En Route to New Guinea by J. E. Fulton

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 1, 1914

En Route to New Guinea

By J. E. Fulton

MITIELI NAKASAMAI and his wife, natives of Fiji under appointment to mission work in New Guinea, arrived from their native land on the "Levuka," and left two days later for their new field of labor, on the "Houtman." The short time ashore in Sydney was fully occupied by our young Fijian workers in learning what they could of life in the land of the Kai papalagi (white man). Needless to say, much was strange to them; and the great buildings, the trams, motor cars, and trains filled them with astonishment and wonder. After looking at the buildings, Mitieli remarked that he could not but think of what must happen to these great buildings at the coming of Christ. He said they would all melt down like salt or sugar in water when the voice of God calls out in that day. When looking at the animals in the zoo, he was struck with the power and wisdom of God, as was also Fika, his wife, who was delighted with her visit there, and laughed heartily at some of the queer-looking animals.

We visited the café, where they met the staff of workers. Here they sang with the waitresses a hymn or two, and enjoyed the all-too-brief time allotted.

On Wednesday afternoon our Fijian brother spoke to the nurses at the sanitarium, telling about his experiences in accepting the message, attending the school at Buresala, and his two years' field work. Both were greatly interested in the sanitarium. Brother Morrison, the head nurse, showed Mitieli the electric light bath, and the treatment rooms, while Fika was shown through the ladies' treatment rooms. Then Dr. Sherwin showed both of them some wonders in electricity by the use of the static machine, and also the wonderful X rays. It was to them a marvelous thing to look through their hands and feet and see the bones so clearly.

In the evening, at the church, Mitieli gave us a picture of Fiji during cannibal days, and contrasted it with the light and blessing of present truth. He emphasized his remarks with such texts as Rev. 14: 6, 7; Matt. 24: 14; Rev. 10: 1-3, showing that the message is a world-wide message and must go to every tribe and nation; also Rom. 10: 14-17, which shows that messengers must be sent to those who are in darkness: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach

the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things."

He closed with an appeal to the brethren to remember them in the work as they go to a land as dark as Fiji was once. We are sure this request will be answered. It is a great sacrifice for these young people to leave their country and their kindred, and face the difficulties to be confronted in heathen Papua.

To look back to the time when Mitieli first came to us, himself almost a heathen, and to see what God has done for him, inspires hope as to what God can do through these black-skinned brethren. God bless this young man and his wife, is, we believe, the prayer of hundreds throughout Australasia.

J. E. FULTON.