RAMABAI’S MISSION.

Evening Star, Issue 14966, 28 August 1912, Page 8

RAMABAI’S MISSION.

A YEAR OF PROGRESS. There was an excellent attendance at the annual meeting of the Mukti Prayer Union in the Choral Hall last exening, when the reports in connection with Ramabai’s Mission at Mukti were presented. Mr J. Blair Mason presided. The Chairman said that the work had been kept going. The year had been an eventful one, as every year must bo in these days when the heathen in India and China were awakening from their sleep. There was in India an increasing spirit of unrest—a tendency to break away from the traditions of the past.- They knew what that meant. The students there had had their beliefs shaken. _ It was significant that India had been visited by the King and Queen, an event which would ensure great progress being made in the work. The proclamation, worded as it was—“ By the grace of God, . in the year of'our Lord ” —and circulated throughout most of the towns, would have a. great effect upon the people. In fact, the tendency ecemed to fie towards a mass movement for Christianity. They knew how their Sister Ramabai was doing a great work. Others were dealing individually with the people in India, and leading them to the Cross of Christ. The ninth report of the council contained expressions of thankfulness to the I.olxl of tho harvest for all His goodness during tho year. While not without trials and disappointments, there had ako been very great encouragement, and so many evidences of the Father’s love and care that the predominant note throughout had been one of thankfulness and praise to God for answered prayers. The great work on which Ramabai had been engaged for some time—viz., the translation of tho New Testament —had been accomplished. Part of tho Old Testament was done, but it would take a year or two to finish. Her object in finishing the New Testament was to get the Gospel into every home in the Marathi country. The estimated population was 20,000,000, and allowing one copy to every 10 persons meant the printing of 2,000,000 copies;. This she had undertaken to do. This great work, to be accomplished at the Mukti printing press, would Lake two years or more. We should thank the Lord for aiding her in this undertaking, and pray that she may be enabled to do it quickly, so that every home may soon have the Word of God in it. Another great work Ramabai had set her heart upon was the sending out of bands of workers for milage work. There were at present five Gospel bands from Mukti working in different places under different European workers Misses M‘Gregor, Boes, Stroberg, Glover, and others. The letters received from them had been very encouraging. In addition to these there were bands sent out daily to the villages nearer to Mukti, and young people were at work all day long in the Gospel tent preaching to those who daily passed their gates. As many as 700 passed in two hours. A band of trained workers, young women, and married couples han Mukti joined Miss Abrams in the mission opened by her, situated on the border of Nepal, and they had been at work for a year. In a letter from one of the workers, John Paul, he said this was a most important station, with wonderful opportunities, and workers were needed everywhere. Ramabai had been able to secure a piece of land at Supa, where Miss M‘Gregor and others had started a day and Sundayschool for the children. During the year Miss Scott was married to Mr Abraham Lind. They were now leaving Mukti and going up to the central province to open a new mission station for the Mardia people, one of the neglected hill tribes. Mr Bruers, the Mukti pastor, had returned to Mukti, •He said ho could see great opportunities for usefulness there. There were 1,400 souls being prepared for their life-work. The mission had villages to the north, south, cast, and west. “Virgin soil in all directions stands with outstretched arms, crying ‘ Come over and help us.’ The outcasts are now accessible, and thousands are turning to Christ in different parts of the Empire. Light and truth are going forth from Mukti and hundreds of other centres of India. Workers are going out, and shall continue to go in larger numbers, into the distant villages and towns, and the precious seed sown shall yet produce an abundant harvest.” The trading report stated that the mission had great cause for thankfulness for so many willing workers assisting in this branch of the work. Not only helping at special sales, but selling goods throughout the year in many parts of the Dominion, holding little drawing room sales, and in other ways helping on the work. The secretary of the department stated : “ As I have not been able to hold so many sales in the large centres this year I could not have accomplished what has been done without the help of so many workers. We had only three sales this year—at Dunedin, Oamaru, and Christchurch. They were very successful, we being able to forward £3OO cash to Ramabai, also six cases c* goods suitable for the workers and inmates of Mukti Mission Home, costing £532; total, £652. Last year altogether 10 cases and 3 parcels were sent from New Zealand. In a letter from Manoramabai she said that they were able to give a Christmas gift to every member of their large family, and that in addition to this they were able to give a gift to 1,300 heathen who came to the church on Christmas Day. They all went away delighted. In speaking of tho 1,500 heathen, Ramabai .said: ‘Only a few years ago the Marathis and the Mahal'S hero would not so much as drink water in the same field : yet we had 1,300 men, women, and children, high cast, low cast, outcast, and, no cast, altogether listening to the Gospel and returning delighted with their small present.’ Was this not a good investment? Wo are believing for more boxes going out this year, so that all who come may have a present. Ramabai’s heart is so large that, not content with her own household being satisfied, she must help the helpless and needy as far as her arms can reach.” The treasurer’s report showed that donations to the general fund totalled £132, and collections from the mite boxes £256. The trading receipts had been £ooo. After starting tho year with a credit balance of £44 they now had a credit of £4l. Mr Leslie said that the receipts had been somewhat less than tho previous year, but the remittances to Ramabai from tho general fund were £BB less than the previous year. They had not had some expenses they had had in the previous year. In the receipts for tho coming year there would bo included some £2O as a donation from the late Airs Fraser’s estate. There were in all some £4OO to come from this source, and he had received intimation that some £l5O had been bequeathed from another estate, £SO being available almost immediately. The mite box statement showed the principal contributing cities to be:Dunedin £46, Christchurch £2l, Waikaka Valley £l6, Auckland £ls. Wellington £ls, Wanganui £l4, Waihi £l2, Palmerston North £l2. Total contributions were £256 14s 4d._ Mr G. Gibson, in moving the adoption of the reports, said that all over the world societies were recognising the necessity of training and equipping the natives, and sending them forth with the Gospel to their countrymen and women. This did not interfere in lessening the necessity of others going out. There would always be that necessity. He thought, however, that the problem of taking tho Gospel to the heathen really lay with the native Church. Ramabai and her helpers had shown a practical example. Her- work called for sympathy and prayer. The motion was earned. The Rev. W. Perry then delivered an interesting address, dwelling upon the necessity of missions. ,