SCANDINAVIAN MISSIONS by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 27, 1879

SCANDINAVIAN MISSIONS.

By James White

IOWA, NORWAY, AND DENMARK.

We are very happy to know that our brethren from the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians are fully awake to the wants of the cause in Northern Europe, as well as among their people in America. The following from Elder John F. Hanson, dated Marne, Iowa, Feb. 10, 1879, will be read with great interest:—

“DEAR BRO. WHITE: I wish to tell you that the Testimony in Supplement to REVIEW No. 6 has had a good effect on our Danish church here in Elkhorn, Iowa. Yesterday we had a meeting wherein I read the Testimony to the whole church, after which I tried my best to get each brother to subscribe something to help the Danish and Norwegian Mission.

“I have myself sent $115.00 to be applied to that mission, and now I pledge with others:—

J. F. Hanson, $50.00 Chr. Johnson, $60.00 Hans Larsen, 50.00 J. H. Rasmussen, 40.00 Peter Hanson, 25.00 R. Broderson, 25.00 Nels Hanson, 20.00 S. C. Sörenson, 20.00 N. C. Hanson, 15.00 F. D. Christensen, 15.00 P. P. Nelson, 10.00 James Karlson, 10.00 Lars Hanson, 10.00 Jacob Broderson, 16.00 Ole Hanson, 15.00 A Sister, 5.00 A Sister, 2.00 A Brother, 2.00 C. M. Christensen, 2.00 N. P. Högh, 2.50 Jorgen Hanson, 2.50 Kirsten Johnson, 2.00 Ane Peterson, 2.00 Peter Nelson, 2.00 Rasmus Peterson, 5.00 Total, $408.00

“This is pledged from this church to be paid as they can best do it. It will all be paid by January 1, 1880. I have crowded no one to do more than I thought it was duty, and I know that we can rely on these pledges, and I even think that it will overrun the amount pledged.

“I have written to six other Danish churches in Iowa to gather their pledges with what cash they could pay, and send it to me until further notice. The one thousand dollars you speak of will be raised. It is certainly a shame to the nearly 1000 Scandinavian Sabbath-keepers in this country if they could not raise two thousand dollars if you should call for it. God grant that we may all arouse to the important duty of saving perishing souls from destruction.

“I have received some little over 50.00 of this pledge money. Shall I send it to you, or to Battle Creek? [All money for the Danish-Norwegian Mission should be sent to REVIEW AND HERALD. J. W.] I ask that all money for this purpose be credited when received, either in the REVIEW or the Tidende.”

Our Scandinavian brethren are responding nobly. In a late REVIEW we see $100 receipted to Anna Rasmussen, a Danish sister who has for several years worked on the Tidende and Danish tracts as compositor and proof-reader. She and her sister Mary put $500 each into the Health Institute some eight years ago. This was all they had. These sisters will now remember our words of advice to receive a large portion of their money back, as the time would come when Elder Matteson and others would visit their native land, and such a mission would require means, and they would wish to bear a part. It is with great pleasure that these and others donate liberally to that worthy object. Not less than $2000 will be raised for that mission during the year 1879. God speed the work.

J. W.