The Waiting Gold Coast, West Africa
By D. U. Hale
I saw in a recent copy of the REVIEW a letter from Fred Dolphijn. I was glad to see that the Mission Board is still interested in that field. My own heart has ached many times because that mission has lain vacant so long. Brother Dolphijn is as faithfully holding up the banner of truth as he knows how. His faithfulness has been quite remarkable. For over twelve years he has stood almost alone on that coast. The Lord has used him for much and lasting good, but he needs help. I have not received a letter from him for some time, but among the last he spoke of ten or twelve places where the kings and the people desired that some one would come and teach them the truth. There are over a million persons on that coast who speak the Fanti language, the native tongue of Brother Dolphijn, and they are crying for the truth. In one of my trips to the interior I was passing through a village one morning early, when suddenly I heard some one hallooing at the top of his voice. I turned, and saw a tall, stalwart man holding his 'cloth' about his body, waving his hand, and running toward me with all his might. We were then sixty or seventy miles inland, and I could not imagine what he could want. I told Brother Dolphijn to stop, and find out what he wanted. After talking for a minute, Brother Dolphijn said that he wanted us to take his boy, about twelve years old, and put him in our mission. He had just heard that we were missionaries, and he wanted his boy brought up in the Christian religion. He himself was tired of their native fetish, and he wanted his boy brought up in something better. I had Brother Dolphijn explain to him that our mission was not ready to receive any one for training. When we left, tears of disappointment were in his eyes. Brethren, souls on that coast are going down to eternal ruin while we are sitting here doing nothing for them. Surely the Mission Board can find some volunteers who are willing to sacrifice for their brethren there, as Christ sacrificed for us. I am sure that the Mission Board would be glad to hear from any one who is willing.