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Review and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 50.

The Great Warning Meetings
Earlier text: The Sick Man of Europe Is Dying at Last

General Conference Committee Council

By W. A. SPICER

Second Report

The decision of the Mission Board not to undertake many new enterprises in the mission fields during the great struggle in Europe considerably lessened the number of new problems coming before the council.

Australasia’s “Hand Across the Sea”

One interesting action was the vote of thanks to the Australasian Union Conference for its gift of $5,000 to the General Conference emergency fund for the European Division:—
Voted, That we express to our brethren and sisters of the Australasian Union Conference our hearty thanks for this liberal gift of $5,000 from their funds, and our sense of appreciation of this another manifestation of their readiness to help in all the world-wide work beyond the borders of their own extensive island mission fields; and we assure our brethren in Australasia of our thankfulness to God that he has so signally blessed and prospered the work committed to their hands.

Miscellaneous Actions

The call for an additional teacher at the Lake Titicaca Indian Mission (Peru)was referred to the minority board for consideration later if possible.
Action on the request for an appropriation for a mission home and headquarters in Lima, Peru, was deferred for one year, on account of the extra pressure upon the mission treasury this year of the war, the South American Union being asked to submit definite estimates and particulars.
The South African Union was asked to renew its request for a small printing press for Nyasaland a little later, when conditions are more settled and transport of goods by sea can be better assured.
The council decided that next year’s medium for the Harvest Ingathering campaign would be either the Signs Magazine or the Signs weekly, as may later be determined.
The following-named brethren were appointed a committee on foreign literature, to give counsel as to what subscription, home workers’, and trade books should be translated into European tongues, having special reference to cooperation between the European and North American Divisions in bringing out books:—
N. Z. Town, W. W. Eastman, O. A. Olsen, L. R. Conradi, R. L. Pierce, H. H. Hall, I. A. Ford, S. N. Curtiss, L. W. Graham, L. H. Christian, S. Mortenson, J. H. Schilling, J. C. Raft.

West Indian Union Items

Elder A. J. Haysmer was present from the West Indian Union, it being convenient for him to come by way of the States on his return to Jamaica from a visit to the Central American portion of the field. He had visited the republic of San Salvador, this being the first time any of our workers had ever visited that field. While the breaking of connections with Europe has greatly disturbed financial conditions throughout Central America, Elder Haysmer was everywhere impressed with the opening providences that urge us into those fields. The first great need is colporteurs to distribute the literature, this effort to be followed by the evangelist. The Publishing Department was asked to secure colporteurs for Central America and the West Caribbean.
It was decided to detach the territory of the Central American Conference and the mission field of Guatemala and San Salvador from the West Indian Union, allowing these fields to come directly under General Conference supervision, owing to the fact that connections are now very difficult with the union office, while very direct steamship connections are secured with the United States.
Elder Haysmer presented the appeal of the South Caribbean Conference for consideration to be given to the calls that still come from the British Guiana interior. It was in his effort to respond to appeals from the Indians in that region that Elder O. E. Davis lost his life several years ago. Still the calls come from the Indians, who have a settled conviction that we have the message that they want. The union feels that when work is opened in that wild and unhealthful region, two workers should be associated together. It was—
Voted, That we encourage the union conference to continue to keep watch of the openings for work among these Indians, to report plans later, when the Mission Board may be better able to make appropriations.
Owing to the widely separated nature of its territory, the West Indian Union finds the greatest difficulty in calling its workers and delegates together for a union conference session and institute. On this account it seemed impossible to hold such a meeting at the regular time. The need of such gatherings, however, was recognized, and it was agreed that provided the war situation clears, so that steamship rates come again to normal, the Mission Board will appropriate $1,000 to aid the West Indian Union in meeting the expense of a union session and institute for workers.

