Show THE SAMOA MISSION savall savail samoa november 17 1897 by request of william jeppson presiding elder of the savaii conference I 1 submit the following all elders that have had the plea pleasure of laboring on the samoan islands are acquainted with captain david kent son sr and family therefore they will no doubt be grieved to hear of the death of mrs ann elizabeth Kent kenison son beloved wife of captain david bentson sr who departed this life november 6 1897 after an illness of several weeks deceased was a little over ye years old and was the mother of thirteen children nine of whom survive her she was born in australia and raised in new zealand and passed through all the trying scenes of the maori war she was an eye bitnes to many of the bloody deeds gerpe tratten by the natives and heard the cries of the british soldiers as they I 1 were being burned at the stake but or of those terrible times she would say but little although they were stamped indelibly on her memory deceased was married in new zealand and came to samoa about thirty three years ago and has reared family whose honesty and integrity cannot be clue questioned stio ned and all are members of the church of jesus christ of latter day dalr J saints special mention might be made of the kindness of captain kent son and his sons who are ever willing to help the elders in every way possible and are always diligent in furthering the cause of righteousness in samoa this mission is in a prosperous condition and the people axe are bocking to the standard of truth in great numbers about forty have been added to the fold in this conference since jan 1 18 1897 97 and about on all the islands there are six elders from zion in thin conference at present and one native elder they are laboring as follows wm jeppson and C L warnick at avalu A D hendricks and viall a native elder at and tut tul fatu geo S burnham and geo W horne home at saleaula and geo ml bleonard leonard at Faga tull each branch la is in a flourishing flourish ng condition and the elders are ever alive to their duties two meetings and a sunday school are held at each branch avery every sunday and a testimony meeting every wednesday in which the saints all take an active part art schools are also held at each tanch branch four days a week and the children are making rapid progress we have succeeded in procuring a small tract of land here in Tua sivi for the purpose of establishing a central school by which we will be able to accommodate all grades of students As it i general rule the elders axe are treated with due respect by the natives but of course some little persecution is felt at times by or through tha th influence of the clergy the foreigners on the island with but few axce exceptions potions axe are very kind t to 0 theS Alders special spead tj mention ent lon should be made of mr P A tenson jenson of malailua Sal ailua whose kind hospitality and genial manner have endeared him to all who know him As stated above we hold bold school four days a week leaving us fridays and saturdays to travel and distribute tracts last thursday elder warnick and myself started for saleaula a distance of twenty five miles we traveled about seven miles distributing tracts and explaining the gospel to the people and night being near we accepted an invitation to stop all night as that thai was the last place in twelve miles the in torrents all rain came down night but by bv six next morning during a lull in the storm we were on our lourney journey but had not proceeded far when it began again to rain and we were soon drenched arriving at lea datele we were surprised to see the us cally dry river a roaring torrent bridges are almost unknown in the country therefore a person either has to wade or get some one to carry him across the stream A couple of natives kindly volunteered to help us across this stream and after swimming with L our sacks they returned for us and by swimming imming we succeeded in reaching I 1 the shore all right with shoes and clothes on we then proceeded on our journey and arrived at saleaula all rih right where we found the elders well and enjoying the spirit of their mission y after changing our wet clothes and satisfying the inner man we forgot 1 the wet road and remembered only the vies dleasant zant experiences of missionary life itla it is almost a forgone conclusion that we w will get wet while on a journey at this season of the year the few months that I 1 have passed in the mis flonary field have been the happiest of life and I 1 would encourage the my young men of zion to prepare them selves to preach the gospel in the world for it is truly EL a great and glorious privilege to become ambassadors of christ sast AD HENDRICKS |