W. H. WAKEHAM by W. H. Wakeham

Review and Herald Publishing Assn. · Washington, D. C. · Jan 7, 1904

W. H. WAKEHAM

By W. H. Wakeham

Egypt

CAIRO.—The Lord is working for us here. For some time we have been on quite friendly terms with an editor and teacher of the Coptic language in the principal Coptic school in Cairo. He has a residence in Heliopolis, the ancient seat of sun worship, near Cairo. He is a scholarly man, and enjoys the distinction of being the only teacher of the Coptic, as a living language, in the world. He and his family speak it among themselves, though the language is really as dead a language in Egypt as Latin is in Italy. Of course he is perfectly at home in the Arabic, and understands Greek and Hebrew fairly well, I am told. He speaks French fluently, and enough English to carry on a conversation. He is very liberal in his views, and is glad to have something out of the usual order for his journal. Brother Awada had furnished him a few short articles on general religious principles. But a short time ago he saw our little tract, “A Sign of the Day of God,” on Nahum’s prophecy. That interested him, and he said he would print it in his paper, if we would translate it into the Arabic. Of course we were glad to do this. And to our surprise, he printed the entire tract in one issue, and made a cut to illustrate the railroad cars. But this is not all. We showed him “The Sure Word of Prophecy,” and he intends to print the entire pamphlet, pictures and all, in his paper, free of cost to us. He will put it in as contributed matter, without any reference to its source. He thinks he can use it all in four or five issues. We have had this book translated into the Arabic for several months, and were very anxious to get it before the people, but we did not have the money to do it; and now the Lord has taken the matter in hand, and is going to give the direct message to the people through other agencies. There is nothing more effective to interest and stir up the people than the explanation of the book of Daniel. We greatly rejoice in God’s goodness.

We hope to start a paper soon ourselves (in English and Arabic), as many not of our faith are urging us to do. Some are offering us material assistance in such an enterprise. A young lawyer, who is much interested in the truth, and who has in the past been editor and manager of a paper, has promised to help us in making up our paper, reading proof, etc., and also says he will get us some subscriptions among his friends. We are planning on a sixteen-page paper in magazine form, with covers,—four pages in English, and twelve in Arabic,—the English department to be educational, to interest the large number of young men who are anxious to learn the English language and the English Bible. This and the medical department will interest Mohammedans also.

The devil is stirring up all the difficulties possible to hinder the progress of God’s work; but as of old, he can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. We are of good courage in the Lord, and know the truth will go forward here. We need your prayers, and the sympathies of our people everywhere. There are many openings for workers, especially doctors, teachers, and nurses. These can all become self-supporting more readily than any other class of workers. We need another doctor, two nurses, and two teachers. We believe we shall have them before long, because God is preparing the way for them here.