Mission Field Appointments

Elder N. Z. Town, secretary of the Publishing Department, was asked to take general supervision of the detached Spanish mission fields, which are, Porto Rico and Santo Domingo, Haiti (French), Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Central American Conference, the territory of which is Spanish and British Honduras, with the Bay Islands. As a worker of long experience in the Spanish fields, Elder Town will be able to give helpful supervision by correspondence, with occasional visits to the fields. The council approved the plan of giving earnest attention to placing our Spanish publications throughout all this territory.
The following advisory committees were appointed for the detached mission fields under General Conference direction:—
Porto Rican Mission: William Steele (superintendent), Dr. J. F. Morse, G. D. Raff (field agent), Rafael Lopez.
Cuban Mission: A. N. Allen (superintendent), S. H. Carnahan (secretary and treasurer), H. C. Goodrich, J. E. Anderson, A. E. Doering, A. U. Cochran (field agent).
Haitien Mission: A. F. Prieger (superintendent), E. A. Curdy, Nord Isaac.
Hawaiian Islands Mission: F. H. Conway (superintendent), Robert McKeague, I. N. Bartholomew.

Appointments of Workers

Workers were invited to the fields as follows:—
J. D. Haynes, of Texas, to Cuba, to engage in the Spanish colporteur work.
C. F. Innis, of Colorado, to Cuba, to engage in the Spanish colporteur work.
Clarence Hall, of the Pacific Press (California), to Japan, to take charge of the Japanese printing office, and to act as secretary and treasurer of the mission.
M. H. Schuster, student of the Clinton German Seminary, to Brazil, to engage in evangelistic work.
Other invitations were extended which cannot be reported upon until the negotiations have been concluded.
It is agreed that the following calls for workers must be supplied as early as practicable:—
An evangelist of good executive experience for India.
An evangelist for city work in the cities of India.
Two evangelists for the Malaysian Mission, East Indies, and a third to follow later in 1915, the Malaysian Mission feeling assured that it can accept this additional help without having to call for extra appropriations.
Two experienced ministers for South Africa when the war situation clears.
From time to time during the council cheering news was reported from various portions of the far fields, and representatives in the council made encouraging reports of the interest throughout the churches and conferences in the missionary advance.
Every autumn council registers the growth, year by year, of this advent movement. “The volume of business coming into these councils,” remarked one of the older workers, “is as great as that dealt with in General Conference sessions not many years ago.”
W. A. SPICER, Secretary.

Our Missionary Campaign

By I. H. Evans

SEVENTY years ago the third angel’s message had its first believer. From the very beginning of this work, the people who believed the message have been looking for the coming of the Lord, when the work of God will be finished. Great and important national and international events have been looked for, and the trend of current events has been carefully studied by God’s people from the beginning of this movement to the present time.
Again and again conditions giving evidence that the end was very near, have developed. Then all would quiet down, peace would reign, and the opportunity for extending our work would be renewed. The last few months have been thrilling beyond anything that has taken place since the message started. The world is utterly confounded by the events that are taking place. Those who have been prophesying peace, saying that there was to be no more war and that all international events would be settled by arbitration, find that they have only been uttering vain prophecies; and many who have been misled by their teachings, are now inquiring, “What do these things mean?”
The last few years have been very favorable for the prosecution of our denominational work. Every barrier against preaching the message has apparently been cast down. The doors of many nations have been thrown wide open, and opportunities for preaching the gospel have been granted to our people, such as had never been known since the days of Christ. Today the whole world is throwing open its doors and giving the missionary opportunity to enter and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our work has steadily grown, and the last few years have been most encouraging in the results obtained. The last quarterly statistical report of the North American Division Conference brings to us the encouraging news of the baptism of 2,435 believers, making the total number of baptisms to Sept. 30, 1914, in the North American Division, 4,976. While this is encouraging, surely we ought to undertake to double this number next year. The last quarter of this year, we hope, will bring the number baptized up to more than six thousand.
Our churches are now engaging in an extended missionary campaign. Never since our work started has there been such an opportunity for personal effort. God has opened the way and given this people favor, and many are anxious to know the truth. Our literature is laden with the third angel’s message, and it has proved a mighty factor in bringing many souls to Christ. An extended distribution of our literature cannot but bring to souls the knowledge of a sin-pardoning Saviour. Our periodicals—the Signs of the Times (weekly and monthly), the Watchman, Liberty, the Protestant, and Life and Health—are being widely distributed. The scattered condition of our people, a family here and there, makes it possible for us to reach a multitude of people and place in their hands literature bearing on the third angel’s message.
The wise man spoke very definitely concerning missionary work when he wrote these beautiful words: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”
How much longer these golden opportunities for service will be open to us we cannot say. The whole trend of events shows the imminence of the end. Every day accentuates the necessity of greater zeal and earnestness if we would finish the Lord’s work. We hope that in all our churches throughout the entire field, every individual church member will feel the call of God pressing upon his heart, to give the message to his neighbors and friends. The time is at hand when men must be pressed into the kingdom of God. Let us not forget to pray that the God of the harvest will by the Holy Spirit so water the seed sown that many honest hearts will accept the message and be prepared for Christ’s coming.
I. H. EVANS.

