General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

THE HAWAIIAN MISSION FIELD

BAXTER L. HOWE: There is hardly any nationality that is not represented in the Hawaiian Islands. These are constantly coming and going from all parts of the world. As they stop there, we have the opportunity of simply meeting them, and then they pass on. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.4

But there are many with whom we have more than this passing contact. Perhaps you know that we have a Chinese school established on the island of Oahu, also one in Hilo, and that we are endeavoring to do what we can for those people whom God has permitted to be there in such large numbers. Since coming to this Conference, I have received a letter from home stating that one of our workers, an earnest, energetic young man, had decided to leave the island and return to the mainland. I felt very sad over it; and when the news came, it seemed to me for a time that I could hardly endure the thought. You know we are in need of help down there, but the only consolation that I am able to get out of it is the thought that we shall look upon him as Hawaii’s first missionary sent to the heathen on the mainland, and we shall follow his work with a great deal of interest. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.5

One time when Israel was in trouble, because the plague had begun in the camp, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Lord. What was the result? The Lord appeared before them, and the commission was given to Aaron to run into the camp, and he ran. The plague was stayed, and the people were satisfied. So if any of us get into trouble for the love of God, let us turn our faces so that we can see the glory of God revealed, and our trouble will cease. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.6

We are needing help in these islands. We hope to change the policy of our school. We want to see it a means of carrying the truth to all the Chinese on the island instead of putting so much work and so much energy upon the few who may be gathered in a schoolroom. We have, however, some promising boys. There are now six or eight of them who have been baptized, and united with us. Several of them are now in China. Others who have gained some knowledge of the gospel, have gone. We have perhaps in the neighborhood of twenty-five boys in China who know of our work, and they want some one to go there and carry forward the work there. The young man whom Brother Corliss referred to the other day is an exceptionally bright young fellow, and Sister Brand writes me that he is leading his class in a San Francisco college. We ought to go to these people and help them where they are. We are not to depend on some institution or organization, to get hold of those that they may carry the gospel. When the Lord really gets hold of young men they get to work where they are. But, brethren, God wants us to go to these people where they are. That is one burden we should have. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.7

But as to the Japanese people: You heard the earnest appeal that Brother Daniells made yesterday morning for Japan. China with its millions is holding out its hands to us. Japan with its thousands is open to the gospel. There are men upon whom I am sure the God of heaven will lay the burden to go and take charge of the work in Japan, and carry it forward as God would have it carried forward. But in our own island field we have thousands of these poor people with not one worker among them. We have endeavored to do what we could with the paper that Brother W. D. Burden is publishing over at Tokio. We found the people eager to receive it, and started out to obtain subscribers for it, I first visited the Japanese consul. He is a bright, intelligent young man, and I found him interested in our work. I next went to a doctor, as intelligent a man as we have on the island; a very skillful physician. He looked over the paper, and said, “I want that paper,” and as I wrote his name, he said, “I will take three of them.” He paid me the yearly price for three subscriptions. I wanted to do a little missionary work, so I got a list of all the leading Japanese in the town, physicians, and leading merchants, and we expect with God’s help to go to them from time to time and find out what influence these things are having upon their minds. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.8

A word in regard to those who may come to work among this people, especially those who may connect with our school. Some one will surely come, because the field is now vacant. The young man of whom I spoke left his work to one of our sisters, who is now doing all that two women ought to do for the Master. I hope you will pray earnestly that God’s Holy Spirit may give life and strength to those who have to step in and do the work, as these workers leave. Do not forget that part of it. I do not censure anybody for leaving. I do not say a word in regard to our brethren’s interest for the field at home; but, O brethren! do not forget to pray for those who are left, and are doing all that they ought, and many times more, with the strength they have. But God loves and blesses us, and he fits us for the work for the time being. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.9

If there is one thing in all the islands of Hawaii that touches my heart more than others, it is the condition of the poor native people. The gospel has been brought to them. Some have accepted it with all their great, free, loving nature. But what was given them was not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know of nothing that describes the condition of that people, better than to cite you to the condition of the people who occupied the land of Palestine after Israel was taken away. These feared God, and worshiped idols. We have many professed Christians in the islands to-day who are exactly in that condition. They fear God, and worship idols. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.10

We have had quite a good deal of literature prepared for the native people. But a sad feature of it is that in the first place a great deal of it was translated by men who knew not the gospel of Jesus Christ. They knew not the message, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, which binds men’s hearts together with the heart of the Eternal. Men translated those tracts containing the precious truth that we love, who did not know the spirit of the message. Then, tracts were translated that the poor natives could not understand if they had been properly translated. What we need to-day for the native peoples more than anything else is a little simple literature that will meet them where they are, and teach them, in a simple way, the gospel of Christ. We must have such a literature for this people. The enemy is binding his bands about them more and more all the time. They now stand in a condition to be swept into the bonds of Spiritualism. We must, in God’s name, arise and do something for this poor people. GCB April 16, 1901, page 279.11

