Earnestness and Progress in the Chinese Field
By J. J. Westrup
OUR general meeting in Honan closed this noon, and Brethren Porter and Cottrell left for the Hunan meeting on the morning train. We had a good meeting, with about 160 in attendance. There were 31 baptized, and 120 partook of the communion. We have some 60 that want to attend school; and as we can not accommodate them all at one time, we shall have a school term for half now, and after about three months, a term for the others. Brother Porter was very much pleased with the work here. He mentioned it several times. He was rather surprised that we had been able to build so many substantial houses, with tile roofs, and the two large schools of brick—thirteen houses—for about $1,450 Mexican ($725 gold), and the two foreign houses besides, which cost less than $2,000 gold. And then the great opening up north! Five preachers and two well-educated teachers and two other young men were here; and there were many others who could not come, as it was too expensive on the train. The work all over the province is in a healthy condition—that is, for this heathen field. I was really surprised to see so many here, considering the many robber bands that overflow the country everywhere. Six persons, one a child of eleven years, had walked 166 miles through a country that is thickly infested with robbers. Another brother had come sixty miles on Friday, and on Sabbath he fasted all day, and on Sunday he came to say good-by, as he had no money to pay for his food. Think! He walked sixty miles just to attend the Sabbath service, and that day he fasted. My heart melted completely, and I said, "Here is money; stay longer." Our brother who leads the singing had his cheek swelled up so much that he could not open his mouth, and hence could not lead the singing. This happened as the meeting was beginning, and I had no time to spare; but the Chinese brethren had prayer for him, and the swelling went down, and he could lead the singing, and also preached once. Thus we have very clear evidence that the Lord is near to us, and He is leading us into a closer and closer communion with Himself. I have never before seen the Lord's blessing so clearly as this year upon everything that we have done. The greatest lesson to learn in this world is to rest completely in the Lord's love and leading.