Mission Offerings

By W. T. Knox

HEREWITH is submitted the report of receipts from the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund for the first nine months of 1914. While it shows some slight improvement over previous reports this year, yet the shortage is a very serious one, and causes the Mission Board great anxiety. The amount required for the period under consideration is $507,101.40. The amount received is $321,386.91, leaving a shortage of $185,714.49.
To overcome this in the remaining months of the year, it will require perseverance and faithful work on the part of all conference and church officers, and liberal offerings from all our people. To fail to make up the full amount may mean to threaten our mission work with calamity, especially now that greater responsibilities are thrown upon the General Conference treasury by the conditions existing in the European Division Conference. W. T. Knox.

Statement of Twenty-Cent-a-Week Fund for Nine Months Ending Sept. 30, 1914

CONFERENCES Member-ship Due at $7.80 Per Member Amount Received Amount Short Amount Over Net Amount Short Net Amount Over
ATLANTIC UNION
Greater New York 1101 $ 8587.80 $ 7139.20 $ 1448.60 $ $ $
Maine 449 3502.20 1721.92 1780.28
Massachusetts 1267 9882.60 6928.72 2953.88
New York 815 6357.00 3209.61 3147.39
Northern New England 540 4212.00 2971.96 1240.04
Southern New England 496 3868.80 2253.11 1615.69
Western New York 840 6552.00 4540.19 2011.81
Totals 5508 42962.40 28764.71 14197.69 14197.69
CANADIAN UNION
Maritime 239 1864.20 1126.16 738.04
Ontario 501 3907.80 2222.40 1685.40
Quebec 136 1060.80 1087.28 26.48
Newfoundland 57 444.60 342.97 101.63
Totals 933 7277.40 4778.81 2525.07 26.48 2498.59
CENTRAL UNION
Colorado 1703 13283.40 7013.58 6269.82
East Kansas 1182 9219.60 3302.19 5917.41
Nebraska 2073 16169.40 10593.67 5575.73
North Missouri 607 5436.60 1788.21 3648.39
Southern Missouri 680 5304.00 2792.40 2511.60
Western Colorado 465 3627.00 1647.48 1979.52
West Kansas 868 6770.40 2942.93 3827.47
Wyoming 517 4032.60 3189.87 842.73
Totals 8185 63843.00 33270.33 30572.67 30572.67
COLUMBIA UNION
Chesapeake 605 4719.00 2956.57 1762.43
District of Columbia 771 6013.80 3593.19 2420.61
Eastern Pennsylvania 1150 8970.00 5576.50 3393.50
New Jersey 726 5662.80 4862.88 799.92
Ohio 2000 15600.00 13092.39 2507.61
Virginia 514 4009.20 1457.45 2551.75
West Pennsylvania 790 6162.00 4036.00 2126.00
West Virginia 172 1341.60 1232.94 108.66
Totals 6728 52478.40 36807.92 15670.48 15670.48
LAKE UNION
East Michigan 1532 11949.60 8717.64 3231.96
Indiana 1732 13509.60 9255.34 4254.26
Northern Illinois 1403 10943.40 7950.84 2992.56
North Michigan 784 6115.20 3004.15 3111.05
Southern Illinois 614 4789.20 3365.56 1423.64
West Michigan 2444 19063.20 10175.72 8887.48
Wisconsin 2594 20233.20 7994.82 12238.38
Totals 11103 86603.40 50464.07 36139.33 36139.33
NORTHERN UNION
