SOUTH AFRICA by J. V. Willson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 29, 1900

SOUTH AFRICA.

By J. V. Willson

KIMBERLEY.—During the last four months we have been passing through the experience of laboring in a city undergoing active siege. For one hundred and twenty-four days Kimberley has been bombarded by the Boers, and some three thousand shells have been thrown into the city, many of them one hundred pounders. Our mission building was directly in the line of fire between the large six-inch cannon and the main business portion of the town, and many shells struck near to us. Our buildings were struck three times, one shell exploding in the business office and two in one of the living rooms, wrecking the furniture and shattering the walls, but not injuring anyone.

We foresaw the siege coming, and laid in a large supply of beans and other food stuffs, so we were enabled to supply many destitute people during the scarcity.

Food supplies got so low that resort was had quite extensively to the use of horse flesh. Lubricating and burning oils were used for cooking. The issue of food was controlled by the military, and only those who had permits could buy any of the necessaries of life.

The Lord blessed our mission in a remarkable manner. Our garden, planted after the siege began, yielded bountifully. Our soup kitchen did well, and the baths were largely patronized by the officers and soldiers. The army doctors and surgeons sent for us many times to give massage to wounded officers, and the results were very marked, especially in cases of stiff joints resulting from tight bandaging. During the year the home has been favored by donations from the people of the place, one company alone having given us one thousand dollars.

During the siege we have been brought in contact with many influential people, and there is a call for us to open up a health food depot here. Our vegetarian soup came in competition with the soup made from horse and mule flesh, and the result was a triumph for vegetarianism.

We are laying plans to extend the work here, and hope for material progress the coming year.

The heat was great during the summer, but none of the mission family suffered from it.

With the new impetus given to our work by the health foods and hygienic treatments, we hope for renewed prosperity in the medical missionary work in this important city. We can plainly see the hand of the Lord in protecting us and in causing the war troubles here to be a means of making an opening for the spread of health principles. It is evident that one result of this war will be to open up a field for missionary work. J. V. WILLSON.