p. 9 | South Africa by R. C. Porter

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 27, 1910

South Africa

By R. C. Porter

R. C. PORTER

The latest reports from our mission stations in South Africa indicate progress far beyond our faith. Solusi Mission is our oldest station. The natives have been moving back as the white settlers have advanced. It was thought that this would soon seriously affect the attendance at their school. During our council as to the best method of advancing the interests of the work in that field, it was decided to open more out-schools. These would become feeders to the main station school.

Acting upon this recommendation, Elder M. C. Sturdevant went out into the kraals (native villages) farther back, to work up the out-school work. He succeeded in finding openings for two new schools. As the talking was done in the native language, the young people gathered around and listened intently while the plan of our school work was outlined before the village head man. In some villages the head man refused to permit the establishment of a school. In some of these places the young people at once informed him that if he refused to allow the white teacher to start a school there, they would go to the Solusi Mission school. The young people were in earnest in the matter, and soon they began to come in to the school at Solusi. Some had run away from home because their parents were unwilling for them to leave. Some of these were pursued by their parents, and returned. One mother soon came back with her daughter, saying, “I can not keep my daughter at home any longer. She cries all the time to go to the mission school.” All these attempts to keep the children away only advertised the school and brought in more.

The latest report from Elder Sturdevant states that they now have seventy-four students in attendance at the main station school, which is six more than at any previous time in the history of that station. A police officer ordered their store closed Sundays, in compliance with a Sunday law which has just been

passed. It does not interfere with work on the farm. But the Lord is giving them the hearts of the young people. Their school is now full, and they do not know what they can do for other applicants.

The Nyassaland Mission is the most isolated of any in this field. A few years since, much prejudice was created there by the injudicious course of some of our mission workers toward the Ethiopian movement. The prudent policy that has since been adopted, has broken down the prejudice, and our work is now receiving strong patronage. Last year we had one main station, another station operated by white teachers, and six out-schools. We now have in addition to the two stations operated by white teachers, fourteen out-schools. The attendance at the sixteen schools in Nyassaland is over seven hundred students. Each week some applicants are now being turned away because of lack of room and facilities to receive them.

The calls come from all our other missions for an extension of their work far beyond our plans. We have held back because we did not wish to call for more men and means when we knew that other fields are more needy than ours.

The Barotseland field is opening still, and although we considered our plans large for that field, they do not meet the present demands. Three new buildings are in process of construction at Maranatha Mission to accommodate the necessities of the home station, while the field about them is begging for more laborers. The Basutoland field is opening, and while they are selling books throughout the entire field, there is a demand that permanent schools be opened. It is now planned to open a new station in North Basutoland the coming year, and provide for some boarding students at the main station. Much more is called for, but we have only planned this as a beginning of what should be. Somabula Mission is also planning to extend its work as fast as possible. Men and means are lacking to do all that should be done. We are opening a new main station far out from the Solusi station, and one in the Zulu field. We should have many more to meet the openings before us.

The canvassing work is taking a fresh start in both the colonial and native fields. It is remarkable the way the books are being sold in territory where it was supposed that our canvassers could not make a living.

The evangelical, medical, and educational work are all making steady advance. The camp-meeting has been a great spiritual uplift to the work. The meeting which was held following the Johannesburg camp-meeting resulted in the baptism of seventeen persons, and a number of others have since applied for baptism at the next opportunity. Elder D. F. Tarr reports eighteen keeping the Sabbath, and others still interested, where he is laboring in the Cape Colony Conference. Elders E. R. Williams, G. W. Shone, and D. H. Groenewald report a good interest among the Dutch at Lindley, in the Orange River Colony. Some have already accepted the truth there, and others are on the point of decision.

Our periodical workers are meeting with marked success in the sale of papers. There has come such a demand for a magazine for the accommodation of this class of our workers that a forty-eight-page quarterly has been started, called the Signs of the Times. Twelve thousand of the first issue were ordered before the magazine came from the press. The advance in all departments of our work has made necessary the issuing of the Missionary weekly in place of monthly. None of these things were contemplated until they were forced upon us as a necessity.

Claremont.