p. 374 | Reports from the Field by J. G. Matteson

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Dec 11, 1879

Reports from the Field.

By J. G. Matteson

Northern Europe.

SKIEN.—Brn. Jasperson and Roseqvist have made a good beginning in Skien. Skien is a city of some over 5,000 inhabitants. It is half a day's journey from Christiana by steamer. When the railroad is finished the distance will be much shorter. Skien is a central trading place, and is known in Norway as a principal place for all kinds of dissenters. Several other towns are situated near by along the bay; so that it is an excellent station for missionary operations, if the truth can be planted there.

Bro. J. found every door closed when he came, and a renowned preacher from Christiana in full operation to hinder the work if possible. Bro. J. succeeded, however, in doing the only thing that could be done,—renting a dwelling-house for half a year. He has seated three large rooms, and occupies the fourth also for meetings. He has provided seats for 300 persons.

The Lord has helped, and blessed his endeavors. All the rooms were crowded the first night, and many stood in the street and listened. Tuesday and Thursday evenings it was not so crowded, but Saturday evening the house was filled again, and there were still more hearers in the street. The people would stand up and listen for more than an hour without showing the least sign of weariness. Bro J. said it did his heart good.

Tracts are taken freely, and are also scattered in the surrounding country. These strangers and their doctrine have become a general theme of conversation on the street and in the stores. The rumors of the work in Christiana have awakened the curiosity of the people all over the country; and although our brethren find many opposers in Skien, yet they have also already some friends and defenders. Last Sabbath three persons kept the Sabbath with them.

DENMARK.—Sister Renlef writes from the vicinity of Ribe (the place where Bro. Brorsen was born, and where he has labored some this fall) that another person has commenced to obey the truth, and that many have become convinced of our faith. Bro. Brorsen writes that he preached in the last part of September among the friends in Nortvig and Ring to interested hearers. Three more have commenced to obey the Lord, and others are on the way.

In October he held meetings in the vicinity of Aarhus. Here he found a brother who had been brought to the Lord in a remarkable way. He was sick last winter, and sent to his neighbor for some novels to read. In place of this he sent him Advent Tidende, which a friend from Wisconsin had been sending to him for some time. The paper led the sick man to seek the Lord and to embrace the truth. He subscribed for Tidernes Tegn, and is much interested to spread the truth. Here Bro. B. had a long discussion with a priest and three teachers about regeneration, baptism, and the Sabbath. The priest acknowledged the truth on several points. A number of the hearers were convinced that we had the truth on our side.

The brethren in northern Julland are firm in the truth, and the work is prospering among them. They are commencing to labor

in the tract work, and are helping to increase our list of subscribers. The brethren are paying systematic benevolence. Bro. B. has labored with great self-denial and diligence. The mission in Denmark can now sustain him in his labors.

SWEDEN.—Bro. L. G. Olson has left Christiana, and is trying to labor in his own country. He held meetings one week at Amot. Many were willing to hear. He found two friends keeping the Sabbath, and he says that they are God-fearing people. Many were convinced of the truth by reading. Bro. O. is now in Herresta, where a dear family has been long waiting for help to spread the truth. Bro. Sandgren writes from Sundsval that they have formed a small church there with six members, and asks for Bro. O. to came and help them.

CHRISTIANA.—The tract society held their quarterly meeting Oct. 16. This society was formed July 24, this year. It now numbers 57 members. They have bought tracts during the year for kroner 224.87, and obtained by donations and sales of tracts kr. 206.05, or about $55.00. Besides this, they have tracts worth about kr. 50.00. They donated Swedish tracts to Bro. Olsen to the value of kr. 20.00, and Norwegian tracts to Bro. Jasperson to about the same amount. They ordered 50 copies of Tidernes Tegn.

The building society read their report at this meeting. Expenses on our property in Akersveien No. 2 for repairs and running expenses amounted to Kr. 1,977.00; interest and semi-annual payment were Kr. 1,837.50; in all Kr. 3,814.50 ($1,017.20). Receipts were: house rent Kr. 1,555.18; shares and donations, Kr. 1,654.00; together, Kr. 3,-209.00. The balance, Kr. 605.50, was put into the hands of the treasurer by members of the society eight days before the payments were due. A sister who has earned what she owns by her own hands, and lives very economically, occupying only a room 14x8 feet, under the roof in the third story, came to me before the meeting with Kr. 800.00—400 for shares and 400 to be loaned without interest.

Our friends in America have no idea of the difficulties which we meet in this country in obtaining places for meetings. Our opponents are determined to crowd us out, and have a good chance to do so, because property and rent are very high. It has cost us a great deal to get our building in good order. We have now a very respectable hall for meetings, which can seat about five hundred persons, and it is none too large for our Sunday meetings. Our expenses the coming term will not be so high. Still it will be quite a task to meet them. We have, however, used no means from our brethren in America for this purpose. The means sent by our brethren in the distant West are used exclusively for the printing work and for missionary work, and we try to use the strictest economy in every direction.

At this meeting Bro. L. G. Olsen was unanimously chosen by the church to act as evangelist in Sweden, Bro. G. Johansen was chosen for exhorter, and Brn. O. Johansen and L. Hansen for deacons. The Sabbath following, these four brethren were ordained by prayer and the laying on of hands for their respective offices. The Lord came very near to us at this meeting.

J. G. MATTESON. Nov. 6, 1879.