Caucasia by Vahon Pampaian

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Aug 4, 1904

Caucasia

By Vahon Pampaian

TIFLIS.—We are always glad to receive the REVIEW AND HERALD. We have already had three copies here. We await its weekly visits more than those of a dear friend. We are glad it is coming without the government's displeasure marks on it.

We have seen God's guiding hand and protecting care in every step we have taken from the first day of our arrival. He brought to us a man who assisted us in every way that a stranger would need assistance in a strange and wicked city. He neglected his own work in order to make us comfortable, and would not receive a penny for his services. We could not have hired a person for ten dollars a day who would work so faithfully.

The Lord has also blessed us in finding a room. Our landlord is a German, and is much interested in our work. Through this family we are becoming acquainted with many other Germans. There are several thousands of them in this city. I believe they would be a good support to our work, if we had a place where we could give treatments. Here every one must have his work sanctioned and permission granted, before he has the right to do business. This is especially so with doctors, lawyers, and preachers. Legally I can not obtain permission to practise until I am able to speak the Russian language, and pass examination at St. Petersburg. This of course will take some time.

From the information we have, we believe we can secure permission to open treatment rooms; in fact, there are already many such places; but of course they are not doing such work as we intend to do. Once established, the people will learn the virtue of the treatments. The sooner we open such a place, the better, both for the cause and for the people.

Tiflis is a city of nearly two hundred thousand inhabitants. It is the center of, and the most important place in, the Caucasus. It was formerly the capital of the Georgians, a people once famous for their beauty; but the increasing sins of the last days have deprived them of that gift which was common to all in the beginning. From the natural aspects of the country, one would expect to find a people not only most beautiful, but also strong and healthy. I expected to find many a centenarian, but I find the contrary. People here die very early. There are few who live to be over sixty years of age, and most of the people die before the age of fifty—from the lack of a knowledge of the principles of life. There are three evils practised by nearly all: tea-drinking—ten to thirty cups daily; smoking, indulged to great excess; and in addition to the great amount of poisons taken into the body, they live in great numbers in one room, tightly closed, in winter. A family of six or seven, cooking, eating, and sleeping in one room, is not an uncommon thing. Of course this is partly due to high rents; but the exclusion of the fresh air is simply due to ignorance.

Our souls are stirred to do something to help this people. Their physical needs are great. We must also think of their spiritual needs. Medical missionary work, we are told, is the entering wedge. There is no better place to apply it than this city,—and this is only a small part of the field. There are twelve million people, of whom we have not even thought. How few are the ways by which we can work! and how few the workers! We can not hire halls in which to preach, we can not hold tent-meetings, we can not canvass; we are barred on every side. Shall we not take hold and enter where we see an opening? We are glad to report that some of our neighbors have given up their tea.

Our Father knows this place, and he also knows our ability. In order to fit up a treatment room, even on a small scale, several hundred dollars will be necessary. Most of the people here are well to do. We feel quite sure that when the work is once started, it can soon be made self-supporting. But to open treatment rooms on a small scale several hundred dollars will be needed. This is not like many fields, where the truth may be spread in different ways. Here we have to do what we can do. Pray for the Caucasian field.

VAHON PAMPAIAN.