I would say to-day, and say it with all respect for our brethren who did, in the fear of God, what they thought was right—the most of this literature was prepared by local brethren, and a large part of it paid for by them on the ground, because of their interest for this people. But, brethren, it was a zeal not according to knowledge. It is sad, but it is true. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.1

Now I say that we must have something for these people, something that we can take to them, and that they can comprehend, that will lead them step by step out of this condition into the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.2

Our work among the English-speaking people has been most encouraging to us. It has not shown very largely in reports; but I want to say that there is an open door in the homes of the English-speaking people in the islands of Hawaii to-day. I can do no better than to relate a little incident whereby the way was opened into some of the families there. One Friday evening upon returning from the city, I stood under the porch of our house. I soon saw a lady coming across the street, and running across our yard. I recognized in a moment a look of distress and anguish upon her countenance. She said to me, “The people just across the way are in trouble. They would like to have you come over immediately.” I went with her to the house, and found there a poor boy, who was addicted to the habit of liquor drinking. He had been away from home on one of his sprees for two or three weeks, and had come home. There was no one there except the mother and daughter and he, under the influence of liquor, acted so as to frighten his mother and sister. The sister, a married woman, with a family of her own, asked me to be seated. The mother and daughter labored with the boy, and finally succeeded in getting him to bed. The younger woman then came into the room where I was. A Bible was lying on the table. We soon began reading it. It seemed that our hearts were immediately knit together in the common gospel. From that there was a fast friendship opened up between this family and the lady who came and brought the word to me. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.3

We have been able, in the fear of God, to help these two families. In a little while, without any special effort on our part, but just taking the blessed influence of the gospel to them, they dismissed their Japanese cooks, accepted a health diet, and have been living it faithfully ever since; and they realize that they are receiving good from it. God continues to keep the hearts of the one family. The mother and daughter have returned to Canada, while the seeds of truth are still working in the home of the other family. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.4

I could tell you of many experiences that we have had in getting into the homes of the people. If we had two more Bible workers to engage in the work there, we could set them to work, any they could have all they could do from house to house with these people who are hungering and thirsting for the truth. These people are intelligent. Most of them are wealthy; they are people of broad and liberal minds. We have, perhaps, as fine a class of English-speaking people to work with, taking them all in all, as you will find anywhere in this world; and they are hungering for God’s truth. And God, I know, will help us in giving it to them. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.5

I want to call attention to another incident in connection with one of our nurses there. She was called to a case, that of a lady who, it seemed, could not live long. She had a complication of diseases that the physicians said certainly would take her life. My soul was much burdened for the woman, that she should know the Lord Jesus Christ before being called to lay down her life. I talked with the nurse about it. She said she did not know how to get at it. I said, “You pray, and we will pray.” I called her attention to several stories of the Bible, if the opportunity offered, suggesting that she read them. One was the story of the prodigal son. A day or two after I went down, the lady asked to have the Bible read to her, and she has since been reading to her. One night afterward it seemed that the woman could not live much longer. The husband was not a professor of Christianity. But the nurse went into the adjoining room, and talked with him about his wife’s condition. She said, “It seems that there is no human possibility of your wife’s recovering, and it seems to me as if the end is very near. I feel sure that God would be pleased to have us seek him earnestly that she may be relieved from this awful suffering.” The man was broken down. He wept and prayed, asking God to relieve his dear wife from her suffering. GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.6

The next thing they went into the room, and clouds of darkness seemed to shut them in so as to envelop everything. The mother, who was a Catholic, was by the side of the bed, counting her beads. A number of other relatives were present. Two brothers had had trouble, and had not spoken to each other for nearly two years. The sick woman called her husband by name, and said, “It seems as if the clouds of darkness are shutting in upon us. I can not understand it. The Lord has been so good to us. We must pray.” And they did pray. She asked her husband if he would sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus;” and the nurse said that the man sat in his chair, the tears running over his cheeks, and sang that blessed song over and over. He then took those two brothers, one by each hand, and led them around to the side of the bed, and placed their hands together, and they were reconciled. The nurse came home early in the morning, with her face shining. She said, “I never was in such a place in my life. The presence of God came in, and just literally filled the room.” GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.7

(Concluded in next issue.) GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.8

“A Copper cent passes for more than a counterfeit dollar. Conduct is the great profession; behavior is perpetually revealing us; what a man does tells us what he is.” GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.9

“Deeper than chords that search the soul and die,
Mocking to ashes color’s hot array,
Closer than touch, within our hearts they lie—
The words we do not say.” GCB April 16, 1901, page 280.10