Demerara, Trinidad, St. Vincent, and Antigua
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Demerara, Trinidad, St. Vincent, and Antigua
By A. J. Haysmer
MAY 28 I arrived in Georgetown, British Guiana, to attend a ten days' general meeting. I found nearly everything in readiness. Our brethren had rented a hall, with rooms for those coming from the different churches and companies. Nearly every company was represented. The evening services were well attended by those not of our faith, and the subjects presented were such as to benefit both these and our own people. Two temperance meetings were held, and the majority of those present signed the pledge. The necessity of rapidly pushing our work out in the unwarned districts, also of a systematic effort to educate our churches and companies so they can do practical missionary work, was largely dwelt upon in our council meetings. While we do not see all accomplished that we hope to, we believe that the work will receive a new impetus from now on. Men from the city asked us where we had been hiding, why we had not bestirred ourselves and let the people know we were there, and what we had for them? We as workers accepted this rebuke, and resolved to push the work with more vigor than in the past. The Spirit of the Lord came in, and some who had been disfellowshipped were reclaimed. Three were baptized, and many became interested in the truth for the first time. Our brethren returned to their homes with more faith and better courage to engage in the work before them. Arrangements were made to continue the evening meetings for a time. At the close of the meeting I went to Trinidad, and spent a few days in council with the brethren there. I was glad to see the work growing. The effort to raise a building fund is encouraging, and new plans were suggested, which I believe will greatly help in this work. My next stop was at St. Vincent. I found Elder Van Deusen well, and working hard to enlighten the people; but Sister Van Deusen was very poorly. The hard work she has been doing has been too great a strain upon her. One would think that, after the terrible volcanic eruptions which took off so many souls, injured many persons, and rendered many more homeless, the people would be thinking more seriously about their eternal salvation, and would be turning to the Lord. While this is true of a few, and has given us the opportunity of presenting the signs of the times to many who before would not listen, yet Amos 4:11 describes the condition of the rest. This is a hard field indeed, and may the Lord give his servants strength faithfully to present the truths for this time. June 23 I took a small boat for St. Lucia, to catch the packet for Antigua. We were twenty hours going about fifty miles, but arrived just in time to make the boat, reaching Antigua about eleven o'clock Wednesday night. They have just secured property for a church, and will soon begin to build: the work is prospering. The number of believers is increasing. Brother Wellman is not only holding meetings in the hall, but open-air services in different parts of the city. This is doing much to bring our work before the people. I had a good time while in St. Kitts, and baptized five persons, one a Spanish sister from San Domingo, the first convert in this field who speaks Spanish only. May the Lord add greatly to the nucleus. I have also baptized four since coming to St. Thomas, two of whom were a man and his wife. The gentleman has attended the Moravian training school in Antigua, and has been teaching and acting as local preacher for four years. He seems to be an earnest young man, and I hope will make a worker for the small islands after he has had a little training. We get good reports from the field. The work is going hard, but the Lord is blessing. I am anxious to cover the islands as quickly as possible, for disasters and war will soon make the work harder, and many will be cut off.