The Missionary by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 16, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 48.

The Missionary.

By Stephen N. Haskell

Planting the Third Angel's Message in New Zealand.—No. 3.

THE RECEPTION OF THE TRUTH AT KAEO.

As Father Hare and his family were among the first settlers of the valley, the religious interests of the place are largely attributable to his influence. They principally furnished the means, and erected the first meeting-house in that section of the country, and were liberal supporters of the preaching of the gospel. There had been a mission established among the natives for many years, but they had burned their place of worship, and the mission became somewhat demoralized. It was this family which largely supported the Methodist minister who had charge of this circuit. Though a large proportion of the settlers are professors of religion, but few of them take an active interest in religious matters.

The Orange, or anti-Catholic element, is very strong in this community, and the temperance question is also much agitated, the Hare family taking an active interest in this, and every other question of reform. I was with them three weeks, and was invited to occupy the desk on Sundays. As might be expected with a family which had received the early training this one had, they soon became much interested in the truths presented. We held nightly meetings, and visited from house to house, and gave Bible-readings, but while many were favorably impressed, but two or three families took hold of the truth during my first visit.

Father Hare and his godly wife, with one or two of his sons and their families, were the first to take their stand and begin to keep the Sabbath. Their son Robert, an unmarried young man, who had formerly been a licensed Methodist preacher, embraced the truth, and feeling the need of further education in the work, immediately made arrangements to come to America. This led him to make an entire change in his plans of life, which had been previously arranged, and relinquishing what was to him the brightest worldly prospect that he could have, sailed on the next boat for San Francisco to enter the Healdsburg College. Although thus his plans of life were changed for the truth's sake, he has had no cause for regret, but feels thankful to God that he was led to take the step he did.

During the past summer he has been laboring with a tent, and is now attending the College, designing in about one year to return to the colonies. Our visit to the place was most encouraging. We found the people warm-hearted and God-fearing, and willing, when convinced, to make any sacrifice to obey the truth.

Feeling it my duty to return to Melbourne, where we were about to begin the publication of a paper, I was obliged to leave New Zealand, though resolving to again visit the island on my way back to America. Accordingly, after perfecting arrangements for the paper in Australia, I returned to Auckland. The week after my arrival, in company with Sister Hare, the wife of Edward Hare, I again visited Kaeo. We found that during my absence considerable opposition had arisen, but that quite a number were under the conviction that we had the truth. None had been added to their numbers. At this time we remained with them two weeks. We held public meetings at night almost constantly, and labored from house to house with the people, as seemed best.

One sister, the wife of one of the sons of Father Hare, felt so much the importance of the truth which they had received, that she took the time each day to instruct her children, the oldest of whom was twelve years of age, in the doctrines of the Bible, though at the same time she was doing the work for a family of seven, and a hired man. This girl of twelve years became so familiar with the scriptures relating to our positions that she most clearly comprehended the prophecies which bring us down to the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, and also the question of the nature and destiny of man. This was clearly seen in a Bible-class which we held the last Sabbath I was there. The truth had taken a deep hold upon those who had embraced it, and others felt the importance and truthfulness of it more than before. The Sunday before leaving them, March 21, 1886, eight persons were baptized who had fully committed themselves on the Sabbath of the Lord, Father Hare and his wife, his two sons and their wives, and this daughter of one of the sons, aged twelve years, being among the number.

This baptism marked a new era in the history of the work at Kaeo, and it seemed that from this time the powers of darkness began to give way, and the spirit of conviction to rest upon the people of the truthfulness of our position. It was the first baptism that had ever taken place in this neighborhood, and there was, therefore, much prejudice against immersion. But the Spirit of God rested down upon us on the occasion, and opposition seemed at once to give way in the hearts of many. That night, after the ordinance of baptism had been administered, three more took their stand, as also others the next day; so upon Tuesday, we had another baptism of eight more. This number included other members of the Hare family, and some of the neighbors.

Tuesday night we met at the house of Father Hare, and organized a church, sixteen enrolling their names to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We also commemorated the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, as set forth in the word of God. Though they were young in the faith, they seemed to be fully convinced of the importance of observing the ordinance of humility, taught by the example and precept of our Saviour in the thirteenth chapter of John. A Sabbath-school was also organized, our meeting holding till past one o'clock Wednesday morning. There were some present who had not taken their stand upon the truth, but the impressions received were such as led them to think seriously of the steps the others had taken, and one of them has since accepted the truth. On Wednesday I was obliged to leave for Auckland, preparatory to taking the ship the following Tuesday for the United States.

There was no little anxiety felt by all concerned as to the first public Sabbath meeting held after organization, in the village of Kaeo. But the Lord did not leave them to themselves. On the following Monday I was greatly relieved by receiving from them the following telegram: "Sabbath-school and services well attended. Isa. 12: 1, 2."—"And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." I immediately returned the following dispatch: "Telegram received. 1 Cor. 15: 57, 58."—"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

The next boat, a month later, which brought the mail across the water, conveyed to us the intelligence that other members of the family, some of whom had manifested much opposition, had decided to keep God's commandments. Besides their regular Sabbath service, and Sabbath-school, they had organized a series of Bible-readings, seven per week, which have been continued ever since, as also a system of Sunday tract distribution. They subscribed for fifty copies of the Bible Echo, for use in remaining to those living in different parts of the colony, whom they could not reach by the tract distribution. S. N. H.