Iowa 2343 18275.40 13238.27 5037.13
Minnesota 1715 13377.00 13469.70 92.70
North Dakota 1303 10163.40 5490.83 4672.57
South Dakota 948 7394.40 5363.27 2031.13
Totals 6309 49210.20 37562.07 11740.83 92.70 11648.13
NORTH PACIFIC UNION
Montana 452 3525.60 2962.97 562.63
Southern Idaho 647 5046.60 3613.18 1433.42
Southern Oregon 573 4469.40 2328.31 2141.09
Upper Columbia 1900 14820.00 8138.40 6681.60
Western Oregon 1831 14281.80 6610.63 7671.17
Western Washington 1592 12417.60 6672.22 5745.38
Alaska 4 31.20 16.10 15.10
Totals 6999 54592.20 30341.81 24250.39 24250.39
PACIFIC UNION
Arizona 234 1825.20 6040.85 4215.65
California 2698 21044.40 12047.05 8997.35
Central California 1138 8876.40 4587.92 4288.48
Northern California 1139 8884.20 5117.92 3766.28
Southern California 3397 26496.60 20415.90 6080.70
Utah 173 1349.40 633.01 716.39
Nevada Mission 92 717.60 624.57 93.03
Totals 8871 69193.80 49467.22 23942.23 4215.65 19726.58
SOUTHEASTERN UNION
Cumberland 586 $4570.80 $2488.97 $2081.83 $ $ $
Florida 685 5343.00 5765.58 422.58
Georgia 571 4453.80 2326.51 2127.29
North Carolina 441 3439.80 2423.67 1016.13
South Carolina 308 2402.40 959.75 1442.65
Totals 2591 20209.80 13964.48 6667.90 422.58 6245.32
SOUTHERN UNION
Alabama 200 1560.00 1353.62 206.38
Kentucky 275 2145.00 1036.83 1108.17
Louisiana 262 2043.60 1105.08 938.52
Mississippi 132 1029.60 1178.31 148.71
Tennessee River 617 4812.60 3053.22 1759.38
Southern Union Mission 580 4524.00 1059.60 3464.40
Totals 2066 16114.80 8786.66 7476.85 148.71 7328.14
SOUTHWESTERN UNION
Arkansas 295 2301.00 1630.73 670.27
New Mexico 291 2269.80 908.95 1360.85
North Texas 1409 10990.20 3637.48 7352.72
Oklahoma 1875 14625.00 7797.62 6827.38
South Texas 230 1794.00 1990.85
West Texas 316 2464.80 641.76 1823.04 196.85
Totals 4416 34444.80 16607.39 18034.26 196.85 17837.41
WESTERN CANADIAN UNION
Alberta 475 3705.00 3366.66 338.34
British Columbia 384 2839.20 2226.93 612.27
Manitoba 213 1661.40 1070.89 590.51
Saskatchewan 252 1965.60 3618.68 1653.08
Totals 1304 10171.20 10283.16 1541.12 1653.08 111.96
Summary
UNIONS
Atlantic 5508 42962.40 28764.71 14197.69 14197.69
Canadian 933 7277.40 4778.81 2525.07 26.48 2498.59
Central 8185 63843.00 33270.33 30572.67 30572.67
Columbia 6728 52478.40 36807.92 15670.48 15670.48
Lake 11103 86603.40 50464.07 36139.33 36139.33
Northern 6309 49210.20 37562.07 11740.83 92.70 11648.13
North Pacific 6999 54592.20 30341.81 24250.39 24250.39
Pacific 8871 69193.80 49467.22 23942.23 4215.65 19726.58
Southeastern 2591 20209.80 13964.48 6667.90 422.58 6245.32
Southern 2066 16114.80 8786.66 7476.85 148.71 7328.14
Southwestern 4416 34444.80 16607.39 18034.26 196.85 17837.41
Western Canadian 1304 10171.20 10283.16 1541.12 1653.08 111.96
Miscellaneous 288.28 288.28 288.28
Totals 65013 $507101.40 $321,386.91 $192758.82 $7044.33 $186114.73 $400.24
Net amount over 400.24
Net amount short $185,714.49

