Moving Out in China by Bertha Selmon

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 1, 1907

Moving Out in China

By Bertha Selmon

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” When I was but a little girl, I listened to the preaching of this message and the witness of the spirit of prophecy, and my heart was stirred. I wondered if I should ever grow up and have a part in giving the loud cry of this final message to the world. It seemed to me then to be the greatest ambition I could conceive of. Since then, and especially during the last few years, we have seen the rapid fulfilment of many prophecies pointing to the end. Things that then seemed improbable are now an accomplished fact. The message, too, has been spreading into the distant fields.

Here in China, where five years ago there was only one lone believer standing on the outskirts as it were, there are now over twenty workers. Of course only a beginning has been made in this immense field, but the spirit of prophecy tells us that there is to be a rapid work in the earth. With the aid of the printed page and the native workers who are in training and who will be trained, we expect this message to go quickly. The Spirit of God will go before and impress hearts.

Last Sabbath a woman came to the meeting, who said she had kept two Sabbaths. She had been a believer in the gospel for four years, but is not able to read a word, as she is fifty-five years old, and had had no one to teach her. For some time I had felt almost depressed by the slow progress of the work among the women. As they can not read, there often seems to be no foundation to build on; and when it comes to teaching the Sabbath, how could one go

about to teach them when they have no personal knowledge of the Bible?

I asked this woman how she came to believe the gospel. “I could not read,” she said, “but I just believed it.” Then I asked, as she had just been telling me of the scoffing and unbelief of others, “Did you not at first disbelieve it as they do?” “No,” she answered, “I believed it from the first as fast as I could find out about it.” Then I asked her how she came to make a decision to keep the Sabbath; she said, “I live in the same courtyard with Mr. —,” naming a brother who has recently accepted the truth, “and when I learned that the Bible said the Sabbath was the day to be kept holy, and that it was the day before Sunday, I just decided to keep it. I can’t read,” she continued, “but I have lots of faith, and I want to learn to read.” I thought of the Saviour’s words, “Except ye . . . become as little children.” The Lord certainly knows those that are his, and the honest hearts he is able to teach, regardless of education, from the world’s point of view. There are honest hearts even in this stronghold of heathenism; this truth will search them out.

There is no romance in going out into the field. There are obstacles to meet, difficulties to overcome. There are every-day experiences here just the same as in the mission work at home. Those who depend only on the halo which often seems to surround the work in distant lands will be disappointed. Definite experiences at home in the Lord’s work are the best preparation for the same kind of experiences here. Struggles and labors now are not to be considered; the work will be done some day: our trials will then seem insignificant as we look back upon them.

Now is our opportunity of working for the Master; it will soon be forever past. Those who would have a part in giving the message in China must hasten, for there are months of hard language study ahead. It takes two or three years before one is able to do much in teaching the people. “Come over and help us,” is the call now. May there be many in our schools who will think of the need, and seek God to know where he can use them.

BERTHA SELMON.