p. 18 | Cook Islands by A. H. Piper

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 2, 1902

Cook Islands

By A. H. Piper

ARORANGI, RAROTONGA.—Our school buildings proper are finished, with the exception of a few of the minor details. I am so glad that we have been able to start the school. Our hearts are rejoiced as we already see changes for the better in the lives of many of the children. When they came, they were hard to control. Quite a few of them did not want to do their appointed work, and grumbled considerably about it. But this has all changed. We thank the Lord that we see honest endeavor on the part of many of them to live upright lives. To him be all the praise. The attendance at present is twenty-five. Fourteen of these—ten boys and four girls—are boarding here, and it is in these children that we see the best results. Other students will come from our own people, but are prevented at present on account of lack of clothing. This is evidence of their extreme poverty. Now that the school is progressing, I want to push ahead with the church building and canvassing for “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Building a church on the Titikaveka side is like building a church in the West Indies, if I understand the reports of some of our workers there, as we have to carry our stone, the chief building material, a long distance.

A native brother and his wife, who are assisting in the school, are a real help. We need another laborer and his wife in this group. It seems to me that now is the time to labor in these islands. There is a lull in the opposition manifested here two years ago, although the majority of the natives still fear the consequences should they take their stand for the truth.

Opportunities for labor are presented on all sides. The other islands are calling continually for some of our people to visit them. Rarotonga is now the chief port to all the northwest islands belonging to England in this part of the world. Ships going to these places must come to Rarotonga first, otherwise they are not allowed to proceed. We must labor in these islands sooner or later. Now is the time. If we could scatter the printed page throughout all of them, it would be a good beginning. But in order to do this, we must have help. We should have a nurse in Rarotonga, especially now that we have a school; for the natives need help on the subject of

health. I do not think that any worker should be sent to such a field as ours without a knowledge of nursing. I know how difficult it is to obtain capable workers, but I pray that many laborers may be speedily trained for the needy island fields—and not for them only, but for the whole world.

A. H. PIPER.