p. 20 | Mission School and Farm Work in Mississippi

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1902

Mission School and Farm Work in Mississippi

By Parker Atwood; Julia Luccock Atwood

Mississippi

GITANO.—As we read in the REVIEW of the good work being done in other places, and how the Lord is blessing the work and workers, it makes us rejoice, and greatly encourages us in our work.

We are located in a settlement about five miles from Gitano, which is our post office. We accepted a call to come here the first of last November, and conduct a mission school and farm. This settlement was originally given over to drinking and carousing, but the Lord converted a young woman who lived here, Sister Anna Knight, now in India as a Bible worker and nurse, and through her started a good work. This settlement now is quiet and orderly, but the adjoining one is Satan’s stronghold.

The day school began the first Monday of last November, and ended the last of March. It will be in session during July. With the exception of one man, the people are too poor to pay money for tuition, so we let them pay in such things as we need or work it out at one dollar a month. There are some drawbacks, as we do not always get the work when we need it. It is not financially profitable, but the Lord has given us the use of a few acres, and given us health and strength to work; and as we are working for souls, we would be glad to teach the school for nothing, if it was necessary. The school, of course, is conducted on Bible principles, the Scriptures themselves being the most prominent study. Next to the study of the Bible is the study of physiology. Part of the recess is given to industrial work.

The Sabbath school is composed of six members, ourselves included. The Sunday school is quite well attended even in this hot, dry weather. The people seem really interested, and we hear them continually before the Lord.

The soil is productive. We are having a hard drought, however, just now. The crops on our little farm were in a fine condition before the drought. We have a missionary half acre of cowpeas, for which we are specially anxious. If any of those who have plenty of fruit should see fit to send us some dried fruit next fall, we believe we can use it to God’s glory. Any one doing so, please prepay freight. We have some goods at the freight depot now which have waited several weeks for freight charges.

We have built a neat, one-story, four-room house since coming here. The Southern Missionary Society gave us one hundred dollars toward it. It is not finished yet. We have been in the house since the third of April, and have just been able to get our two outside doors; of the eight windows, six have wooden shutters, and two are open holes.

While there are many pleasant conditions here, still we find, as the Testimony says, that “the South is a hard field to work.” We had an experience which makes us long for the coming of our Saviour, and for that home where “the meek . . . shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Sunday night, June 8, about midnight some men fired into our house with shotgun, pistols, and a rifle. We were wakened from a sound sleep by the cannon-like report of a heavily loaded shotgun, followed with pistols and a thirty-eight caliber rifle. It sounded dreadfully to hear the bullets crashing round us as we lay on the floor, praying for protection. We praise the dear Lord for his loving care over us. Brethren, pray for us.

There is a large field here for canvassing, but with our school and farm duties, we are not able to canvass much. If a consecrated Christian brother will come here about the latter part of September to canvass at least all winter, we will give free room and board. Who can come? May God lay this work upon the right one!

We wish to thank all those who have helped us to get started. May God bless them. We still have need, and any who feel disposed to help can do so, but there are so many great calls before our people that we do not feel like saying much about our own needs.

PARKER ATWOOD, JULIA LUCCOCK ATWOOD.