Mission Appropriations for 1915

By W. T. Knox

The General Conference and North American Division Conference Autumn Council met at Takoma Park, October 25 to November 4. During this meeting, appropriations for 1915 to the foreign fields and to Eastern and Southern conferences were voted. The conditions confronting the General Conference by reason of the great war, made it evident to all that a fund should be created to enable its treasury to meet successfully the demands that may be made upon it by reason of emergencies that are likely to arise in these uncertain and troubled times in which we live. The extent of the unusual calls that may be made upon the treasury to relieve our brethren in Europe, is as uncertain as is the probable duration of the war, but it was thought to be only the part of wisdom to set aside $75,000 to protect our mission work from any embarrassment that might threaten it in the future.
The budget adopted for the coming year calls for an outlay of $506,464.14. This amount is to be secured entirely from the offerings of the churches of North America. The items composing this budget are as follows:—

Asiatic Division:

General ............................ $12,069.70 Signs of the Times Publishing House ............ 4,840.65 China Missions Training School ................. 4,269.60 East China Mission ............................ 8,911.96 West China Mission ............................ 4,669.71 Central China Mission ........................ 20,069.12 South China Mission .......................... 24,445.20 Japan Mission ................................ 15,683.30 Korean Mission ............................... 17,212.31 Philippine Mission ........................... 9,017.25 Malay Missions ............................... 13,164.31 Manchuria Mission ............................ 2,602.58 Bahamas Mission ............................. 267.00 Brazilian Union Conference .................. 11,633.52 Cuban Mission ............................... 4,325.00 Guatemala Mission ........................... 1,500.00 Hawaiian Mission ............................ 1,000.00 Haitien Mission ............................. 2,300.00 India Union Mission ........................ 66,000.00 Mexican Mission ............................. 8,893.19 Porto Rican Mission ........................ 1,986.74 South African Union Conf. .................. 40,000.00 South American Union Conf. ................. 25,000.00 West Indian Union Conf. .................... 11,603.00 Executive Department ........................ 17,000.00 Educational Department ....................... 2,500.00 Missionary Volunteer Dept. ................... 3,000.00 Medical Department ........................... 2,500.00 Publishing Department ........................ 2,500.00 Home Missionary Department ................... 3,000.00 Sabbath School Department .................... 4,000.00 Harvest Ingathering ........................ 17,000.00 Missionary appointees' salary ............... 7,500.00 General laborers ............................ 6,000.00 General Conference Corp. .................... 25,000.00 Emergency fund .............................. 75,000.00 Special appropriations ...................... 30,000.00
The funds of the North America Division Conference are made up of certain percentages of the tithe of the local conferences within its territory, the basis of which is, as adopted at the council, 5 per cent of the tithe of all conferences receiving $15,000 per annum or less, with an increase of 1 per cent for each additional $1,000 until 20 per cent is reached. The budget voted for 1915 was based upon the expectation that every conference would fully comply with this suggestion, and thus make up the sum of $165,045, to be apportioned as follows:—
Atlantic Union Conference.....$18,500 Columbia Union Conference..... 15,000 Eastern Canadian Union Conf... 7,000 Southern Union Conference .... 11,000 Southeastern Union Conference. 8,000 Southwestern Union Conference. 3,500 North American Foreign Dept... 13,000 Negro Department .............. 28,000 College of Medical Evangelists. 10,000 *Christian Record .............. 2,000 Educational Department ........ 3,500 Executive Department .......... 6,500 Finance Commission ............ 1,000 Home Missionary Department ... 2,206 Medical Department ............ 2,250 Missionary Volunteer Department 4,228 Negro Dept. (administrative) .. 1,450 Press Bureau .................. 2,460 Publishing Department ......... 1,956 Religious Liberty Department .. 2,360 Special appropriations ........ 7,500 Emergency fund ............... 10,000 Tithe to General Conference ... 1,335 Sustentation to General Conf. . 800 General expense, rent, light, heat, depreciation, etc. .... 1,500
W. T. Knox.

