THE following Macedonian cry from Korea has deeply stirred our hearts. Recent reports in the REVIEW have told how two Korean brethren accepted the truth in Kobe; and how one of them, Song-fun-cho by name, while on his way home, met a fellow-countryman, Rin-ki-pan, and presented the truth to him. As a result, Rin-ki-pan readily accepted the message, and returned to his home in Chin-am-po. He at once began to disseminate the truth among his acquaintances, and the result is stated in the following letter just received by Brother Kuniya at Kobe:—
“Ko-sho-go, a servant of Jesus Christ, to his dear Brother Hide Kuniya, greeting. Grace and mercy from our Heavenly Father be with you. Amen. Two years ago I was converted to Christianity, but the light received was somewhat dim. Lately a brother in the truth, Rin-ki-pan, taught us about baptism and other ordinances observed in your church. We were surprised and greatly enlightened, and greatly praise the Lord. We now believe, and desire to be baptized,—sixteen men, fourteen women, and six youth. Has not our Heavenly Father chosen these to teach this truth? We praise his name. We wish with Brother Rin-ki-pan to join your church; but recently this brother has been under some trial. We are praying earnestly. Dear brother, when you read this, hasten to take a boat and come to us, associate with us who believe these truths, and establish a church, and thus save perishing souls. In your letter you wrote that you can not understand our language; but if God be with you, why need you fear? See Acts 2:4; Eph. 6:19. If you can come, then send us a telegram, and our desire will be fulfilled. Also if you can not come, telegraph to us; but we shall look for you. May our Heavenly Father send you to us.”
The writer enclosed a list of the names of the thirty-six persons mentioned in the letter. The list includes husbands and wives, mothers and sons. We infer that they were all professing Christians before, and so were prepared to receive more light; but we know nothing of their church connections.
I hardly need add that our committee in charge of the work in Japan decided without hesitation that this call should be answered; so the desired telegram was sent, and Brother Kuniya will sail for Chin-am-po as soon as he can arrange to go.
Chin-am-po is a port open to foreign trade, situated on the west coast, between one hundred and two hundred miles north of Chemulpho, the port of Seoul, the capital. It contains somewhere from fifteen to twenty thousand inhabitants. Farther up the Todang River is Pyong-yang, a large and important city. At both these places foreign missionaries are located; and Christianity has gained quite a foothold in this region. All those Koreans who have recently accepted present truth are from this part of the country; so this certainly seems a providential opening for our work.
Japan and Korea are closely connected in various ways. Why should not the Japanese Mission annex Korea to its field of operations? But to do this we need means and workers; and we now make a definite call in behalf of this needy, open, ripened field. Are not the clusters of the vintage almost falling into our hands? We know our people will be as stirred by these things as we have been. We could locate workers at once, who could begin the study of the language, and have a watch-care over these new believers. As yet we have no one who could act as interpreter between us and the Koreans; but a number of our Japanese brethren understand English fairly well, and one of these could act as such between our English-speaking workers and the Japanese merchants found in every open Korean port. This would enable our workers to get along in a business way till they could acquire some knowledge of the language.
We do not urge any hasty action in this matter; but what less can we do than to pass along the word. The Mission Board may not be able to respond to this call at once. But some of our conferences are giving a goodly part of their tithe and workers to other fields. We present this opening to the consideration of such. And any whose hearts are so moved might contribute to a fund for opening the work in the once Hermit Nation. Meanwhile we shall do all we can to enlighten these earnest inquirers, and we ask an interest in the prayers of our people, that Korea may soon be added to the many nations, tongues, and peoples among whom the standard of present truth has been firmly planted.
