Tsoan Chiu and Kulangsu, Amoy, China
By W. C. Hankins
Once more the hand of the Lord has been plainly manifested, guiding the work in this province. When Elder Keh began observing the Sabbath, a former pupil of his, residing in the city of Tsoan Chiu, heard of the stand he had taken, and obtained one of his Sabbath tracts. After carefully investigating the matter for himself, he, too, began to obey. His father and a young brother bitterly opposed his keeping the Sabbath; but he remained firm until his death, which occurred more than a year ago. Although the fact of his keeping the Sabbath was known to but few, and was not known here at Amoy until after his death, yet to-day the results of his faithful adherence to the truth are clearly seen. A deacon in the Presbyterian church at Tsoan Chiu learned of the Sabbath from this brother a while before his death, and has been down to Amoy a number of times, inquiring about the truth. About the time Elder B. L. Anderson arrived in Amoy, we received a letter from this man and nine others, asking us to come to that place and begin work. We could not go just then, but last Tuesday Elder Anderson, Elder Keh, Brother Tan Khi, and myself went to Tsoan Chiu. Elder Anderson and I came back before the18Sabbath, but Elder Keh and Tan Khi stayed over Sabbath and Sunday. As the result of this trip, the deacon of the Presbyterian church went to his pastor, and gave notice of his intention to sever his connection with that church, and to keep the Sabbath. Then on Sabbath an aged elder of the same church came to hear Elder Keh preach at the home of this brother. At the end of the service, this old man told Brother Keh that on Friday he had asked the Lord to help him to know whether or not the Sabbath was right. He told the Lord that he was going the next day to hear Elder Keh preach, and asked that if the Sabbath was right, he might be given a clear mind to hear and understand what was preached; while if it was wrong, his mind might be confused so that he could not understand. The result was that he left the service happy in the knowledge that the Sabbath was right; for his mind had been clear, and the sermon had been very plain. Besides this, the man who was so bitterly opposed to his brother's keeping the Sabbath now believes it, and asked Elder Keh to come to his house and preach the truth to his father. There are between ten and twenty who met last Sabbath to hear Elder Keh, and who are now looking for some suitable empty building which they can use as a chapel. We shall probably go to this place again in about two weeks. August 7 I had the privilege of baptizing Elder Keh's wife, Tan Hu's widow, and a former Bible woman of the Presbyterian mission, who united with us about a year ago, and who has been doing Bible work among the women at one of our country stations. We hope to organize a church here at Kulangsu in a week or two. There are a number of interested ones both here and in the country, who we hope eventually will be ready for baptism. We feel that God is guiding the work here, and that to him belongs all the glory. We are happy in our labors, and are glad that God has called us to this place. Pray for us, that the work here may grow, and that we and our native helpers may have wisdom to direct its growth in the right channels. We are all well, and are standing the heat much better than we did last year, thanks to our pleasant quarters by the seaside.