Among the Basutos with the Message of Christ's Coming
By M. E. Emmerson
HEARTS in Basutoland are awakening to the message of the soon-coming Saviour.
One Friday we reached the home of a leading chief. He gave us welcome, and spread for us the bed of cow skins upon the floor.
The following morning being the Sabbath, we asked the privilege of holding a service, which was granted, the chief himself attending. I spoke on the coming of Christ, and impressed upon them the importance of seeking power from God to stand in that great day so near to come.
After the service, one man came twice, and said repeatedly, "How sweet those words were! and God sent you here." He continued, "I never heard it before."
The chief spoke: "Two nights ago I had a dream. A messenger came from heaven to me and said, 'You must seek more power.' I said to the messenger, 'What power must I seek?'" At this he awoke, and wondered what the dream could mean; for he said it was not as tho he had dreamed. When I came that night, he felt sure that I was the messenger, and consequently granted me, tho a stranger, the privilege of holding a meeting. After the meeting, he said: "Now I know what power God wants me to seek. It is power to stand in that day near to come." He said he believed the messenger God had sent. Many others expressed their thankfulness to God that we had come, and invited us to come often.
SOLUSI MISSION SCHOOL, MATABELELAND
ANGONI CHIEF NYASALAND
Sunday morning we started for home; but we were called aside by another chief, who lived about three miles from the one we had just visited. On reaching his place, we were surprised to find six persons, including the chief, keeping the Sabbath. They had heard of the Sabbath truth through reading our books, and through our native boys. I spoke to them that morning, and also in the afternoon. Both services were well attended.
At the close the chief came to me and said, with tears in his eyes: "We have no shepherd. There are six of us keeping the Sabbath; and will you not send us a teacher to tell us more about this truth?" He then took me out and showed me a house, which he told me he would give for a church building, and said a house was ready any time a native missionary could be sent. Then he took me to a thirty-acre field, and said: "This field belongs to the missionary you send. I will furnish oxen to plow this field; and in whatever way we can help the missionary, we will."
