Of the four fields in the Scandinavian Union Conference, Finland has thus far received the least help and attention. This may be partially due to the fact that Finland does not naturally belong to Scandinavia, but was added by conquest. Centuries ago the Swedes overran the northern shores of the Baltic, while the Germans conquered the southeastern; and, although Russia long ago wrested these lands from the Swedes and Germans, yet the Swedish and German languages still remain in the ascendency in these districts.
The country of Finland is twice the size of the State of New York, and contains a population of 2,700,000, of whom 2,300,000 are Finns. The Swedish language predominates in the cities, and is the vehicle of thought employed by the nobility and the educated and merchant classes, while Finnish prevails in the interior and among the rural districts. About 400,000 speak Swedish, and until the present time our ministerial work has been confined almost entirely to the Swedish-speaking inhabitants, and, previously to the arrival of Brother Anderson last autumn, we had only one minister in the field, so even the Swedish people in Finland were not very liberally provided for.
As all literature, both Swedish and Finnish, must be printed in Finland (otherwise we cannot circulate it), we found it necessary to start our own depository, located in Helsingfors, where the printing of their books and the publication of their Finnish journal have been done by outside parties. The canvassing work opened favorably for they sold about six thousand dollars' worth of books a year, but their canvassing force was not stable, and the publishing house did not reap the benefits it should have realized. The years immediately preceding the present one witnessed an actual crisis in the work there, during which the cause of present truth retrograded rather than advanced. But of late a decided change for the better has taken place, a good foundation is being laid for the development of every branch of the work, and brighter days are ahead. Elders Hoffman and Anderson have held a successful series of tent meetings in Wasa, in spite of the rainy14cold season. Twelve took their stand, and a good interest remains to be followed up during the winter. In other places nine more have begun to obey, and our brethren report a promising opening, and a desire to hear the word. Brother Anderson is becoming better acquainted, and expects to give special attention to acquiring the Finnish language. He will now labor at Björneborg. We should certainly associate a few promising young men and women with our ministers here, not only as assistants to them, but that these young people may themselves be educated to labor in both languages.
GENERAL VIEW OF BORGA
The tithe shows a favorable increase. Since 1900 it has more than doubled; it was then $350, and it is now over $700, or about eleven dollars per capita. We have seventy members in Finland now. Brother and Sister A. Boettcher, who moved here from Germany, have learned the Swedish language, and are proving a substantial help to our depository and church in Helsingfors. Through their efforts a Finnish brother of some education has accepted the message, and he has already proved very helpful in the work of translating and correspondence. Brother Hamar, who came from Sweden to assist in the canvassing work, is rapidly acquiring the Finnish, and has been abundantly blessed in his labors. He was able to turn over one hundred dollars of his earnings as a donation to the Finnish depository. We have appointed him general canvassing agent, while hitherto Brethren Sherrig and Lind had to make expensive trips thither, and were able to remain only a short time, rendering what assistance they could to the gospel colporteurs in the field. Until recently, the depository did its printing and binding on credit, and was thus at the mercy of the printers, paying from ten to twenty-five per cent more than the work could have been done for in other places; but by a careful management of the appropriations received from the Mission Board, we have now paid off all indebtedness, so that the depository owns its stock, which is valued at three thousand dollars, and secures all benefits derived from the cash system. Times are very hard on account of the terribly wet and cold season, some districts actually suffering from famine; and business firms are only too glad to allow the most favorable rates to those who do a cash business.
Our general meeting was held in Borga, an old seacoast town near Helsingfors , October 7-12. Borga has about seven thousand inhabitants. Elder Hoffman has made his home here for several years, and eight souls have taken their stand in this place. Of the seventy Sabbath keepers, thirty-five were in attendance, and we had a good meeting. Brother E. Lind, our general canvassing agent in Sweden, accompanied me, and he will remain there for some weeks, to assist in advancing the interests of the publishing work. Those present pledged about fifty dollars toward paying for two hundred copies of “Christ's Object Lessons,” in the Swedish, which the brethren plan to sell for the advancement of the educational work there. The evening meetings were held in a large hall, with from fifty to one hundred in attendance, and the running expenses were fully met by the collections.
All in all, the prospects for the cause of God in this country are brightening. What Finland needs is more laborers. What are two or three workers among nearly three million people? Some States in America have forty or more workers for such a population. Two thousand copies of the Finnish paper are printed, the loss on the same for last year amounting to about one hundred dollars; but thousands of this messenger of truth ought to be distributed. As hundreds and hundreds of Finns are emigrating to America and settling in the United States, why should not some plan be devised to circulate that journal and our other Finnish literature among them? We are only half awake to our opportunities; let us be up and doing.
