Pitcairn Island by G. F. Jones

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 12, 1903

Pitcairn Island

By G. F. Jones

G. F. JONES

One of the blessings of liberty that have come to this island at this time is the possession of a small vessel and the knowledge of navigating her anywhere. If the Pitcairn people will use this aright, it will prove a great blessing to them; for they have for a long time needed some means of communicating directly with their neighbors outside. This opening for them will bring them trials and experiences of sifting, in common with the rest of their brethren in the world. “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, . . . and a curse, if ye will not obey . . . but turn aside out of the way which I command you.”

Do not forget in your prayer these children of God who have been confined all their lives within less than five miles of territory, as they go out for the first time and behold new land, strange customs, and, worse than all else, deceptive counterfeits of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” No more need the faithful among them be confined for pastures, for this word has come to them: “Go forth. . . . Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.”

During certain seasons of the year large sailing ships pass by the island frequently. These are boarded by the Pitcairners for the sake of trading with their fruit. This is also an excellent opportunity to do good by scattering our literature. Will not many send liberally, so that this good work may go on? The address is Pitcairn Island, South Pacific, via Tahiti and Mangareva.

We thank the Lord for the missionary enthusiasm that has come upon them. The church has suffered in consequence of the lack of means and of opportunity to labor; but now they have nobly responded, and decided to take upon themselves the burden of the responsibility by assisting to support two workers in the island field. Working bands have already been started among them. Our hearts are indeed glad; for this is a right movement.

The school on the island has been conducted for many years by Sisters Rosaline Young and Winnie McCoy. The persevering Christian spirit shown by these two is very refreshing: they have worked faithfully, without remuneration and with little encouragement. Sister Winnie McCoy writes:—

“How glad I am to tell you that your stay here has not been, and will not be, time lost to you; for the good seed you sowed is surely taking root in the hearts of some. For myself, I may say that your stay has done me much good, for which I thank the Lord. I am trying to do faithfully the work you gave me in looking after the volunteers. Pray for us all; pray for the children.”

She further writes: “The children meet every Sunday and Wednesday evening, to plan what good they can do. They talk of this all through the week, and ask me every day what they will have at the next meeting. We planned last meeting to do ship missionary work, and Louis (a boy about thirteen) was unanimously chosen as ship missionary. The first ship since you left called today, and so of course this was our first trial, which succeeded very well. Corah, Calvert, and Freeman had the first turn, and sent four American Sentinels, eleven tracts, and thirty-eight pages of The Signs of the Times. The next time three of the others will send the papers, and so on till every one has had a chance. O, you must come sometime for their sakes, and I am sure you will be rewarded in the near future.”

Once more I would urge all who can, to endeavor to supply with necessary literature the volunteer band of young workers, and thus keep alive this fire of enthusiasm in them, until the night comes, when no man can work.

Mangareva, Gambier Islands.