Count Your Blessings

By G. B. Thompson

THE usefulness of many lives is practically destroyed by dwelling upon the dark pictures in life. These can almost always be found, and having been found, they are hung in the halls of memory and viewed constantly. The world is filled with gruff, chronic growlers, and unfortunately some of these have got into the church. Nothing pleases such persons. They live in the shadow instead of the sunshine. They are constantly on the Egyptian side of the cloud instead of in the presence of Him who is always with them to give light and hope. Their faces are long and sad, and they scatter gloom and despondency wherever they go. They are so grouchy you dread to see them approaching, knowing that they will probably inflict upon you some dreadful foreboding. When the weather is pleasant, they are looking for a storm; they are sure something unpleasant is going to happen.
Such persons are in reality a reproach to Christianity. They woefully misrepresent their Master. There is no place in the religion of the Bible for such a life. Jesus came to give “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.” He came to give unto us these great blessings; then why not take them from the hand of the Saviour, and live in the sunshine rather than the shadow?
Sometimes we hear that a certain man is ruined. What has happened? Is his family dead?—No. Has he met with some dreadful accident? Is he maimed for life?—No. Has he lost his reputation?—No. Has he committed some dreadful crime, so that he is hunted by the minions of the law to be brought to justice?—No. Has reason abdicated the throne, so that some of the members of his family must be confined in the madhouse?—No. Has he been struck with some terrible disease in which death is only a question of a short time?—No. What has happened? O, he probably lost some property, or a position which he held! Such seem to have never learned that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
A merchant returned home one night sad and despondent. As he sank into an easy-chair in his spacious parlor, he said to his wife: “My dear, we are ruined. Everything is in the hands of the sheriff and will be sold. We are totally bankrupt.” After a short period of silence his wife looked into his face and said, “Will the sheriff sell you?”—“No, no.” “Will the sheriff sell me?”—“O, no!” “Will he sell the children?”—“O, no!” “Then why do you say that we have lost everything? All that is most valuable remains to us. We still have our manhood and womanhood and our precious children. We have lost only the results of our skill and industry. We can make another fortune if our hearts and our hands are left us.”
What a noble answer was this! In the midst of misfortune his faithful wife arose to the occasion, and piercing through the veil of seeming disaster, saw the real object and aim of life. This should be an example for all Christians to follow. We should count our blessings rather than our misfortunes.
Such a spirit will cast sunshine everywhere. Such a rich and noble mind will bring into the humblest home a radiance of beauty which no upholsterer or decorator can approach. It is a great thing to be rich in cheerfulness and carry with one an atmosphere of serenity. All such will see “books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.”
As Christians, let us learn to live in the sunshine and not in the shadows. Let us count constantly our blessings. Just think! have you your eyesight? How much is it worth? What should you take to have your eyes put out that you might see no more while life lasts? How much is eyesight worth to you? Are you grumbling and complaining over your misfortunes and hardships while you have eyesight? Suppose that you were smitten blind. What should you give to have your sight restored, so that you could see again the beauties of nature? Should you give your farm or your bank account? No doubt you would. And yet many who have the inestimable blessing of perfect eyesight, go through life with a continual grouch.
Have you speech? What if you were suddenly smitten dumb and could never be able again to utter a word? Are you thankful for speech? Do you praise God constantly for this great and wonderful blessing which you have? or are you going through life sad and despondent, and using perhaps this great gift to scatter doubt and darkness wherever you go? This is a terrible thing to do. How much is your speech worth to you? If you were dumb, how much should you give to be able to talk and converse as you now do? Doubtless you would give all that you possess; and yet you have this great blessing and never thank God for it.
Can you hear? Are you able to listen to the warble of the birds, the songs of Zion, and the words spoken to you? How much is this blessing worth to you? What should you take to have your hearing permanently destroyed? Yet many who have this great blessing unimpaired never thank God for it, and we hear them continually complaining about this thing and the other. O, what a shame, especially for Christians!
Are you able to walk? Can you run and move about as you desire? Are you thankful for this blessing? What should you take to be paralyzed; to be compelled to sit in a chair and be entirely dependent upon others to move you? What should you give for the power of locomotion and to have the paralysis entirely removed? Should you give all your money, your farms, and your bank accounts? Doubtless you would. Yet many have all these and many other blessings and are never thankful.
Surely if we but counted our blessings, we should be continually happy, and the peace of God that passeth all understanding would fill our hearts and minds. Shall we not count our blessings?
“Count your mercies, such a boundless store, Count your mercies, pressed and running o’er, All your mercies, count them o’er and o’er, Lost in love and wonder at the boundless store.”
G. B. Thompson.

