DENMARK

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 11, 1877

I arrived at Nordby on the Island of Fanö the 23d of August, and left the 28th. I held seven meetings, sold some tracts, and obtained seven subscribers for ADVENT TIDENDE.

There are only two parishes on this island, Nordby and Sonderhö. They have each a large, spacious church. The people are very much attached to the State church, but there are, however, a few who have some experience in the religion of Christ. Great prejudice exists against everything that is not Lutheran, but notwithstanding this I had an audience Sunday evening of about one hundred and fifty persons, who listened attentively to a sermon on the kingdom of glory.

There are a few here who keep the Sabbath of the Lord. Bro. Thaanum, from Holstebro, went with me. He remains there to sell our works and hold a few meetings.

Sunday, Sept. 2, I held a meeting again in N. Saltum. About two hundred had come together, and the word of God was again preached to them in a barn—undoubtedly the last time for this year, as the grain which is being harvested will soon fill their barns. It rejoiced my heart to meet these friends again, and to see that the word of God still affected their hearts. It will be two weeks yet before we can hold regular meetings, but in the meantime we meet on Sabbath and Sunday, and I write for our paper.

V. HJERMESLEV.

We received a letter from Norway this week from a person who, in a wonderful manner, has received the ADVENT TIDENDE, and now rejoices in the truth which we love. A family in America, who since have separated themselves from our people, and have shown themselves to be our bitterest enemies, had sent our paper to one of their relatives in Norway. This person was not interested in the paper, but let another person read it, who found the truth of God in it and accepted it.

I have spent the greater part of this week writing for ADVENT TIDENDE. The hurry and bustle of the harvest still continues. They use no machines here, so that it lasts longer; but this helps the many poor among the laboring class. Sunday we held two meetings; in the forenoon we had about two hundred hearers in S. Saltum; and in the afternoon a still larger number were assembled in Hjermeslev. We have obtained five subscribers for the paper this week, and about forty altogether, since coming to Denmark, besides those sent here by friends.

The truth will, by the help of God, gain friends here; but we cannot expect to see immediate results of our labors, as in America. We will labor on perseveringly and to the best of our ability, and pray the Lord for strength to bear up under the difficulties connected with laboring in a new field. The spirit is willing, but our bodily strength is small. We believe, however, that our Heavenly Father, who thus far has ordered all things so graciously for us, will not leave us to ourselves, but will still continue to be our best friend, while we are separated so far from those we love most on earth. We can no longer hear them pray, nor sing, nor speak of the love of Christ; but we can send up our prayers daily with them to the throne of grace.

STENUM.

It is some time since I received an invitation to come to this city. It lies about nine miles from Alstrup. After having written for the paper the whole week, and held a meeting on the Sabbath, we went to Stenum Sunday morning. It had rained several days, and the rain still continued. It rained hard in the afternoon for which our appointment was given, but there were nevertheless about one hundred persons present. There were some present from Hjörring. One of these, who has tried to serve the Lord for many years, and has read the TIDENDE the past year, is entirely convinced about the truth. He said that he wanted to unite with those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.

In the forenoon I attended the service of the German Baptists. They have a missionary here from America. There are two other persons among them who speak in public, who are also from America. They have baptized some in this vicinity. I was invited to their meeting, and after one of them had spoken they requested me to speak. They are interested in the advent of our Saviour, and the word spoken affected their hearts. They are very kind and friendly to us. May the truth concerning the law of God also find a place in their hearts.

Pray for us, dear brethren and sisters in America, that the Lord may overrule all things to his name’s honor and glory.

JOHN G. MATTESON.

Alstrup, pr. Bronderslev, Sept. 17, 1877.