p. 10 | From the Far North by Guy Dail

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 10, 1903

From the Far North

By Guy Dail

Guy Dail

Things which are unknown to us, or which are but partially comprehended, often excite our curiosity and interest. This seems to be especially so with reference to the northlands. The imagination converts these arctic regions of snow and ice and darkness, peopled by a strange and curious race, into a kind of wonderland. Perhaps this tendency is most noticeable in the younger members of the household. However, to the readers of the Review there is something other than a mere idle curiosity connected with the home of the Eskimo; for to this race, also, must come the glad tidings of the soon-coming kingdom.

For a long time Brother D. Ostlund labored alone in Iceland. He visited the European General Conference in Friedensau during the summer of 1901, and asked that a helper be sent him. He was promised an assistant, but not until last autumn was a man found who seemed to be fitted for the place, Brother Nils Andersson, of Sweden. In a letter recently received, written from Seydisfjord, Iceland, November 16, we find the following: —

“I am happy to tell you that I safely reached Brother David Ostlund, at Seydisfjord, the 14th inst. We set out from Copenhagen the 30th of October. I was not well at first, but when I got more used to the sea, I felt better. Brother Ostlund heartily welcomed me at the steamer. His publishing and printing work is moving along nicely. We now have in the Icelandic language, ‘Steps to Christ,’ the first part of ‘Prophecies of Jesus,’ some tracts,— ‘The Second Coming of Christ,’ ‘The Sabbath of the Lord and Its Observance,’ ‘What We Believe,’—and some other literature. The Icelandic paper, Fraekorn, has a circulation of 1,000; this is quite well for a population of only 75,000. Next year it is expected that 1,500 copies will be printed monthly. Four or five Sabbath keepers live in Reykjavik, and some in other places, so we have many friends; however, it is not easy to work here; but we believe that God will help, and that the seeds of truth will spring up in due time. I hope you will pray for this country, and for the work here. I am glad that Jesus will soon come.”

The 16th of December, Elder Ostlund wrote us, and his letter made a remarkably quick journey, being received a little more than two weeks later. Brother Ostlund had been ill, but was much better. He stated that Brother Andersson had already begun the study of the language, and had spoken in public several times, Elder Ostlund translating for him. He writes thus of an Icelander, who had received some of our literature: —

“Some weeks ago I received a letter from an Icelander, although he is unknown to me. He says that he has been receiving our literature and the Fraekorn, which some one here had been sending to him. He says that he likes this literature, and that he wishes to become one of us, and conform himself to our manner of living. He asked if any of our people lived in Reykjavik, stating that if there were, he would move to that place to find them, and if there were none in the capital city, he would come here to Seydisfjord next summer. This letter was a cause of great joy to me.”

Thus the work spreads from place to place, from village to village, and from country to country. Iceland is a small field when compared with some of the thickly inhabited portions of the globe; but God wants every part of the world to be enlightened by the glorious gospel message for this time, and every honest effort put forth in his name and prompted by his love, for the furtherance of his work, is blessed of him, and will bring forth fruit in the kingdom of our Father. May we ask that our brethren remember Iceland also in their sympathies and prayers?