WITH HEATHEN TRIBES IN INDIA
Enthusiastic and Determined Workers—The Supernatural Power That Holds Them Elder A. G. Daniells, the president of our General Conference, who is making extended missionary visits in different parts of the world, is now in India. He is spending several months among the workers in that field. A private letter just received contains too much valuable and inspiring information to be simply answered and passed to our files in the ordinary way. We know that our readers will appreciate the privilege of enjoying it with us. Aside from a few sentences that pertain to business matters, etc., his letter is as follows: “Since landing at Colombo five weeks ago, I have traveled five thousand miles, and have visited our mission stations all the way from Tinnevelli, at the southern point of India, up to Simla, in the Himalaya Mountain range, and to the Punjab in the northwestern part of the country. Now we are in the midst of our institute and biennial council, and we are kept busy from early morning until late at night. I am gathering good material, in the way of both subject matter and illustrations, for reports which I hope to write as soon as I can get a breathing spell. “I may say that my visit to India is one of the most enjoyable occasions of the kind I have had in many years. It is the first time I have come in direct contact with active heathenism or idolatry. Here I see the people worshiping trees, stones, images, cattle, water, and almost every material thing about them. It seems terrible to me, and creates an earnest desire in my heart to see our work carried forward with greater zeal and power in this great mission field.” A HUNDRED DETERMINED WORKERS
“Although our task here is a stupendous one, yet it is not wholly dark. We see many omens of encouragement. I wish you could be in our institute and conference, and meet our missionaries, and hear their reports. There are a hundred gathered here from the various parts of India and Burma, and I wish to say that you cannot find a finer band of workers anywhere in the world than we have here. They are intelligent and consecrated, and love their field. None of them, as far as I have heard, want to return to the States permanently or for pleasure. Some of them have suffered physically, and must return for a time at least; but they all seem to love the field, and would be glad to devote the remainder of their lives to the work here. “Somehow there is an attraction here that I can hardly understand. I think it must be the great work there is to be done. The Lord seems to put it into the hearts of His people, as they face hard tasks and great ones, to get up close to these tasks, and stand by their posts of duty. I love these workers, and, personally, I could settle down here and spend the remainder of my useful days and be very happy. “There are great openings in India which we, as a people, ought to enter without delay. We are short of means and men; but if our people in America could see these conditions exactly as they are, and feel as I am sure Jesus feels, a million dollars would immediately be provided for placing workers here to step into these opening providences of God. “Somehow I feel impressed that our people must be aroused to do far greater things than they now are doing. We, of course, appreciate the splendid spirit of sacrifice they are showing; and yet, with the end so near, and millions unwarned and unsaved, it does seem as though far greater sacrifices should be made by those who are enjoying so much from the hand of the Lord. I think when I get back I shall have some new texts in behalf of foreign missions.”