CHINA INLAND MISSION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10651, 11 May 1895, Page 3

CHINA INLAND MISSION.

A meeting waa held in the rooms of tha Young Men’s Christian Association, last night, to bid farewell to Miss Soared, who is about to go to Chefoo ia connection with the China Inland Mission. There was an attendance of about fifty, and the Ear K. Erwin presided. The proceedings were largely devotional. Mr George Nicoll, a missionary who has laboured for twenty years in China, said that though Misa Searall bad had to wait a long time after offering herself for the work ere aha waa able to leave for China, not only was she now about to go, but the three other sisters who had offered themselves would, ere long, be enabled to follow her. Councils in connection with the Mission had been established in Auckland and Dunedin, and they would greatly facilitate arrangements. He gave several interesting particulars of the work of tho China Inland Mission, and said that very few of its missionaries had had to leave their stations owing to the lata war. The missionaries were strictly enjoined to roly on tha divine protection, rather than on that of the Chinese and their own Governments, and were forbiddan to make, on their own responsibility, direct appeals to consuls or authorities. Miss Soarell waa going to special work in the school established by the mission at Chsfoo for the education of tha children of the missionaries, who bad suffered much ■ through their children that had been seat to other lands to be educated becoming in some cases estranged from them. He made an appeal for other workers to come forward and assist in the mission. ; Mias Searell eaid that she was very glad that Mr Erwin was presiding, for his words, at a missionary gathering about six years ago, on the needs of Chins, had first kindled in her a wish to engage in the work she was about to undertake. She related tha series of circumstances which had led to tha fulfilment of that desire. She spoke fervently of the privilege of devoting oneself to this work, and of giving up one’s relatives, and appealed for tha prayers of her friends for the children and for herself.