Jesus Went About Doing Good

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10 : 38.

Among the Indians at Samabula, Fiji

By Ellen Meyers

ELLEN MEYERS
The building at Samabula is almost finished, and after house cleaning, settling, visiting in the locality, and becoming acquainted with the people for whom I labor, which has all been interesting in its way, I spent most of Sabbath, August 1, alone with God, seeking for wisdom and guidance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit for this great work.
On Sunday, a week later, at 9:30 A. M., the bell, given by a few of the members of the young people's society in Fiji, rang out an invitation for the people to come to hear the word of God. The previous Sunday it had been rung at 3 P. M., and no response had been made; so I decided to find a man with whom I could talk intelligently, and to whom I could explain why we had come among them. I found just the man, evidently, and I sought his advice concerning the most convenient time for the people to attend church on Sundays. At his suggestion the bell rang at 9:30 A. M. Knowing the Indians' dislike for Christianity, I had made this the subject of prayer. Israel's experiences in crossing the Jordan, and also the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, with its record of what faith has done, gave me courage.
At first there was no sign of any one's coming, but the bell rang on. I wish you could have heard it. It sounded as if we were in earnest. I thought of the way the walls of Jericho fell down when God's people exercised faith. The bell rang for half an hour. I decided it would influence the people to come, and by ten o'clock, the appointed time, forty persons were present. This meant much to me after my first experience. The next question was where to seat them. I had by faith prepared my subject, an exposition of the second chapter of Daniel. I invited them to be seated, but we had only two benches, and they hesitated to sit on the floor. So Aveti, the Fijian boy from Buresala, helped by bringing his mat. The Indians sit on the floor in their own homes, but they are accustomed to have seats when they go into a house of worship. They usually exercise some respect for God's house. I remember taking a Mohammedan boy to the Masonic Hall to hear Pastor Butz when we were having a series of meeting in Fiji. Our entering a place of worship wearing our shoes made him feel that we had no respect for the house of God. He himself had been taught to take off his shoes before crossing the threshold of a place where prayer was offered.
We spent an hour studying together, and the Indians listened somewhat attentively. After the service was over, Aveti, having made up his mind that we should be better fitted up next Sunday, made a neat little table and two benches.
The following day, Monday, school opened with three boys; when the week closed, we had sixteen. I fear we shall not find it so easy to secure the girls. The Indians are not eager to give them an education, but later the way may open to do something for them.
Suva is passing through a trying, unrestful experience. Men's hearts are failing because of what is taking place in the world. Soldiers patrol the streets day and night in fear of German invasion. Ships are prohibited from coming. The wealthy have made provision for the flesh; they have bought their food supplies, and the result is that everything which is left is very expensive, and there is no prospect of more shipments for a while. I have held to my post. 'The just shall live by faith' is the message for this time.
Orders have been issued that when six rockets are fired, the women and children must leave the town and run out to the neighboring districts, where places of safety are provided. So I am fortunate to be out of Suva. My one regret is that at this time we have no English worker to give prophetic lectures directing the attention of the people to what the Word of God says concerning the days in which we live. Surely these people would see the literal fulfillment of the things that are predicted. Perhaps after the union conference this great need will be supplied, and after the experience we are passing through some may be led to see the truth. It is comforting to feel that God is great, and that he is able to meet every emergency and to supply our every need.
I do not know how long these conditions will exist in Suva. I may not be able to write again until normal conditions are restored. I believe that steamers are all prevented from coming or going, so communications will be suspended; but nothing can prevent us from communicating with heaven. I ask your prayers.
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