p. 16 | South Africa by H. J. Edmed

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 11, 1904

South Africa

By H. J. Edmed

BROTHER ALTMAN and his wife are now conducting a tent effort in Durban. I have come down to Johannesburg to assist Brother Kuehl in a tent effort. The Lord gave us forty-five converts in Maritzburg before I left, and there was still a good interest, but I felt that Brother Kuehl should be assisted.

We have erected a tent in a thickly populated portion of the town, and have held meetings every night. The company here has helped us nobly with funds, and also in other ways. We shipped our tent, and fitted it at a cost of about thirty pounds, all of which has been promised by the church. I have started open-air meetings for Saturday evenings, on the great market square, with excellent results. The church-members fitted up a wagon, which they have hired for several months, and each Saturday evening we run this through the city with illuminated advertisements of our meetings. Then we halt on the great square, and sing the good old advent hymns. Soon we have a crowd. We hang up our charts, and preach exactly the same way as we do in the tent, and crowds of people stand throughout to hear us. We have a good organ on the wagon. We are truly thankful for the evidence of the Lord's favor. The result of these meetings so far has been to lift the church here by turning it into a working force. We have few laborers, but I have organized the church into a tent company, which gives me a strong force of workers. Of course they can give but little time to this work, but still they are doing much; it all tells. I have felt that this is what the Lord has been calling for recently, through his servant, and I am anxious to give every member of the church 'his work.'

We have sent one young lady to the college to train for school work, and expect her to be ready to take charge of a school next year. I have two young workers and two older sisters whom I am training for Bible work. They are excellent helpers, and give promise of great progress in the work. Brother Altman has a young man in training.

We have opened up treatment rooms in Maritzburg, where there was an urgent call. There are a great number of people in Natal and Transvaal who are ahead of our people on the healthful living question. The Kuhne system has done much to bring this about. But they do not have the light we have on treatments. Brother and Sister Armer, with one lady and one gentleman helper, are there; and although we have to pay as much as twenty pounds a month rent, they are more than paying expenses. Quite a number of wealthy persons and government officials have taken treatment. The last report I received from Brother Armer exceeds all my most sanguine expectations. We need a doctor a little nearer than Cape Town, because the laws regulating the giving of treatments are very stringent here, and a Cape doctor can not practise in Natal. I hope that a good doctor will soon give his services to this field; for there is a great work to be done in this line. I know our population is small comparatively, but it must be remembered that thousands of people from all over the world flock to Johannesburg, and spend a great deal of time in Natal, which is also a health resort for the weary searchers after gold. Thus we are able to reach a great number of people. I think the Lord might have found cities more largely populated than Jerusalem in which to pour out pentecostal blessing, but he chose the place where were the most widely representative population—they came from all parts of the world.

My health has been poor since coming here to work, but I can not retreat simply because I should be more comfortable somewhere else. The Lord gives me strength for each day's work, and I rejoice in realizing constantly the Lord's faithfulness to fulfil his promises. He has said, “They that wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength,” and he verifies that promise to me daily. We have little time to think about our ailments now. The time has come when there must be delay no longer, and I wish to live in that spirit each moment of my life. If Satan affects our bodies, the Lord can restrain his power; and I believe that when we have proved to the Lord and to the universe that Satan’s afflictions will not move our firmness of purpose, and that we will endure hardship as good soldiers, the Lord will limit his power, and restrain him from oppressing us. H. J. EDMED.