China by Edwin H. Wilbur

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Dec 8, 1904

China

By Edwin H. Wilbur

CANTON.—July 27 Mrs. Wilbur and I moved from Hongkong to Canton. Arriving there, we were unable to secure the house that we had planned to move into; but Sister Thompson kindly gave us the use of the girls' schoolhouse, as they were having vacation. Every day for about ten days I went out in search of a house, but nearly all the vacant houses were low, damp, one-story brick buildings, with no windows, and were unsuitable for our use. Across an open space from the girls' school is a large two-story Chinese house. The upper story was vacant, but they were afraid to rent it to foreigners. Besides, they insisted that they would have to go upstairs every day and burn incense on the ancestral tablet. This, they said, could not be omitted, even if we should pay them one hundred dollars a month.

The time drew near for the girls' school to reopen, and we were compelled to get a house. What to do we did not know. We went to the Lord in our helplessness, and he heard our prayer. After worship I went over to Elder Anderson's, where I picked up volume eight of the Testimonies, and my eyes fell upon these words of encouragement:—

“Obstacles to the advancement of the work of God will appear; but fear not. . . . The plans of the enemies of this work may seem to be firm and well established, but he can overthrow the strongest of these plans, and in his own time and way he will do this, when he sees that our faith has been sufficiently tested, and that we are drawing near to him, and making him our counselor.”

Upon reading these words, I felt the assurance that the Lord would find us a house; and he did that very day. In the afternoon a Chinese woman and her son, who have been living in our home more than a year, took our little boy, and going across the way, secured for us the very house we wanted. Those who had the renting of the building had previously asked securities that we could not give; now they were ready to admit us upon the word of our serving woman alone, only requiring that upon entering we should pay, as is customary here, two months' rent in advance. This we were able to do, thanks to our faithful brethren in America, and accordingly we at once moved into our new home.

The rooms are large, light, and well ventilated, and we have the free use of a suite of blackwood furniture for the front room. The rent is less than six dollars gold a month. We feel to praise the Lord that we have such a pleasant place in which to live, to carry on our study of the language, and to entertain those who become interested in our work. In the matter of burning incense on the ancestral tablet, we are happy to say that the people who have charge of the house burn all their incense downstairs so we have the upper floor entirely free from idolatry.

On August 11 the girls' school reopened, with an attendance of twenty-five, all that the schoolroom could accommodate. But so many have applied for admittance that another room in the same building has been fitted up, another lady teacher employed, and about forty students will be admitted, though the rooms are small and much crowded. While the girls are learning to read Chinese characters, thus becoming intelligent in their own language, they are studying from books that teach about the one true God and Jesus Christ our Saviour. They are also learning to sing gospel songs and to do knitting and sewing. Miss Thompson lives in the schoolhouse, and gives the work of this school her personal attention.

August 11 we also opened our boys' school, of which I will write more fully in my next letter.

We are very happy to be in Canton, and desire to walk humbly before God from day to day that he may be able to use us in the proclamation of the last message to this people. It seems most fitting in this land of idolatry to proclaim the message of Rev. 14:7: “Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

EDWIN H. WILBUR.