LAST Sabbath, October the 12th, the dedication service of the Mountain Mission Rest Home was held and it was a good occasion to all present. Previously, invitation cards had been sent out to different people in Mussoorie both English and native, and a notice was also placed in the Mussoorie Times, our weekly paper. As a result a goodly number of people were present.
The occasion afforded a splendid opportunity of placing before the more intelligent people of this place the extensive missionary operations of the Seventh-day Adventists in different parts of the earth. By means of a large missionary map of the world, the location of our missionaries was pointed out, showing that we have entered every continent and many islands in the Pacific and Atlantic. From Iceland in the far north to Cape Horn in the extreme south; from the day line in the east to its opposite in the west, is our field of efforts. The advent message of the near-coming of Christ is being sounded in every country in Europe, and is fast making its way in India, China, Japan, Africa, and the islands of the sea. From a small beginning over half a century ago, the glorious tidings of the coming Saviour have traveled on and on until they have encircled the globe.
Humble men and women, from a careful study of the prophecies, especially Daniel and the Revelation, became profoundly impressed that we are in the time of the end. They saw clearly that Christ is soon coming, and began in poverty and weakness to tell others, until now we behold a world-wide movement, well-organized, reaching into the darkest corners of idolatry. In India, which may be called the cradle of false religions, the Gibraltar of heathenism, there are forty Seventh-day Adventist missionaries working in different languages, preaching the Gospel and its glorious termination,—the coming of Christ. Tho but few among the many, the seed is germinating, literature is being widely scattered and souls are accepting the truth.
It was a pleasant privilege to tell what the publishers and readers of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES had done in raising funds to buy the Mountain Mission Rest Home. Several instances were cited in which real sacrifice had been made by those who chose to deny themselves to advance the work in India. The cablegram received a few days previous from Elder Wilcox, editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, was read containing these words, "Thousand raised," intimating that every dollar of the purchase money had been received. This was good news to all and enabled our workers to dedicate the Mountain Mission Rest Home to the Lord's work free of all indebtedness, knowing that the readers of the SIGNS had given the funds necessary. As we have told the readers of this paper before, this is the first property owned by us in India, and how thankful all our people are that it could be dedicated free of debt. We sang the jubilee song of freedom from debt and hope to continue to sing it. We praise God for this property and send a thousand thanks to the large SIGNS family for their many generous gifts.
The closing address was by Doctor Menkel who gave a stirring talk on the principles of health reform and the great work of healing the sick which is being carried on by our people in different parts of the world. The service concluded with an appropriate dedicatory prayer by Brother L. F. Hansen.
In the afternoon of the same day of the dedication, a baptismal service was held and three dear souls were buried with their Lord in baptism. The day, therefore, in a double sense was one of dedication: in the morning it was the dedication of property and in the afternoon the dedication of that which is of still greater value, the dedication of hearts. Elder Owen had been working with a number of men for several days to prepare a baptistry in a running stream upon the estate at the foot of the mountain, and it was here the baptism was held. Quite a large number of people from Mussoorie were in attendance, and we all appreciated the presence of God with us at the time. This makes six people who have accepted the truth and received baptism since the property was purchased in Mussoorie, and others are studying.
One lady from Siam was present who rode on the backs of elephants for one month on route to Mussoorie. She came from that malaria-stricken country to regain her health, and while getting that has received something even more precious—a knowledge of the truth. She has been a regular attendant of our Bible studies at the Mission Home, and is now keeping all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. In a few months she will return to her distant home in Siam to be probably the first representative in that unentered field. Pray for her.
Dear readers of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, you can not do better than invest your means in mission work. You are investing your money in souls whose worth is beyond earthly calculation. We must work rapidly in India; unrest among the people is apparent. Week before last a number of riots took place in Calcutta and one European was injured. Bengal seems to be the hot-bed of sedition and strife. A number of English-speaking people have been assaulted, and some killed. We do not know what the future has in store for us. We are certain, however, that a power stronger than that of man will need13to hold the elements in check or the mutiny of 1857 will again be upon us. The peace and quietness of the last two decades have been marvelous. For a people numbering three hundred millions to remain in quiet subjection to a nation seven thousand miles away with comparatively few representatives in the country is altogether out of the ordinary. It is probably one of the strongest evidences of our times that the angels are holding the winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.
We can not move too quickly in getting substantial help into the field to take up the various languages and give the warning message to the many different people in this country.
