A Missionary Experience in the West Indies

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 21, 1914

A Missionary Experience in the West Indies

Photo by R. Norton
SANTALI BOARDING SCHOOL, BOBOMOHAL, INDIA — Photo by R. Norton SANTALI BOARDING SCHOOL, BOBOMOHAL, INDIA

"ACROSS the street from our mission house," writes one of our missionaries in the West Indies, "lived a doctor, a Roman Catholic, who was very bitter against the truth. His servants, especially his hostler, imbibed the same spirit. This man led many of the baser sort in annoying demonstrations against our work. Jeers and mockery were common. Stones were often thrown onto and into the house during services. The owner of the house was becoming fearful for the safety of his property. We prayed much to know what was best to do; we wanted to win them if possible.

One bright moonlight night they were especially bad. Only a dry ditch, crossed by a bridge walk, separated our house from the narrow street, in the middle of which the people walked. As we stepped out there after the meeting, where several of this rough crowd stood jeering, a thought struck me. I had a four-foot reflector telescope mounted on a standard of convenient height. I said to them, 'Do you want to see the mountains on the moon?'

'Ha! ha! No mountains on de moon, no.'

'O, yes, certainly there are mountains on the moon. I can show them to you. Do you want to see them?'

'Hu! Like to see de mountains on de moon? — Yes.'

"I stepped inside for my telescope. As I came out with it over my shoulder, quite a formidable-looking weapon, they scattered in every direction,— some around the corner of the house, some behind the fence, some down the road as hard as they could run, some into the ditch or behind clumps of bushes.

"I set my instrument, and got it focused upon the moon. Several of our own people looked through it with exclamations of delight. It was some time before I could get the mob back to look, some of them not at all. But the leader ventured, then others. It was a beautiful view. In astonishment they exclaimed, 'Sure, there are mountains on de moon, yes.'

"After another good look and other exclamations, they went quietly away. We never had any more trouble with them. Several of that very company soon accepted the truth and were baptized, and one of them lived in our home for years, a faithful helper and a servant of the Lord."