BELATED REPORTS FROM FOREIGN BRANCHES
Once more it is my duty and privilege to send the Annual Report from this Branch.
The past year has been one of progress in some directions, particularly so in the number of DAWNS sold and new interest in the Truth developed. The increase in the circulation of DAWNS has been more than 100 copies per week above the rate for the previous twelve months. Most of these have been circulated through the faithful efforts of the Colporteurs, who have been very successful in these colonies.
Although a good deal has been accomplished in this direction, much more remains to be done; and it is still appropriate for us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into his vineyard. Many of our friends who have become interested in these things in the past year have reason to thank God for the Colporteur. And this fact should encourage not only those who are now devoting their energies to this work, but also any who may be considering the feasibility of giving up all earthly hopes and ambitions for the privileges (sometimes laborious) of this service of the Truth. We shall be glad to hear from such, and to encourage and assist them in any way we can. The greatest number of orders secured by any one of our Colporteurs in one day in the past twelve months was for 126 volumes.
The Volunteer work of tract distribution has also had attention in the past year, albeit the total number of pages circulated is under the record for the previous twelve months. Probably some of our new friends do not clearly understand the opportunities, or are diffident about asking for the tracts free—enough to put them into every house in their districts. Let such hesitate no longer; the tracts are available, and the Lord's blessing has been so markedly upon this form of service in past years, that we may feel confident he will acknowledge it again.
Pilgrim service has been somewhat hindered in the past twelve months. No extended tour has been made, but several series of Chart Talks have been given in the vicinity of Melbourne. God willing, we hope to travel some in 1907, and we now request the friends in all parts of Australia and New Zealand, who would be able and willing to arrange for two or three days public or cottage meetings, to send their answers to the "Pilgrim Questions," as published in ZION'S WATCH TOWER, to the Melbourne Office, so that the dates may be fixed. Promptness in this matter will be appreciated, as we may not be able to alter a route, once it is arranged.
The tale of the Australasian Branch Tract Fund is still rather a melancholy one. Conforming to the principles governing the Society's work since its inception, we have never solicited a donation, all that we report being entirely voluntary on the part of the donors, as the Spirit has prompted them. Up to now, we have to acknowledge the favor of God as expressed, in this particular direction, through the Head Office, which has enabled us to go so far as we have done with the work of circulating free literature, Pilgrim Service, [R3999 : page 159] etc., etc., the expenses of which are charged to this Fund.
As we observe the progress of events in this peculiar time, we see that some are drinking in the Truth as it were the "new wine" of the Kingdom joys; and are being refreshed thereby. Others are drinking the "mixed wine" (confused doctrine of Babylon) and are being stupefied thereby. So drunk are these last becoming that they will presently have quite lost their senses. (Obadiah 16.) But the sight of these is a good token for those who are of the day, for such can realize that the deliverance is even now on Mount Zion. Let us, then, feel encouraged to lift up our heads, always remembering that one more year behind means one less in front, between us and the goal, at which having arrived we shall not have to think of one less, but always more and more.
Soliciting a continued interest in your prayers and in those of all saints, on behalf of the Australasian Work and Harvest Workers, I remain, dear brother,
Your brother and Christ's, E. C. HENNINGES.
Publications Circulated
Copies of "Millennial Dawn"........................
21,389
" " "Tower Dawn".............................
1,560
" " Booklets.................................
2,010
———
Total..............................................
24,959
Copies of Tracts and Z.W.T. sent free..............
249,700
These represent tract pages........................ 3,935,800
Letters and cards received.........................
1,699
" " " sent out.........................
2,367
———
Total..............................................
4,066
Expenditures L. s. d.
Deficit from last year............................. 438 3 5
Printing, paper, postage, freight (in and out),
rent, gas, Tracts, etc............................ 306 11 8
Pilgrim Work, Meeting Expenses, etc................
