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The Australasian Field

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 21, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 47.

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The Australasian Field

By Ole Andres Olsen

SOME time has passed since our last report. We have been so occupied that writing has had to be neglected. To the praise of God we can say that all our workers and people are of good courage, and in every department the work is making steady progress.
We are made to rejoice over the good reports denoting courage and progress, which reach us through the columns of the “good old REVIEW,” regarding the world-wide field. Surely, we have entered the time so long looked forward to when the message should go with power, and the whole earth be lightened with its glory. May the day be hastened that will bring the glorious consummation.
The work in the home field (the commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand) shows many encouraging features. Among these we note the readiness on the part of all our conferences to contribute workers and funds for the mission fields. Among the young people there is a decided growing missionary interest that is most encouraging. In all our conferences we have Young People’s Societies, and each supports a laborer in the mission field from funds raised by the young people in the respective conference. This is not only a help financially, but is of the utmost value to our young people in fostering the missionary interest among them, and so proves of great blessing to them spiritually as well as being an educational factor in preparing them for a part in the work itself.
Our late union conference council, held at Adelaide, was a season of real refreshing. Personally, I looked forward to this meeting, in view of the many urgent calls for help from so many different places and various branches of the work, and the difficulty that confronted us in filling these calls owing to the great scarcity of workers. But the Lord knew the situation better than we did. As we sought him earnestly day by day for guidance and direction, we were able to do much more than our highest expectations in the matter of meeting these calls.
We were able to provide additional workers for Java and Singapore, and made provision for opening the work in New Guinea in the near future. This is a field that has not yet been entered. Brother and Sister Carr, now in Fiji, will with other native workers go to this field just as soon as others are prepared to carry on the work in Fiji. Arrangements have been made to supply Fiji with needed workers; to resume work in the Samoan group; to give additional help to the school in Tonga, and to call one of the brethren there into the work. Thus the island work has been strengthened and enlarged.
We also realized the guidance and blessing of the Lord in adjusting matters connected with the home field. During the past year some of our prominent laborers had returned to the States. This was a disappointment to us all, but notwithstanding this loss, the way has opened to adjust matters satisfactorily; so much so, that it is a matter of wonder to us all. Such a result was possible because of the willingness of the various conference presidents and workers to be used anywhere and in any way that the providence of the Lord seemed to indicate. We greatly rejoice in the spirit of unity and fervency that prevails in all the varied departments of our work in this field.
The sanitarium and health work in general received much careful and prayerful thought and study. It seemed to be the unanimous mind of the brethren that it would be well for Brother Semmens to connect with the Sydney Sanitarium, located at Wahroonga, provided that the work in Adelaide, South Australia, could be supplied with proper help. We hope that this may be done.
Our educational work was another subject for much study and careful thought. The intermediate school, soon to be opened in New Zealand, as well as the school in West Australia, called for a full complement of teachers. Then came our church-schools, and the mission-schools in the various islands. Altogether we had quite a problem to solve; but in this, as in other matters, we saw the guiding hand of the Lord in a very marked manner, and so we were enabled to meet these calls much more satisfactorily than appearances would indicate.
We are much encouraged by what we see in our mission fields of the Lord’s working. The work in Norfolk Island is being strengthened. We have just secured a mission home, which will place our work and workers there in a more advantageous position than heretofore. Brother Mitchell reports a good interest among the people.
At our late council it was decided to purchase the home where our mission in Padang, Sumatra, is now located. This will afford us room for church and school. The readers of the REVIEW have already learned that the truth has gained a foothold in the Battak country, in northern Sumatra, a young man by the name of Emmanuel having accepted the truth as a result of some studies received from Brother Munson. The last mail from there informs us that six additional souls have accepted the truth, and that many others are studying it with deep interest. This portion of the country was closed against any outside missionary, but the Lord has brought them the message in his own way.
Our little printing plant at Singapore is kept very busy producing literature in the Malay. “Christ Our Saviour” in the Baba Malay is meeting with a ready sale. Now a five thousand edition has been ordered in the Dutch Malay. Our literature is meeting a more ready sale than was expected. Thus the Lord is opening the way that the whole earth may be lightened by the glory of his truth, and the day of his coming be hastened. O. A. Olsen.