p. 196 | EUROPEAN MISSION by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 21, 1877

EUROPEAN MISSION.

By John Nevins Andrews

A CONSIDERABLE period has elapsed since I have made any report. I do not remain silent from choice nor because I have nothing good to say, but because my duties here have demanded every moment from the first light of the morning till late at night. If I write few reports it is because I have very few minutes in which to write. And this must excuse me for long delays in responding to important letters. My sickness caused a serious delay in the publication of our paper, so that the number which should have appeared the first of February did not appear till late in March.

Our enemies have desired the ruin of our paper, and have taken advantage even of this incident to predict that the paper would soon cease to be published. But when I found that the February number must be delayed, I caused a printed card to be sent to all our subscribers, explaining the cause of the delay. But in view of what our enemies have said, and in view of things which occurred in this country some years since, I have felt that the honor of the cause of God demanded that we should finish our volume of twelve numbers within the first year. It has demanded our utmost efforts to accomplish this, but I am happy to say that we have nearly completed the twelfth, or June number, and hope to mail it the first of that month.

I feel justified in saying that our paper is filled with good matter and contains no articles that are not worth the space they occupy. We hope to see the paper much improved in the future, but every number has been the best we could possibly make it with the help we now have.

But does the paper do good? It would be more proper for others to answer this question, yet I shall venture to say that real good has been accomplished. Our paper is sent to nearly all the countries of the world in which the French language is generally spoken. From the most of these countries we have received testimonies that it is read with interest. Some of these are from persons who know nothing of our faith except what they have learned from our paper. This has been a source of encouragement, and besides this we have found the blessing of God in the work.

Bro. Ertzenberger has been revising some German tracts for publication, and has now commenced a course of lectures, with a good prospect of success, in the city of Essen.

Bro. Bourdeau is making very earnest efforts in Southern France, and though he has to labor under great disadvantages he is meeting with success.

Finally, we have many tokens of good and nothing that should occasion discouragement. God is infinitely good. He has committed to our trust a most sacred work, and it is for us to be faithful to that trust.

We rejoice to learn that Bro. W. C. White and wife are coming to Europe. We shall welcome them most joyfully and shall seek to co-operate with them in advancing the cause of Christ. We expect sometime to welcome his father and mother in this part of the world. May the extension of our work soon warrant such a visit. J. N. ANDREWS.

Bâle, Suisse, May 27.