38 6 11
—-——
Total.............................................. 783 2 0
Receipts
Receipts from Australasia.......................... 176 4 11
—-——
Deficit, owing to Head Office at Allegheny,
Pa., U.S.A........................................ 606 18 1
When I in the last issues of the TOWER read with great pleasure and thankfulness to God, the reports of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY'S work the last year by its different branches, then I have also at the same time felt a little ashamed, or sorry, because of my lack of opportunity to make and send a report from this branch to you in due time—this so much more as I never during the eight years since the work here was started, have been able to give you as detailed reports from this place as could have been desirable.
We are, of course, not so many in Present Truth here, nor is the work so advanced amongst us as in the more important parts of the great harvest field, but we feel sure that it is the Lord that has guided us hitherto in grasping the Truth and in keeping us active in the service, and we trust that he will enable us to still better appreciate, with all the saints, the privilege in having opportunities to be his co-laborers and also to use the same still better in the future. I think we are now at least one thousand in this country which rejoice in the Lord and in his great plan of salvation, as it has been revealed to us by the MILLENNIAL DAWN and other publications of you, his servant, and I have herewith the privilege to bring you our deep and thankful greetings and Christian love. We remember you continually in our prayers and we rejoice in the thought that by and by you will see better how much your service has profited us.
Nevertheless, I will now state some few facts of the work done through this branch during the past year, 1906. We have yet some reasons for believing that we in some lines at least will be able to do two times so much in this new year 1907 as in the past year. Indeed the "fields are white to the harvest" here, and we are zealous to be used of the great King in his reaping work, as he will grant us opportunities before the closing of "the door." Besides the wide territory yet untouched in this country, we have the whole of Finland, where we hope to find a good number of our Lord's jewels. My dear wife has lately tried to do some colporteur work there and the results were very encouraging. God willing, she will soon go to Finland again to pursue the work there, and besides we have now five other good colporteurs engaged here in Sweden and hope for still more.
During the year we had one General Convention in Stockholm, attended by 200 interested friends, and besides this some smaller conventions in other parts of the country. The Pilgrim work by Brother Edberg and other dear brethren has been very much appreciated amongst the friends, and has given good results. The mileage covered in preaching tours was 11,501, and about 400 meetings were held.
The Swedish Zion's Vakt-Torn (now 16 pages monthly) has had 1,184 subscribers during the year, and we know by a great multitude of letters that it has been useful and helpful for many (I would hope for all) of them. We have printed 3,000, as minimum, of each issue, which allows a good deal for sample copies, answers of special questions to new friends, etc. We have had the privilege to publish the fifth volume of MILLENNIAL DAWN in a Swedish edition (7,000 copies), and we feel that this solid and precious book has an important mission to fill amongst the Lord's Swedish people.
Praying divine grace and guidance for yourself continually and for all the dear brethren everywhere (whom we hope to meet before long "on the other side") and asking your prayers for us here in this part of the harvest field, I am,
Your thankful and happy brother and co-laborer,
WORK ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE SWEDISH
BRANCH, 1906
"Dawns," various bindings, sold....................
5,129
Various booklets, "About Hell," "Tabernacle Shadows,"
etc., sold........................................
2,184
Annual sets Swedish "Tower," cloth-bound and unbound 261
Sample "Towers" and tract numbers of Zion's Vakt-Torn
free..............................................
60,719
Expressed in usual form of tract pages............. 2,026,816
Letters and cards sent out from this office........
845
Expenditures
Pilgrim, Convention and other meetings, kr.1,544.71 $ 411.92
For translation, printing, etc......... "
6,647.07 1,772.55
Freight and postage.................... "
889.57 237.22
Office expenses, rent, inventory, light,
heat, telephone, etc.................. "
3,596.12 958.70
From Allegheny.........................
802.75
————————
$4,183.14
Receipts
Voluntary Donations to the Tract Fund.. kr.3,227.16 $ 860.58
Swedish "Tower" subscriptions.......... "
1,312.17 349.91
Sold books and other incomes........... "
5,437.14 1,449.90
————
2,660.39
========
Deficit, 1906...................................... $1,522.75