 20 | West African Training School by T. M. French

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 14, 1910

West African Training School

By T. M. French

IT has seemed at times that our educational work here in Freetown was not making the headway that it should, my time being so taken up with other branches of the work; but last week, in summing up the actual results obtained, I was reminded that the Lord accomplishes his purposes even under unfavorable conditions. From our school work in Freetown, twelve have been baptized, all young people from unbelieving parents. Some have had severe opposition from their parents, but have stood firmly for the truth. Last week one young man was called to his home, and the entire family, with several prominent outside ministers, tried to induce him to leave us; but he bravely told them, “No.” He is only about seventeen years of age.

Last spring we had a very interesting experience with a young man of sixteen years. He heard of our school while attending school at Cape Coast Castle, Gold Coast. We sent word to Brother Thompson at Axim to secure passage for him and another Appolonian young man, and a Fanti. They entered our school, and after quite thoroughly studying the truth in the Bible doctrine class and in our religious exercises, were baptized. In the meantime the father traced the young man, and wrote me to return him home, or he would take legal action against us. We prayed earnestly over the matter, and I wrote to his father, asking that he would allow the young man to remain until the end of the year; but he was very persistent in having him returned, stating that he was a Wesleyan, and that his son must be a Wesleyan. We had to part with the young man. I talked with him about being steadfast in obeying God, and gave him a copy of “Steps to Christ” and some tracts. In a month or two I received a letter from him stating that his father told him he must give up his Saturday-keeping. He prayed earnestly that God might open up the way for him to keep the Sabbath, and the Lord answered his prayer. However, a few weeks afterward the father changed his mind, and bound the young man under contract to work for a mercantile company, thus depriving the young man of the Sabbath. However, he stood firmly for the truth, and was released, and is now teaching for us at Kickam, Gold Coast. He was also instrumental in bringing into the truth a local minister and a school-teacher at his home.

We have had three or four similar experiences with our students. It seems remarkable, since there is so little real firmness among the people here. But where sin abounds, grace doth much more abound.

Last year six students in our training-school were baptized, and four are now engaged in teaching. Four of our schoolchildren at Freetown and at Waterloo have been baptized. One of our students in the training-school is waiting for baptism, a young man about seventeen years old. When he came to us, it seemed there was little hope for him. He was wild, reckless, and very changeable; but in our last quarterly meeting, after I had spoken of the sufferings of Christ, dwelling on the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, he broke down, and gave a good testimony, taking part also in the ordinances. Since then he has been a changed boy.

Our prospects are very bright for another year. We shall not be able to accommodate all who apply for entrance to our home. It is a week until our opening for the new year, and we have ten young men with us, and five more will be here soon. Several have spoken to me about their boys, but we do not have accommodations for them at present. Besides, a goodly number in all grades from the village will attend. I think our attendance will be about fifty at the opening. Of course that seems rather small when we think of the three hundred or more students who would enroll the first week at Union College, but we are at the very beginning of our work here.

When Elder D. C. Babcock returned from the General Conference, he said there were good prospects of getting a physician and opening up medical work. A better location for a sanitarium could not be found than our school site at Freetown; so after counseling over the matter, we thought best to remove our school to a farm, stopping a large portion of our expense in maintaining our boarding students, and thus providing for our medical work. You see we are obliged to meet the expenses of nine out of ten of our students, since the people are very poor, and many unbelievers would not care to pay their children’s expenses; so trying to conduct our school without a farm would simply be limiting the scope of the school. I have always believed that when an institution is founded upon right principles, the Lord will add his blessing and make it a success. We have experienced this since moving here. All our work has seemed to be marked with God’s blessing. We have a nice small farm just out of Waterloo, with a large stone house, which we use as a home building. Two mountain streams run through the farm. It is a very beautiful and healthful location. The soil seems very fertile. We are just harvesting our first crop. I put out a lot of bananas and plantains when I first came, and they are doing nicely. We also have several cocoanut and breadfruit trees growing, as well as oranges, limes, mangoes, and pineapples.

We are planning for a girls’ school, but I will write later concerning it. It is absolutely necessary here to have separate schools for boys and girls.

I have arranged a course of study which we are following in our work. We hope to bring out a catalogue of our school soon.

We are well, and are enjoying our work. We have attacks of the African fever, but manage to keep going. I hope we can stay by the work in West Africa until it is finished. T. M. FRENCH.