[Since the latter part of 1897 our Sabbath-keeping brethren at Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast have been without laborers. After looking over the field, the Mission Board asked Elder D. U. Hale, who had been compelled to leave this mission in 1897 on account of failing health, to return and continue the work. The following, descriptive of the mission farm and his own feelings in regard to returning, was written in response to the invitation. It truly contains food for thought.]
A WEST AFRICAN VILLAGE
Our first work on the West Coast was to select a location for a permanent mission. While we were engaged in this, a brother who owned considerable land offered us a strip off a tract which was said to be twelve miles square. The corner he gave us was three miles square. It is located about forty miles northeast of Cape Coast Castle, and about twenty-three miles from Salt Pond. This he deeded to the General Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists, and we had the deed recorded and the colony stamp affixed, which makes it legally ours in every respect. All the natives understand that it belongs to the “White Man’s Mission.”
There is a scarcity of water on the land. We dug fifty-one feet and struck solid granite, but found no water. A little over the line is water near the surface. The land is quite productive, and with a little cultivation a small place could be made to produce enough of the native fruits to supply a large number of pupils. While there, we had growing corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and many other vegetables, besides the native fruits, which grow almost spontaneously—the plantain, banana, palm-nut, pineapple, papaw, yam, etc.
The greatest lack on the mission farm is buildings. There is plenty of soil suitable for the manufacture of sun-dried brick, which makes the best house on the coast. If temporary buildings could be erected, the mission boys could make the brick needed.
One Sabbath while I was on the farm, I took Brother Dolphijn and started to the villages to preach. At the first village, the natives ran quickly to get the brinyea (white man) a chair. There was only one chair in the village, but this, they brought it, and I sat down. I told Brother Dolphijn to ask them if they wanted preaching. They expressed themselves as anxious to hear. I spoke, and Brother Dolphijn interpreted. They seemed to be much interested.
From there we passed to the next village, then to another, until we had visited five, and preached as many sermons. At the last an old blind man was the chief. After I had finished preaching and was preparing to leave, I went to him to shake hands with him. He spoke with much feeling. As he clung to my hand and talked, the tears were rolling down his cheeks. I could not understand what he said, but my own heart leaped for joy as I realized the fact that the gospel had touched at least one heart that day. There are millions who are blind to the gospel of Christ, and are groping in darkness in that benighted land. O, let us send them the light!
Just before leaving West Africa I baptized four natives. As far as I can learn, all but one are faithful; and he, with his wife, now wishes to give up his work and keep the Sabbath again, but they need some one to encourage and help them. Brother Dolphijn has been holding up the banner of truth almost alone. Because of his straight walk, those who know him have confidence in his religion. His younger son is in Liverpool, attending school. He is looking forward to returning to the Gold Coast to aid Brother J. D. Hayford in opening up an industrial mission on his grant of land, west of Cape Coast Castle, on the Pra River. Up this river there are several villages with not a Christian in them; neither have there ever been any missionaries in them. Some of these have been asking for help. I visited a few of them on one of my trips.
It is hard to find a place on the Gold Coast where openings can not be found for presenting the truth. Christ left his home of life, security, and peace, and came to this land of death, trouble, and distress, that he might save some. There are some who say they can not—will not—go because it is a land of disease and death. My brethren, in going we only leave one land of death to go to another. If we die there, we do no more than Christ did for us. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” It may be suffering over there in Africa, but it will be reigning when Jesus comes. A million souls on the Gold Coast who speak the Fanti language are looking to us for the last message. Brethren and sisters, shall we give it? Have your lips been touched with the live coal from off the altar? God is now saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” What is your response?
