Your ShelfYour Projects

H. H. VOTAW

8%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 3, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 40.

Read the full edition

H. H. VOTAW

By H. H. VOTAW

Burma

H. H. VOTAW

LAST week I wrote, telling of the good opening here for a lady dentist. Since then I have been talking to some acquaintances, people who have lived here for years, and the opening seems more urgent than ever. One man said, “I would not be afraid to guarantee a good living to the one who comes.”
There are in Rangoon thousands of emigrants from India. Some of these are very wealthy and progressive. Yet their old customs bind them, and the women are not allowed to be looked in the face by any strange man—in fact, by none but the nearest relatives. Among this class of women there is an opportunity for a lady dentist to make a good living with very few hours of work each day. And then she could devote her remaining time to evangelical work. Her profession would open the way for such a work with many.
Our work is most encouraging. Sister Ruoff has been making a good living ever since she came. Within three days after her arrival she had a patient, and has had all the work she cared to do since. Just now she is ill, but is better than she was, and I think will be all right soon.
Dr. Oberholtzer is now located in Moulmein, and the outlook is encouraging. She is getting her house fixed so that she can give some simple treatments, and the patients are beginning to come. It seems that she will soon be able to more than pay her way.
Miss Jewett and Miss King have been canvassing here for about two and one-half months, and have taken about seven hundred orders for the Oriental Watchman and Good Health. This is in addition to the books which they have sold.
Mrs. Votaw and I have sold a number of books, and taken some subscriptions for our papers. Every English-reading family in Burma has the REVIEW.
In the first five months of this year, our tithe from our believers (not including the workers) has exceeded all that we had the last year. We have been able to raise enough monthly to meet all our current expenses in connection with our meeting-hall, rents, lights, etc. Now we are able to turn all our Sabbath-school donations into the treasury. These donations and our tithe are almost sufficient to meet the salary of our two native workers. All this indicates a healthy growth, and we are thankful to God. We fully expect that by the close of this year there will still be a substantial increase.
One of our brethren who was recently baptized is just taking up the canvassing work, resigning a good position to do this. He will finish the territory that the sisters were obliged to leave because of the rains. After he has finished the territory with the papers, he will take up the book work.
Burma and India have both been subjugated by the British, and, in consequence, are one politically. But in religion, race, social institutions, Burma is as distinct from India as is China. In reality, the Burmese are much more like the Chinese than like the Indians. And Burma will be the most fruitful province in the Indian empire for our work, if we may judge at all by present indications.
Rangoon,