The Missionary by L. R. CONRADI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 19, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 32.

The Missionary.

By L. R. CONRADI

THE MISSION IN HAMBURG.

Six weeks have passed since we arrived here from Basel, Switzerland, and we have every reason to be thankful to God for what he has accomplished for us, and to be of good courage. It took some time to provide homes for our mission family, which now numbers seventeen, and to furnish them, but we were so fortunate as to be able to secure lodgings all together, and, all things considered, we are very comfortably situated. Having all the lower story, frees us from any possible inconvenience from any other lodgers, and enables us to have our shop and depository, and also our public meetings and Bible readings, in connection with our mission rooms. In any higher story the coming in and going out of so many would be quite an objection.

We felt from the start that the way to prepare the field and to get a good idea of it, would be to make a thorough canvass of the city and its surroundings, and our workers have kept faithfully at this. While canvassing is rather difficult in a city of this size, especially where there is so much infidelity as here, yet we can but rejoice at the results thus far secured. As the workers attend the training school in the morning, they can work only in the afternoon; yet 350 orders have been taken for the new book, "Eden to Eden," and over 100 delivered. Five devote their entire afternoons to the canvassing work, and others only part of the afternoons, and the rest are engaged in the Bible and ship-mission work.

We can count about fifty orders a week. Our lady canvassers seem to do the best. One sister takes from fourteen to twenty orders a week. A number of good openings for Bible work have thus been found, more than we can follow up at present; and in fact we rather want to hold back with Bible work until autumn, when the season is more favorable and our school has been closed. Yet some forty readings have been held, mostly in the evenings and on Sundays, and about twenty persons are very much interested. Several have already taken a stand for the truth. About twenty attend our public Bible readings in the mission each Sunday evening.

Our school commenced on June 17, with ten scholars, and we follow a similar course of instruction as in our Milwaukee (U. S. A.) German training school, with the addition of physiology and hygiene. A good degree of interest is shown, and we believe that much good will be the result. Being on the northern end of our great mission field, where nothing had been done as yet, we thought it not best to gather all our German workers, but others may join yet. Perhaps at some future time another school can be held in Southern Germany for that part of the field and German Switzerland. Most of the students are able to pay for their board and lodging, while some can cover all their expenses.

Our regular Sabbath meetings commenced on May 17, and we organized a Sabbath-school with about nine members. Since then this has grown to four classes, with about twenty-three members. Then we have an interesting kindergarten, and seven attend this.

In order to give all a good experience in the different branches of the work, we commenced as early as possible a tract society, and besides all of our workers, several of our new Sabbath-keepers joined it. We have also subscribed for a club of thirty Herolds besides the different periodicals used by the mission. Our society finds a great field for work in corresponding with the scattered members in Germany and Russia, and enlisting them in missionary work. We believe much good can be done in this way to develop the work in these great empires.

Our ship-mission work is also getting along nicely. Thus far we have chiefly tried to get our paper files and tract distributors in the great centers of traveling. At the Seaman's Home, in connection with which is the Seaman's Office, where annually over 50,000 sailors are hired and discharged, we have our files on the large central table in their library, and we find that they are not only well taken care of by the librarian, but that many read them. At the home of traveling journeymen, where some 17,000 lodge each year, we have the same privilege. Several have visited us already and desired more reading matter, and the young man in charge seems much interested and has bought several of our pamphlets. Then we have our publications in the leading emigrant houses.

Our depository being located right across from the post-office, it attracts considerable attention, and as the canvassing work prospers and the truth advances in Germany, we see no reason why this should not be self-supporting,

and at the same time help to disseminate light and truth. All included, we have sold about $155 worth of books the first four weeks.

We were all rejoiced recently to have Brother Haskell with us, and his words of cheer and timely counsels were a great encouragement and benefit to us all. Our hearts are filled with gratitude as we see souls embracing the truth. As we look over the great white harvest-field we can but ask our dear brethren everywhere to join with us in the prayer that the Lord may send forth laborers to proclaim the truth in these different countries.

L. R. CONRADI.

Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 1889.