[The province of Szechuan is the largest of China proper, and borders on Tibet. Brethren Allum and Warren will travel two thousand miles and more in reaching the capital of this province from Shanghai, and the best they can do, it will require two months to make the journey.]
KNOWING that the readers of the REVIEW are interested in every advance move that is made in God's closing work, I take this opportunity of telling them that Brother Warren and I left Shanghai for Szechuan, via Hankow, March 3. We had a very pleasant trip from Shanghai to Hankow. While on the boat I sold forty copies of our Chinese Signs.
We were met at Hankow by Brethren Lee and White, and had a very pleasant visit with the brethren there. The work in Hupeh Province is prospering, and there are a number of new places calling for a representative of the message to come and teach the truth.
On Wednesday, March 11, we went from Hankow to Yen-cheng, Honan, by train. The day we left Hankow the daily paper had an account of the killing, by White Wolf's band of robbers, of a Norwegian missionary named Dr. Froland. They also severely wounded another missionary of the same mission. This took place at Laohokau, in northern Hupeh.
However, we had a very pleasant and safe journey to Yen-cheng. We saw numerous bands of soldiers on their way to fight White Wolf and his robbers, who are estimated to be about three thousand men. The railway seemed carefully guarded, and at nearly every bridge soldiers were stationed. In eastern Honan, conditions, according to the reports of native Christians, have improved; but the western part, which is very mountainous, is still in the hands of the robbers.
We were very glad to meet Brother Westrup once more. He gave us a hearty welcome, and we enjoyed our visit with him very much.
Our object in going to Honan was to select Chinese workers to go with us to Szechuan. Brother Cottrell and his committee generously allowed us perfect freedom to select any workers who were willing to go. After an earnest season of prayer with Brother Westrup and the Chinese members of the Honan committee in Szechuan, two committeemen were chosen. Their names are Dju Dzi Ih and Shi Yung Gwei. Both men expressed their willingness to go wherever God called them. One of these men had to travel ninety li [thirty miles] on Friday to his home to acquaint his wife with the suggestion that they now labor in Szechuan. These devoted people packed their belongings Saturday night after sundown, and on Sunday traveled ninety li to the railway station in order to take the train next morning for Hankow. The other evangelist got ready equally as fast. This shows how the spirit of this message can stir the Oriental and make him truly God's minuteman.
We had a very pleasant return trip to Hankow. Here another worker was selected. He also is of Honan, and is a good, faithful man. His name is Li Fah Kung. We did not see him before we left Hankow, but have since received a telegram telling us that he is on his way, and so we are waiting for him in I-chang, which place is four hundred miles west of Hankow, and one thousand miles from Shanghai. As soon as he arrives, we shall take a native boat for Chung-king, Szechuan, which is over four hundred miles from I-chang. We have been very fortunate in securing our house boat, which has three good-sized rooms, and plenty of deck space; in fact, it is the largest Chinese boat on which I have ever traveled. The captain has several letters of recommendation, written in English, from well-known missionaries, in which they state that he is a reliable man. In all this we recognize our Heavenly Father's leading. Our ordinary crew numbers twenty grown men, but when we pass the rapids, this number will be increased to about one hundred. The price for the boat, including such Chinese food as they serve, is $115, Mexican. This favorable price is due in a large degree to our faithful evangelist, Dju Dzi Ih, who has the work of God near his heart. This man, while on the boat on which we traveled from Hankow to I-chang, sold twenty-three papers in less than thirty minutes. He is also selling at I-chang, and will soon have his papers all sold, as our literature has not yet arrived.
Photo by F. A. Allum
We are now living in a Chinese inn, but hope to leave this place next Friday morning. The captain of our boat guarantees in his written contract to land us in Chung-king twenty-one days after we leave I-chang. We have arranged to have the boat stop every Sabbath from sunset to sunset, and shall improve our opportunities to preach to the people at the places where we stay over the Sabbath.
We shall write more at a later date about our journey, as the interesting and exciting part is just before us.
In conclusion, we wish to ask the readers of the REVIEW to remember us in a very special manner in their prayers: First, that God will bless us and protect the lives of the loved ones whom Brother Warren and I have left in Shanghai. Our faith takes hold of the assurance found in 2 Tim. 1: 12. Second, that God will give us a safe journey, that we may be kept in health and strength, and further, that we may be kept in that close relationship to God that we may have divine guidance in laying plans for this new mission. Third, that the Lord will bless with good health our Chinese workers, and continually give to them that consecration that is so necessary in the work of God.
