CHRISTIANA, NORWAY by J. G. Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 4, 1879

CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.

By J. G. Matteson

The Lord is good; his mercy endureth forever. His loving-kindness is manifested to us, although we are most unworthy. There is a steady growing interest here. The truth is gaining ground. One great reason for this is, in my opinion, that the Lord has many souls in this country. I have never been in any country where I met with so many people who have been more or less moved upon by the Spirit of God. Last Sabbath five dear souls were baptized. This makes in all 51 who have been baptized, and 66 members in the church. About 90 are keeping the Sabbath, and 110 to 130 persons attend our Sabbath meetings. Many are ready to be gathered in by a little labor bestowed.

We have six or seven prayer-meetings every week in different parts of town, and we feel that the Lord is present with us. Yet we do not want to convey the idea that everything goes easy. We have a continual strong opposition to encounter from without, and there is much need of religious training within. Yet as a general thing brethren and sisters here are quite willing to be guided.

Our Sabbath-school is a success. I have not been able before to organize one on the principle of our Sabbath-schools in America, because we have had no Sabbath-school lessons. By the goodness of God, and the kindness of our dear brethren in the distant West, we now have efficient help, and some material with which to work, and this long and deep-felt want is supplied. Our school now has 103 members,—3 divisions, 9 classes, and 11 teachers and officers. We are very thankful to our American brethren for the plan, programme, system of reporting, and subject matter of progressive Bible lessons for the different divisions, which we have obtained from them. And although the whole went out from America in the English tongue, it is now on this side of the great ocean made to speak the Danish-Norwegian language in a most intelligent way. The whole seems to be well adapted to this country, and will, from the good beginning in this city, find its way to many other places, by the grace of God.

The tract society is also at work. Sr. Huntley asked for reports a short time ago. We had none and no society. Neither did we have the means of starting one that could work successfully, until tracts and papers could be steadily supplied, and at least a publication page of our own sent out with the tracts. How I have longed for this for the last four months. Now we are setting up one in our own new brevier type. It will be printed Friday, and soon go

out to speak to thousands. The Lord be praised for his goodness.

The tract society is about three weeks old. It numbers some forty members. They take fifty-two copies of Tidernes Tegn, and have obtained a number of new subscribers already. They have bought and mostly distributed and sold 8000 pages of tracts, and now they have bought and paid for 8000 pages more. The brethren show a commendable zeal in this work, and it is bound to spread all through the Scandinavian kingdoms.

It may be of interest to mention that two of our brethren were fined by the court, each Kr. 4.00 (1.07), some time ago, for working on a high holy day. The mayor advised them very kindly to petition the king for pardon. They did so, stating that they rested on the Sabbath of the Lord according to the Bible, and needed the other six days to work to supply their families. The king granted their request, and pardon has lately been proclaimed to them by the constable.

The Lord bless his truth and his servants and dear waiting children all over the world, for his name’s sake.

J. G. MATTESON.

Osterhausgaden 12, Aug. 12, 1879.