PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 16 November 1937, Page 9

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

WOMEN’S MISSIONARY UNION

ANNUAL MEETING AT AUCKLAND The annua) meeting bf the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union -was held in St. David's Church, Auckland. There was a large attendance of delegates from all over New Zealand. The Rt. Rev. W. 11. Howes, Moderator of the General Assembly, presided and opened the meeting with devotional exercises. He expressed, appreciation of the work of the various branches and congratulated the. Union on What .had been accomplished. He then introduced Dr. A. L. Sutherland of Jagadhri, India, recently arrived on furlough. Dr. Sutherland in his address to the delegates gave a graphic description of hospital life in India, much of which was Good Samaritan work. The difficulties of medical work were many. Most of the work centred in the Jagadhri hospital, where there were 60 beds holding about 1000 in-patients each year, and an outpatient department registering an annual attendance of about 15,000. He was assisted in his work by Dr. Harvie, one New Zealand trained sister, Miss Elliott, and an Indian assistant. Besides these there were several untrained helpers, Many of the patients were too poor to pay even the smallest sum towards medical costs, and a large amount of disease was due to ignorance. But all the difficulties were compensated by the gratitude and joy shown by those who were healed, many of whom had given up hope of ever being well again. Hi spoke of the value of prevention work; of the greater opportunities of help owing to the increased scientific knowledge in medicine now available. To a non-Christian much of the work, said Dr.-Sutherland, would seem useless because of the seeming failure on occasions. The opportunities presenting themselves to medical niissionaries in India to-day are so wide that they hardly know him to cope with them. They need more space and extra equipment to meet the growing need. There is a wonderful opportunity fbr the church members in New Zealand to help, and Dr. Sutherland asked for praj'er that the Gospel heard by patients in hospital would bear fruit, leading them to the living Christ. I