E. H. WILBUR by E. H. Wilbur

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 28, 1908

E. H. WILBUR

By E. H. Wilbur

China

KONGMOON.—Our hearts are stirred as we see how wonderfully the Lord has gone out before us in this land. Nine months ago we moved from Canton to Kongmoon, about forty-five miles distant. This place has been practically closed to the gospel. For several years the Church of England Missionary Society has had a small chapel here, but the people have strongly opposed any other being opened, no one wishing to sell or rent his property for chapel purposes. Nevertheless the Lord has opened the way before us. A Chinese Christian dentist enlarged his house, that we might have a place in which to live. A Christian widow, a shop-keeper, who was one of the first women to accept the gospel, is also the first to accept the Sabbath. Soon after our arrival, she consented to our using one room of her house for meetings, and regular Sabbath services have been maintained there ever since. In the meantime we have canvassed the town, and several large villages near by for our literature.

Now the Lord has in a most unexpected manner opened the way for us to carry on permanent work in Ngoi Hoi, a wealthy village of over ten thousand inhabitants, five miles from here. The people nearly all belong to one family named, Ch'an, who are noted for their great learning, many being distinguished scholars. Some of the members of this family have accepted the gospel, uniting with the church mission in Kongmoon. About three months ago six or seven of these brethren came together to see us, and asked many questions about our faith. Some of them became convinced of the Sabbath, and decided to keep it, while others held tenaciously to the observance of Sunday. While I was away in Shanghai, attending our China committee council, early in February, between eighteen and twenty people from this village came twice to attend our Sabbath services in Kongmoon. They urged our Chinese evangelist to visit

them. This he did, and found the people deeply interested. One of their number had recently built a new brick house, and they were anxious that we should occupy one part of it as a chapel.

After my return, I went down to visit them. We held a service in the afternoon, and another in the evening, at which about forty men and boys were in attendance. Over and over again they said to me, in Chinese, “Come and be our bishop.” The whole thing came so unexpectedly to me, that at first I hardly knew whether to accept their offer or not. Then I remembered the statement that the Lord “provides opportunities, opens up lines of influence and channels of working. If his people are watching the indications of his providence, and stand ready to co-operate with him, they will see a great work accomplished.” Accordingly, we decided to take these people under our care, and teach them the everlasting gospel. We agreed to pay eighteen dollars gold a year for this meeting-place. Last Sabbath we began regular weekly services with them. They are people of various trades, who have families which will later also meet with us. Truly, this is a wonderful opening! In the natural course of events, we could not have found so good a place, or built up such an interest, in two or three years.