Utila, Bay Islands by Winifred Holmden

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 30, 1901

Utila, Bay Islands

By Winifred Holmden

The last time that I wrote, I stated that there were forty-eight children attending our school. The number has since increased to sixty, which is more than the house will conveniently accommodate. Mother teaches sixteen of them in our home in the afternoon. We hear there are still others who expect to come soon. Of the sixty who are attending, only nine are the children of Sabbath-keepers. The parents of some of the others were quite prejudiced before the school was opened; but the prejudice has worn away, and they are kind and friendly to us, and do not object to their children studying any of our text-books, such as the “Gospel Reader,” “Heralds of the Morning,” nor to my giving them Bible lessons. The condition here will be much better for the next teacher than it was for us. When I began, there were only twenty pupils, no desks and no blackboards. We now have desks. Father had a blackboard three feet long made for us out of an old dry-goods box, and we are having another made out of a door which a sister gave us.

People outside of our church have contributed nearly enough to buy an organ for the church and school; it will be ordered in a short time. Whenever we hear a group of children singing, it is always hymns from our books. I have sold a number of copies of “Christ in Song” on the island, and can sell about a dozen more as soon as they arrive.

One man not of our faith has offered to give one hundred sols toward building an addition to the church for school purposes if an effort is made to raise the money. The Lord is indeed blessing in our work. To Him be the praise.

WINIFRED HOLMDEN.