OUR WORK AND WORKERS by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · May 3, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 18.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

By Editor

Six new members were recently added to the church at Michaelville, Ind. A new house of worship was dedicated April 19.

At Georgetown, British Guiana, Brother E. L. Fortner reports the baptism of six candidates, and two others at a point on the Demarara River.

The school at Yazoo City, Miss., started November 30 last, with Brother F. R. Rogers as teacher, now has a regular attendance of about 150 pupils.

The Indiana Reporter says: “The establishment of a State industrial school is contemplated, and offers of sites and land have been made to the conference committee from several localities.”

In harmony with the recommendation of the General Conference, Elder C. N. Martin, of Montana, has removed to California, which is now his field of labor. His family will reside in Oakland.

Brother Sullivan Wakeham, who went to Trinidad some time ago, has secured a farm of forty-five acres, which he has deeded to the Foreign Mission Board, and on which it is designed to establish an industrial school.

Reporting the work in Jamaica, Brother W. W. Eastman states that at Southfield there is a church of thirty-one members and a Sabbath-school of over sixty members. At Jointwood, thirty-three miles from Southfield, the church numbers twenty-three, and the Sabbath-school over fifty. At Couted Hall, thirty-seven miles from Southfield and twenty-five from Jointwood, there is a company numbering about twenty-five, the result of some eight weeks of labor. Forty miles from Southfield is Bluefields, where there is a small company with a promising future. Savannah-La-Mar is eighteen miles beyond, where a quite recent work was started by our colporters, and there is now a company of seventeen members, with a good prospect of a large church. Fourteen miles further on is Sheffield, where is a company of about twenty members; and at March Town, eight miles from there, is another company of about the same number.

The following extract from a letter from Brother J. L. Doble, of Honolulu, to the foreign mission secretary, is of special interest, as it relates to the Chinese school work:—

“In addition to teaching, Professor Howell has appointed me preceptor, and requests that I spend all of my time with the boys; and they always find some use for my time. They are not like English boys, who usually prefer to have the teacher out of sight, but enjoy association with the teacher, and, in fact, this is about the only way I can teach them the truth—by a living example. The Chinaman will believe nothing that is not tangible to him. He must not only hear it, but he must see it with his own eyes, and feel it with his fingers. Another difficulty we have to contend with is the respect the Chinese have for their parents and ancestors. To go contrary to their father’s wishes, or to follow a path which their ancestors have not trod, would be everlasting disgrace. Especially is this true of the higher class, to which nearly all of our boys belong. And, tho the majority say that they believe in God, many of them having borne testimony in our Sabbath meeting to that effect, to my knowledge not one has openly avowed his faith among his people. However, an encouraging incident happened recently: two of our boys came to me and wanted their pictures taken with their Bibles in their hands, that they might in this way tell their fathers that they believe in the Bible.”