Your ShelfYour Projects

West Africa

6%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 13, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 2.

Read the full edition

West Africa

By D. C. Babcock

D. C. BABCOCK
OCTOBER 7 I left Sierra Leone for a visit along the Gold Coast, as there had been earnest calls for help along that coast for some time in the past. I went by the German line, so that I might be able to visit several points on the Liberian and the French Ivory coasts.
At all the ports where I stopped, I found an interest in our work. Especially at Half Assini, the home of a student who attended our school last year, there was an excellent interest. Because of religious convictions, this young man was compelled to return to his home, but the seed of truth had taken a deep hold upon him, and he soon scattered the same seed in his home village. I had some difficulty in finding the young man, but as soon as it was noised about that I was there, several gathered around me, telling me of their intention to obey God as this young man was seeking to do.
MEMBERS OF THE FIRST NSYMBA SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
MEMBERS OF THE FIRST NSYMBA SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
From Half Assini to Axim, a distance of about sixty miles, there are thirty-six villages, and twenty-two of these have asked that we open our work there as soon as possible.
There are many interesting legends among these people. One is to the effect that many years ago Nyonkupon Kwanmina (god of the Saturday) sent down from heaven a very large brass pan on the seventh day of the week, so they know that that day is the day he observes as his worship day. This pan may be seen at Beyan, the chief town of the country, as the pan is yet worshiped every Saturday by the people of the village.
Friday morning, October 15, we dropped anchor at Axim, just eight hundred miles from Sierra Leone. I was glad to meet on the shore Brethren Thompson, Ackah, and others, who escorted me to the mission home, located on the highest point in the surrounding country, thus affording a healthful home for our workers in that part of the field. That evening, however, I had severe fever, and was unable to attend meeting. The next day (Sabbath) we met at ten o'clock, and enjoyed a good Sabbath-school with the new believers. After Sabbath-school I spoke to the company by an interpreter, and again in the afternoon.
Sunday morning Brother Thompson and I left early, to visit the company at Kickam. Brother Ackah had returned to Kickam on the same day I reached Axim, and had everything ready to receive us. The first interesting thing to which my attention was called was a Seventh-day Adventist school in full working order on Sunday. This was new to me, but it impressed me favorably. The school opens on Sunday morning for the week, and closes on Thursday evening, giving Friday as preparation day. I thought that a good example for our work.
That night a temperance meeting was held. The house was full of those in their native costume who have taken their stand against tobacco and rum. This was a very encouraging meeting to me. The steamer on which I came down the coast was loaded with twelve thousand cases of rum, besides one hundred large casks. The German line of steamers on this coast numbers just fifty, and there are about the same number of the African line, by Elder, Dempster Co., and all of them carry large quantities of tobacco and rum. Whatever isaccomplished for this people must be done quickly. One may imagine the effect of tobacco and rum upon an uncivilized heathen village. Therefore to see a temperance band organized in such a village, causes great rejoicing.
On Monday morning, the village chief called his head men together, and I was invited to meet them, to receive from their hands the tract of land granted to us for a school farm. The land had already been marked off, and as we cleared the lines, I observed how carefully they had guarded their fetish grounds. While cutting our way through the thick bush, we could see paths made by the deer, antelopes, and zebras. Sometimes we would get a little too close to them, and we could see them fleeing before us. After a hard day's work, we got the lines all cleared.
That evening another meeting was held, to consider candidates for baptism. Tuesday morning at half-past four the school bell was rung, and by half-past five we were on our way to the place arranged for the baptism. It was a solemn occasion. It is wonderful to see what this message can do for the heathen in his blindness. After the baptism, we returned to the village, and organized a church of thirty-four. The tender Spirit of the Lord witnessed to all our deliberations. Hearts were made tender, and all greatly appreciated the truth which had revealed to them a Saviour from sin.
This is our first church organization among an entirely heathen community. Our mission is the only one in this village. This church is of the N-sym-ba, or Apollonian tribe, so named by the Catholics, who many years ago undertook mission work among them, but the natives rebelled against them, drove them out, and they were named by the Catholics Apollonians. See Rev. 9:11.
The Apollonian country covers a portion of the French Ivory coast, and extends along the Gold Coast to Axim, and far back into the hinterland. This field is now wide open to this message, and we should go in and possess the country. We have young men in training for this field, but it means expense to prepare workers, and put them in the field to meet the calls.
Tuesday evening we returned to Axim, to attend to the organization of the church at that place. On Friday morning the brethren and sisters met at eight o'clock on the seashore, to witness the solemn ordinance of baptism. The following morning we all met at the hall, and a church of seventeen was organized.
In the Apollonian country we have another company of twenty-five ready for baptism, and since my return home I have received word that there are now fifteen more at Kickam asking for baptism, making, in all, forty asking for admittance. Surely we are in the time of the "loud cry." Who will "come over and help us"? We are in great need of men and means. The work in Sierra Leone is very encouraging. We ask an interest in all your prayers.
Freetown.