p. 12 | W. J. TANNER by W. J. Tanner

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 25, 1909

W. J. TANNER

By W. J. Tanner

Haiti

W. J. TANNER

Our work in Haiti has been hindered during the year 1908 by two revolutions and by hard times. Nevertheless, we can record progress, the total number of baptized Sabbath-keepers growing from eighty to one hundred two, with ten or twelve to be baptized during the first month of the new year.

We are also glad to report that our members seem to be growing spiritually. It is a hard task to get people who have all their lives been accustomed to Roman Catholicism and other pagan superstitions, to come up to the high standard that our message calls for. But what would be impossible by human effort we see gradually taking place as a natural fruitage, as a legitimate and logical result of the message itself.

The fluctuations of the value of the Haitian money have been remarkable the past year, and have reduced the people to a state of poverty that means hunger and nakedness. This condition of things has made it nearly impossible to dispose of our literature, and has also affected our tithe receipts, especially when we reckon in gold.

We feel that we have great reason to be thankful for the protecting hand of the Lord that has been over the work during the last few months. Notwithstanding the fact that nearly every provision of the constitution was ruthlessly disregarded, the constitutional guaranty of religious liberty, upon which the prosecution of our work so much depends, was faithfully observed. That this one point in the fundamental law of the republic was maintained, while all the others were ruthlessly put aside, may not seem so remarkable to some, but to us it is a direct intervention of the Lord in behalf of the advancement

of the third angel's message in this field.

Personally, we are grateful that the same protecting hand that has cared for the work has been over his servants.

On four different occasions it seemed as if we were going to find ourselves in the midst of bloodshed, and we kept our cellar in constant readiness as a place of refuge from bullets; but each time this local trouble was averted, and with the exception of being deprived of moving about freely for two months, we have enjoyed the fullest liberty possible.

Cape Haitien.