OUR WORK IN HUAHINE by Mrs. B. J. Cady

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Dec 6, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 49.

OUR WORK IN HUAHINE.

By Mrs. B. J. Cady

WE are spending a few weeks on the island of Huahine, one of the leeward islands of the Society group. This island is in plain sight of Raiatea and Tahaa, and small boats are often traveling back and forth between here and there.

Since we believe that the Third Angel's Message is the most important thing in the world at this time, and that the truth must be given to all people as a witness to prepare them for the end, we feel anxious to enlighten the minds of these people, and are trying to improve every opportunity for doing so.

We have a meeting appointed for each evening at our home, and always have a good congregation of children and a few adults. Sometimes there are many grown people in attendance. We do a good deal of singing both before and after the service, teaching the children to sing our hymns. This is a part of the service of which they never tire. All appear very friendly, and many acknowledge that we have the truth on the Sabbath question. What they need now is to see the importance of obeying the Lord.

As the grown people are so irregular in their attendance at our meetings, we concluded that we must do all we could to teach them in their homes. From the first, Mr. Cady has been spending much of his time visiting the people here in town and in the country round about, but I have been busy with other work, and have done but little visiting. Sister Lydia Parker, who is with us, started out with me the first day. At the first house we visited, I held a reading with a woman and her two married daughters. At the next house, we left a printed Bible-reading of the Family Bible Teacher for a white man to read. At another place the woman was busy sewing, but I made an appointment for a reading the next day with her. Then we came home, and I went to our nearest neighbor and held a reading with a woman there. The next day, I held three readings. At one place there were two men who asked if they could come in and listen. They both gave the best of attention, and when we had finished, the older one asked some questions on the subject which we had taken up. In the native church the women are not allowed to teach in meetings of the men, and some men are very much afraid that it will be said that they are being taught by a woman. But I am glad to say that it is not usually so with the most intelligent, or with those who have a real thirst for knowledge.

I now have appointments at four different houses for two and three readings a week, and at some places the neighbors also attend. It seems that this is the best way for us to work here, and the living Word of God can speak to the people as we cannot. I find that those who have been willing to have readings have manifested much interest in the truths presented, and I am enjoying the work very much.

Our work has had a slight interruption for the past few days in what is called a mourning feast. A younger brother of the king died five weeks ago, and as he was one of the leading members of the royal family and a prominent man in the government and the church, the whole island is mourning for him after their custom. This division of Huahine appointed this last Sunday as a mourning occasion, and invited all of the people from little Huahine to come over and have services with them. These people have been very busy preparing food for the visitors, and had tables and seats arranged on the grounds by the king's house, where they celebrate on holiday occasions. An awning of gaily colored bed quilts was tied above the tables. The first meal was given to the visitors Sunday morning, and they were fed again in the evening.

It was required that all should be clothed in black at their church that day, and so for several weeks past the people have been making black clothes and painting over their white hats. Some of the men's black calico coats were made much like the robes that priests wear, and looked very odd to us. There was a very large crowd at the church, and even the little children were dressed in black to honor the occasion. But the somber appearance did not appear to dampen their feelings any, and their songs which were prepared for the occasion often caused considerable merriment. After the services many went and shook hands with the wife and other relatives of the deceased man, and the women sat down around the wife as if to weep with her.

A meeting was appointed to be held last night, and texts given out, one for the young people, one for the women, and one for the men. These texts formed a foundation for remarks, and the people were requested to each find a Scripture verse that would help to explain the first one given, and present it in the meeting. We had no meeting that evening, but went to this gathering, which was on the grounds by the king's house. They had four groups of singers, and one group would sing at a time. After considerable singing, some one would get up and talk a while and repeat a verse of Scripture, and then there would be singing again. In the singing, some who wished to have the reputation of furnishing the most amusement, would try to do or say something odd to make the people laugh. Some even kept time to the music with the gestures which they use in their heathen dancing. In their talks, they would also banter one another, and tho they were discussing the Word of God, they would say funny things and use vulgar expressions simply to provoke laughter. Tho this was called a religious service and a mourning occasion, it seemed consistent with neither.

We stayed until ten o'clock, but they did not close their meeting until one o'clock; then they began again very early this morning, and kept it up till about noon, when they stopped for breakfast. Some who know not what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth, call this zeal, but it is apparent that love for God and true worship is not in it at all. It is only a desire for carnal pleasures that prompts it. Because Babylon has fallen and the church has lost its first love, it can indulge in such foolish and unprofitable amusements and mistake them for true worship.

We are hoping that some of these people may see the beauty and consistency of God's truth, and may learn to love it for the good there is in it.