Adventist History in Indonesia: 1901, "Malaysia" Mission, Excerpts from Munson's Letters

Australasian Union Conference Record, October 1, 1901, page 3

Malaysia Mission.

At our late Union Conference it was recommended that the East India Islands be visited at an early date for the purpose of gathering information preparatory to opening up missions in that field.

Up to the present time we have had but one mis sionary among the millions of Malaysia. Nine years ago there was one Sabbath-keeper in Pelew Island, a small island between the Philippines and the Carolines ; but of late nothing has been heard from him. More than a year and a half ago, Elder R. W. Munson, from America, landed in Sumatra and began work for the Chinese. For a number of years previous to his acceptance of the present truth, Brother Munson had been connected with the Methodist Mission in East India, but was obliged, on account of failing health, to return home.

Soon after accepting the Sabbath truth, and with health in a measure restored, he decided to return to his former field of labor. Locating in Padang, Sumatra, he at once opened a school for Chinese children and youth, and soon had an enrollment of fifty or more. Before the close of the first year he had an income from the students of £10 per month.

In a letter written about the first of the present year, Brother Munson wrote,—

Our work is moving forward. I have baptised the heads of two families (Chinese), and another is asking for baptism. This will bring, or has brought, twenty Chinese people, most of them young, under our influence and instruction.

It seems good at this time, when China is torn with internal strife and threatened with war, that thousands of the natives of this great empire are permitted to hear the news of Christ's second coming, in a place of comparative peace, though just on the borders of China.

May we not reasonably hope that some of these converts will carry the good news to their brethren in the home land ?

In the same letter, Brother Munson tells of another fine location on Sumatra for a mission. He says,—

At Medan, in Deli, in north-east Sumatra, there are 8,000 Chinese, and there they use only English. There are many English there, and an English school and mission would just gloriously flourish if I had a good man and wife to start it. I can hardly sleep at night for thinking and praying about this place. It is a rich lode that will pan out heavy and bring us close to Singapore and Penang. Could Australia send us help? They would be self-supporting almost from the start.

We are hopeful that Australia will be able soon to send a teacher to that field. It would seem that we ought not to let such an opportunity slip out of our hands.

At the beginning of this year, Brother Munson decided if we could give him some financial help, that he would print a series of small tracts in the Malay lan guage. Our Polynesian Committee responded by appropriating £60 for that work. The printing of these tracts will be done at Padang.

In a letter, written April 30, Brother Munson says,—

It is a fine field, and unoccupied by any missionary society We must enter it. I am holding on to God for Medan (Deli) I am ordering one hundred Bible Readings (Dutch) from Sydney. Am going to sell them here in Sumatra, the Lord helping.

About a week ago I received another letter from Elder Munson under date of July 29, in which he says,—

Your letter brings me the good news that £60 had been voted. My heart was made very glad by this news, and I am working hard on my first tract, and it will soon be ready for the press. I shall rush the tract work along as fast as I can.

Feeling the need of a hymn book for the native converts, Brother Munson is preparing a small collection of hymns in the Malay language, because, as he says,—

Our native Christians, as well as casual hearers, can have pre sent truth sung into their hearts more quickly perhaps than it could be preached to them.

Speaking of the present progress of the message, he says,—

On July 6, my birthday, I had the joy of baptising eight adult Chinese, five men and three women. They are all, with one possible exception, the clearest possible cases. They give good evidence of the new birth, and are learning to rely upon God in time of need. They have some very clear, and, in some cases, remark able answers to prayer. When listening to the Word tears fill their eyes, and their lives bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. Counting the wives and children of those baptised, all of whom will follow their husbands and fathers, we have already a community of thirty- eight. There are others who are inquiring, and who will surely believe and be baptised. I have ordered some machinery from America, and am going to begin the manufacture of spiral and coiled wire mattrasses. There are none here, and I know I can work up a good business in them, and thus furnish employment to our native brethren and their older boys. I am thinking seriously, too, of getting a small printing press. We could use it to good advantage in our work. I am holding on to God for £2,000 and more workers to push the message in Sumatra. Help me pray, Brother Gates. I am very glad your interest in this field is of so lively a nature as to lead you to plan a visit to Sumatra. How glad we shall be to see you, and I feel sure you will agree with me that this is a very interesting, promising, and important field. Don't fail to hurry the tract money along.

For some months we have been trying to get a list of names of people in the East Indies in order that we might furnish them with literature.

In answer to my request, the United States Consul at Batavia, Java, sent a small list of names of men in that place. These are of different nationalities,—Dutch, English, French, and German. To these we have sent health and temperance literature, and publications bearing on the great events of prophecy now fulfilling. As fast as we can obtain names we expect that the secretary of the newly-formed mission committee will send out our precious literature to all parts of that populous but benighted field.

The late Testimony for the Church (T6, p. 18???) tells us,—

Now, just now, is our time to work in foreign countries. There is special power in the presentation of the truth at the present time; but how long will it continue? Only a little while. If there ever was a crisis it is now. While the angels hold the four winds, we are to work with all our capabilities. We must bear our message without any delay.

If the Lord is willing, I expect soon to take a trip to the East Indies, for the purpose of studying the field, circulating literature, and securing names for missionary purposes. The route selected will enable me to stop at New Britain, different points on New Guinea, Amboina, the Celebes, Java, Singapore, Sumatra, and the Philip pines. On the return trip I will be able to stop at the Caroline Island group.

May the Lord guide in these matters to His own glory.

E. H. GATES.