Dominica, West Indies by P. Giddings

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 20, 1906

Dominica, West Indies

By P. Giddings

ACCORDING to the recommendation presented at our conference session relative to each church’s selling its quota of “Christ’s Object Lessons,” to assist in raising funds for our West Indian Training-school in Jamaica, we took our share. Two of our Catholic night students paid for five, and found such a ready sale among their friends that they ordered more. These two young men have not fully identified themselves with us yet, but are in hearty sympathy with our work. They are both fine carpenters. One of them is assistant superintendent of the Catholic monastery now being built. His chief is so pleased with him that he proposes the starting of a saw-mill, factory, etc., and making him manager; but he says he will not accept the

position as that would interfere with his keeping the Sabbath, for to this end he is arranging his affairs. He had a pleasant talk with one of the priests, who acknowledged that we are right on the Sabbath question. The priest promised a further talk with him, so he is ready with both King James and the Douay Versions of the Bible.

A Catholic school mistress has been keeping the Sabbath since February. After reading some of our literature she exclaimed, “How can a people with such truths be silent?” She has loaned “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation” to one, “Coming King” to another, and bought and presented French “Controversy between Christ and Satan” to another. She walks in the light as she sees it. Mrs. Giddings visited with her, and they had a talk on diet and the wearing of jewelry. On her next visit, the lady had laid aside her ornaments.

Every advance step is like climbing a steep mountain, but we believe as we live nearer God, and his people hold up our hands by their prayers, sheaves will be gathered here for the garner.

A meeting-house is a problem we are now trying to solve. In a community strongly Catholic and nowise friendly to our cause, we can not naturally expect much financial sympathy; and our constituency being small, it is not much we can do. However, there is much stone that can be had for the drawing, and so we hope to build of stone. But we want two hundred dollars to start on. We now have the greater portion of this amount in the bank, and are waiting for the rest. Who will help us to place a humble house of worship as a sign, a memorial, of God’s Sabbath—a light amid the moral darkness? Send either direct to me or to our treasurer, C. W. Enoch, Sea Field, Westbury Road, Bridgetown, Barbados.

P. GIDDINGS.