MISSION WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 23 November 1938, Page 8

MISSION WORK

VISIT OF MR X. C. LUMSDEN LECTURE THIS EVENING Mr X. C. Lunisden of Melbourne, who h well known in Australia as an interdenominational evangelist and preacher, is visiting New Zealand in the interests of (lie Unevangelized Fields Mission of which society lie is the general secretary for Australia and New Zealand. Mr Lu/nsden will lecture at the Marsden Church House this evening, and at the Tahunauui town hall to-morrow. A very fine collection of coloured pictures will be shown. All interested are heartily invited. ihe workers of this mission are found among the Redskin Indians in the wilds o: Brazil, in the interior of Africa where many tribes are still pagan, and now have recently opened stations in the iu- | •erior of New Guinea. Mr Lunisden has i visited this latter field, travelling up the j great Fly River, visiting many villages, sleeping in native huts, and getting into close touch with these primitive people. 1 i one village of 200 people, when new* came that missionaries had entered the h ly River and were stationed some miles further down, these villagers built a church which would accommodate every person in the place, and also a Mission house. Then a request was sent that havin.w all in readiness a missionary might be | sent to them, to? seven months a young man was there preaching the Gospel, teaching a daily school of children, and tending to their sick, but on the morning when Mr Lunisden visited that village the elders were called into the church and told that because of the shortage of workers and larger populations claiming the preachers, no longer could one be spared for that comparatively small village. Ihese foik were bitterly disappoint, ed "If this message is so important and w have only just begun to hear and understand it, surely you will not leave us.” *et now for more than three years that church and Mission house has been vacant, a striking illustration of the Master's words, ‘ The harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers are few.”

It is to appeal on behalf of the thousands in Papua who have never yet heard the message of the Gospel, that Mr Lumaden is visiting New Zealand.

During the past seven weeks in which he has been touring in the North Island several young men have interviewed him with the purpose of devoting their lives to this field of service.