Two Important Centers of Activity—Urgent Calls to the Home Land—How Australia Will Help
MANILA and Hongkong are two great cities of the far East, lying about 700 miles apart, each containing a population of about 300,000 inhabitants. The first is the capital of the Philippines, an old city, parts of which have changed but little for hundreds of years, while other parts, built since American occupation, are new and beautiful.
Hongkong is a modern city, dating from a treaty made between Great Britain and China in 1841. The city is one of the beauty spots of the world, and one of England's most strongly fortified points, being a great strategic center.
TEEMING WITH SHIPPING
The harbors of both Hongkong and Manila teem with shipping, especially Hongkong, and great steamships to all parts of the world visit these places. Both these cities are also becoming important centers in connection with the great world message.
Manila has already a large congregation of native Sabbath keepers, and among them many of the very brightest of young people, who are entering the gospel work as evangelists and colporteurs. Besides working for the 8,000,000 of Filipinos, some of these workers will become missionaries to the great Malay Archipelago, to which people the Filipinos are akin.
Hongkong also is no doubt destined to become a great center for our work. It is the gateway to the interior of southern China, and is a recognized center of shipping for all parts of the East. Some workers have been located in this city, and already we have a small company of native believers.
THE DIFFICULTIES AND THE PLANS
The missionaries who labor among the many millions of this great Eastern field carry a mighty burden on their hearts. The peoples among whom they toil are hidden behind an almost impenetrable caste, or are wedded to religions utterly hostile to Christianity, and in other places, are among tribes sunken in superstitions and vice. To add to the task, hundreds of difficult languages and dialects threaten to baffle the missionary in his endeavors to reach the people. If ever there were strong walls and fortifications piled up by the enemy, against which we need a concentration of strong equipment with zealous and wise counsel, it is certainly here in the East. As far as openings are concerned, there are many. Doors of opportunity are swung clear back on their hinges, bidding us enter. This is not our difficulty, but rather that our facilities and equipment are so meager, and our forces so inadequate.
The writer, with Pastor J. M. Johanson, was called to the East to meet Pastors A. G. Daniells, R. C. Porter, and H. R. Salisbury, to counsel over the work in this great field. As a result of our meeting, it was felt that there should be:
1. A more effective organization of the work in this great field, binding the countries together, and giving closer supervision, and thus a stronger administration.
2. More workers to fill the many calls and to occupy important strategic points; and —
3. Better equipment in the way of training schools, so as to fit natives quickly as evangelists and colporteurs.
THE BRIGHT YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
In Manila, as mentioned before, there are numbers of bright young men and women. After even a meager training, some are doing well as evangelists and colporteurs. Such a course among a naturally independent class of natives is attended with danger. A substantial training should be given, that these young people may become thoroughly grounded in the message, and in the plan and methods of our work. This calls for a training school, and so it was decided to ask our brethren in America to furnish $10,000 toward this enterprise.
In Manila there is a large and growing congregation of loyal members. The interest to hear the message is excellent. At the time of our visit, a tent meeting had been in progress four months, with good success, and still hundreds were attending.
NATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES
A church building is an urgent need. The native brethren will help to the extent of their ability; but in a city of such importance, where general meetings must frequently be held, and where the work will undoubtedly grow, we should erect a church of credit to the cause, and of such size as will meet the growing needs. A considerable sum is already in hand, but a further modest sum of $4,000 is asked for. Australasia is requested to furnish this.
PRINTING IN MANILA
In Manila also they are printing our books in the vernaculars, in a building 21 by 24 feet, formerly used as a stable for horses, the timber of which is rapidly being eaten down by white ants. Then the printing of subscription books is done on a small job press, two pages at an impression. To cope with the work, the press is kept running in shifts, from 5 A. M. to 10 P. M. The binding is done in the open basement of the mission home, where dust and rain play havoc in turn with the stock. It was therefore decided to ask our brethren in America to furnish $10,000 to build and equip a suitable printing office, and Australasia is asked to furnish a qualified printer.
AUSTRALIA FIRST IN THE FIELD
The first workers to the Philippines were sent out by the Australasian Union Conference, and it will come as a matter of great encouragement to them that their sacrifices have not been in vain. The work is very interesting, and the outlook most hopeful. Young native evangelists are meeting with good success, and churches are being raised up. Native colporteurs also are meeting with phenomenal success with our books printed on our little press, under such difficult circumstances.
But Australasia is called upon to do more, for she lies adjacent to the great Asiatic field, and naturally becomes a base475of supplies. God has blessed Australia and New Zealand with a fine army of intelligent young people. Besides the South Pacific islands, China, India, and Malaysia will always appeal to a large number of our students and young workers in Australasia. We must let them occupy the fields God calls them to, and help them get there. And not only are we to help with men, but we must join with America and do our part in furnishing means.
WILL THE MEN AND THE MEANS BE SUPPLIED?
From Japan, China, India, and Malaysia sounds the Macedonian cry to the home lands. America and Australasia must bear even heavier burdens. Already many of the conferences have given their apportioned fifteen cents weekly a member to missions, but the sums raised are inadequate. What shall be done? Will the work break down at such an opportune time for advancement? There must be funds somewhere among God's people, or the calls would not be so many and so pressing.
As these calls from the foreign field increase, the church, obedient to the Master's word, must pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest; and by the law of consistency, God must give the means to His church to meet the emergency. Therefore as the needs increase, God will increase the abilities of His people in proportion.
Now is the time to work in the far East. The doors are open, and many of the people are willing and ready, and now is a time of comparative peace throughout this part of the world. It will not always be so. There are ominous clouds that threaten us; and we should be wise, and work quickly, while we have the opportunity the present affords. As another has said, 'Time has brought forth two giants, opportunity and responsibility.' A great door of missionary opportunity is opened to us, but with the opportunity comes the solemn responsibility.
May the burden rest heavy upon all our hearts; and while we pray to God to send forth laborers to the ripening fields, let us trust Him to give us the ability to render the financial help the times demand.
