THE EASTERN POLYNESIAN MISSION.
By B. J. Cady
A CONFERENCE of the Eastern Polynesian Mission was held at Vainrua, Raiatea, from June 27 to July 8. This mission is composed of the Society, Cook, Austral, Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Gambier Island groups and the island of Pitcairn. We now have four churches and one company in the Society Islands, one church in the Cook Islands, and one on Pitcairn. Each church was represented at our meeting. The ministering brethren present were Brother Gates from Australia, Brother Piper from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and the writer, who is of the Society Islands. Sister Rosa Young, of Pitcairn Island, has been in Tahiti for some time, and was in attendance at the meeting, and it was there recommended that she and Winnie McCoy return to Pitcairn as soon as the way opens and take charge of their school. We organized this mission three years ago, and this is our third conference. It was more largely attended than either of the previous meetings, so I trust that more good will result from it, as its influence will be more wide-spread. There were fifty-three in attendance at our Sabbath-school the first Sabbath, and fifty-eight the next Sabbath. Three were baptized during the meeting. The matter of printing small monthly papers in the Tahitian and Rarotongan languages was considered, and it was decided to ask the Australian Union Conference to help us do this, if they favor the plan. Our people in the islands heartily favor it, and seem willing to do what they can to make the paper a success. It is very difficult and takes so much time for the living preacher to get to every part of the islands, but the paper can go and carry the truth to the most isolated. The book, “Christ Our Saviour,” has just recently been printed in the Tahitian language, and is well liked. We heard of one young man who was so interested in it that he sat up all night reading it. All do not have such a keen relish for the truth, however, for the time has come when many will not endure sound doctrine, but turn away their ears from the truth to hear fables. Nevertheless, we are commissioned to “Preach the Word,” so let us do so by voice, by pen, and by the lives we live. All must have an opportunity to hear the truth, that it may be either a savor of life unto life or of death unto death to each of them.