Experiences in China by Mrs. Ida Pilquist

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 29, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 18.

Experiences in China.

By Mrs. Ida Pilquist

It might be of interest to friends at home to hear something of our work from the very beginnings of our mission in Honan, Central China. Therefore I will mention some of the most striking features of the Lord's wonderful dealings in the past.

We joined the mission in January, 1903, and were at that time the only Seventh-day Adventist missionaries in Central China. We were stationed in San-li-tien, Sin Yang Cheo, and began at once to do what our hands found to do for this people for whom we had been praying and working for years. Prayer-meetings and Bible studies were held every night with a small company who for the first time had the privilege of hearing the truth already so dear to us. Our feeble efforts in the small beginning were blessed by the Lord in bringing the truth of His soon coming to some of the hearers, and a marked change was taking place in their hearts.

Our language teacher, Mr. Chai, B.A., really rejoiced in the new light brought to view, and every meeting found him taking down the Bible texts in order to be able to study the precious truth for himself, as well as to present it to others. He always remembered our gatherings at San-li-tien as the happiest time in all his life, and reckoned his conversion from those days.

A young pupil, Uang, fourteen years of age, was supported by Mr. Chai, and attended our day school. He became much interested and was among the first who accepted the truth in that place. He is now a bright young man supported by Brother Skoglund, of College View, Neb.

Another man, Mr. Ch'en, who later became a valued helper of Dr. Miller in the printing-office, was converted during our stay in San-li-tien. He lived in the city and had to cross the river (without bridge) before reaching our meeting hall. At the time he suffered not a little persecution from his wife, who afterward told me that she was very much opposed to religion. Many a night she shut him out by locking the door, till the neighbors interfered in his behalf and pleaded with her to let him in. Her proud spirit raged bitterly against him, but he bore it all patiently and prayed for her. Tho he had to endure poverty and trials, still we never heard him complain.

From the very first we felt the need of a hymn-book fitted to the doctrine we were proclaiming. Altho the Chinese in this part of China are not gifted musically, still they are great lovers of song and music. Early in the spring the same year Brother and Sister J. N. Anderson visited us, and many important questions concerning the new mission field were taken into consideration.

We made up our minds not to delay getting out a hymn-book, but at our own expense had the type carved on wooden blocks, and printed a few hundred copies from the manuscript already collected by Mr. Pilquist and the Chinese teacher. Several copies were presented to our printing-offices and friends at home, and one to Dr. Miller, who had in mind to come to China before long. The glad news received from him assured us of God's blessing upon our undertaking, and the result was the first printing-press, given to the China mission by a printing company in Chicago.

Dr. Miller went to see the printing company and told them the very slow progress in printing Chinese matter where each character must be carved before it goes to press. Thru these simple means the Lord moved their hearts to offer the first printing-press given to our work in China.

During Elder J. N. Anderson's stay he baptized five men who had been brought into the truth and fellowship with God.

Itinerating and Scripture distribution, as well as station work, including a boys' school, meetings, and house-to-house visiting among women and children, were our active experiences in the small beginning of the Honan Mission.

Other missions had for many years been established, both in the city and in the village in which we lived, and tho many calls came from places without missionaries, we decided to move farther north to Sin-t'sai-hsien, one hundred miles from Sin-yang. In the autumn of the same year we started on our four days' journey to Sin-t'sai, but sickness (malaria fever) overtook me on the road and made it impossible for us to reach our destination as soon as we had expected, and then much work had to be done in cleaning and making our abode more sanitary. Only a few days after reaching the place, my husband was called to go all the way down to Hankow to meet the first party of new missionaries coming out from America. He was loath to leave under the unfavorable circumstances, but committed us to the Lord's care, and went.

Attack after attack of the malaria fever made me weaker day by day and laid the foundation for quick consumption which a few months later brought me very near the grave. After Mr. Pilquist's departure, little Ellen, four years old, took sick with dysentery and sometimes in the night when the fever troubled me greatly I had to call on Hannah, six years old, to help sister along. One evening Hannah saw my distress and came to my bedside asking me if she should read something from the precious word of God, and with stammering tongue she read the comforting words: "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me," etc.

By the Lord's help little Ellen was restored to health soon, but then Hannah came down with typhoid. Some time after Hannah had recovered from her sickness, I was broken down with quick consumption from which the Lord ("a very present help in trouble") most wonderfully delivered and healed me. During the same time my husband suffered greatly.

The wife of Mr. Ch'en, spoken of before, was with me at that time helping in the household. Her heart was greatly touched by seeing how the Lord worked for us, His deserted children in the interior of China. A remarkable change took place in her from that time, and her husband had the joy of seeing her converted and brought to the Light of life, and join him in the blessed truth. Heaven rejoices over one sinner who becomes a child of God, and we, too, rejoiced in His saving grace.

In the autumn of 1903 we had the joy of welcoming the doctors and nurses, six of the first workers joining us in Honan. Now we were a large family living together in rather small accommodations. For the winter it was all right, but how could we manage for the hot season? As we saw the need, my husband and I decided to make

Lo-Shan-Hsien our future home, and again he had to endure the hardship of securing a place in that city, sixty miles south from Sin-T'sai. Many tedious journeys had to be taken with no other conveyance than heavy Chinese carts. By the Lord's providential guidance, he secured a nice, airy place, inside the north gate.

After the long rainy season he came back and helped us to move, after eight months' stay at Sin-T'sai. We enjoyed a pleasant journey, partly on boats and partly on rafts down the river to Lo-Shan. During our eight months' stay at Sin-T'sai, evangelic work had been done both among men and women by the native helpers and by ourselves. To some extent the interest had been raised and therefore they felt sorry when they heard of our leaving them so soon.

The first of June, 1904, we moved into our new home at Lo-Shan, a small hsien city with populous surroundings forty miles from Sin Yang Cheo. King stands for capital city, Fu, next in rank, Cheo, second, and Hsien, third. One of our inquirers, Mr. Ch'en, in Lo-Shan, had heard the Gospel while we lived in Sin-yang, and was lately baptized and engaged as evangelist in this place. Mr. Ch'ai who had his home here, and several other friends, welcomed us to stay and teach them the word of God.

From the first our meeting hall was crowded with hearers who eagerly wanted to know our purposes in coming to them. They had heard so many peculiar things about foreigners and therefore were curious to know the truth and see for themselves. Especially did the women and children come at first, more from curiosity than anything else, and the opportunity to tell the old, old story, so new to them, was precious. I need not say that their queer ideas must leave place for better understanding about foreigners, who neither dig out heart or eyes to make medicine of, but teach them how to obtain salvation thru Jesus Christ.

Each Sabbath found us busy in proclaiming the Gospel to both men and women. The precious seed had to be sown in prayer and in hope that it might bear fruit in due season.

The work among the women goes on slowly because they live a secluded, ignorant life indoors, not knowing anything of the outer world, and very few of them are able to read.