REPORT FROM SWITZERLAND.
By John Nevins Andrews
My last report to the REVIEW, accompanied by a report from Bro. Ertzenberger, having never appeared, has, I suppose, been lost. The readers of the REVIEW, however, know that we have commenced the publication of a paper in the French language. We have just completed and placed in the mail the fifth number of our paper. We send to about four hundred families located in Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Poland, England, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. This is indeed but a small list, but we thank God that it is even so large. Each issue of our paper has been sent to a considerable number of new names. Letters have come from Paris and Lyons in France, from Geneva and other places in Switzerland, and from several persons in England, all of whom are entire strangers, asking for our paper. We have no certain knowledge in the most of these cases how they learned that such a paper is in existence. A few state, however, that they have seen a copy in the hands of some one, and that they desire to receive it regularly. This work has been entered upon with no spirit of vain confidence, but in fear and trembling and with much prayer. We believe that the angels of God have aided in this work, and that the Spirit of God has been present to direct in the preparation of the matter for each number. We have joined prayer with severe labor. We have labored to the utmost extent, that our part of the work might be done in the best manner possible, and we have cried to God that he would bless the feeble and imperfect effort that we have made. And thus laboring God has added his blessing. The services of brethren Bourdeau and Aufranc have been laborious and invaluable. I gratefully acknowledge their assistance which to me has been indispensable. Besides what has been already published of Bro. Bourdeau’s translations, we have several tracts which he has translated for publication. He has now removed with his family to southern France, and so we are permanently separated in our labors. From his letters we are led to hope that he will meet with great success in his new field of labor. Our prayers ascend daily to God in his behalf. Bro. Aufranc devotes a considerable part of each day to teaching, but he takes much time to render service in the preparation of the paper. As we are situated at a considerable distance from our Swiss brethren, they cannot render us personal assistance; and so everything connected with the publication of the paper comes upon three or four persons. With the disadvantages under which I have had to labor, this work has consumed all my time and strength, and it has even been difficult to keep up with the most necessary work. I hope that the Lord will raise up help for us, that I may be able to spend a portion of my time in the field. Should Bro. Willie C. White come to Europe, it will be a great accession to our strength, and will be the occasion of joy to us in the Lord. Bro. Ertzenberger is laboring with unwearied patience and with ardent zeal. He has to struggle with disadvantages, but the work in Germany is all the time gaining strength. It is now a matter of great interest to me to reach the point of time when in the providence of God it will be possible to have a German edition of our paper. This will be a great advance in our work, but we hope with God’s blessing that it will be accomplished at no distant day. Could our brethren know what disadvantages we experience in the publication of our paper in having no office nor printing press of our own, they would realize the importance of what Bro. White has said concerning an office to be owned by our people. I do not know that there are more than half a dozen printing presses in this city that are large enough to print our paper. Of these I have had to try four. Our third number is the poorest specimen of printing that we have had. Yet on no number have I bestowed so great pains. I stood over the power press all day and had to stop it at least fifty times. Now we are able to print in the same office where our type is set, and this will save much trouble to us. I do not like to write of such matters, but I know that our friends wish to know what we are doing, and that they have a right to know. It can seem very interesting to them to know that we are struggling to master French and German, and that our work is composing, translating, reading proof, looking after the details of all sorts, mailing papers, etc., etc. Yet this very work must be done, and on its faithful execution depends our success. We hope the Judgment will show that we have done what we could. J. N. Andrews.