HANOVER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12783, 2 October 1903, Page 2

HANOVER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.

A meeting was held in tho Hanover Street Baptist Church last night to welcome home Miss Peters, a missionary, who is here for a few months on furlough. Tho Rev. W. Hay presided, and there was a good attendance.

The Rev. Mr liay, in a short speech, said it was unfortunate that the meeting clashed with tho _ Sunday school anniversary meetings, which were being held this week; otherwise tho attendance would have been larger. However, he could assure Miss Peters that it did not mean lack of interest in the splendid work slio was carrying 011 in conjunction with other missionaries in India. Miss Peters was far from strong when she returned, but the voyage home and her stay here had gone a good way towards recruiting her health. Sometimes lie was afraid they wero disposed to overlook the fact that the work their missionaries were doing was exceedingly difficult and discouraging. When thoy returned they should recoiyo all the encouragement and stimulus that it was possible to give them. Tho Rev. F. Shiner and Mr H. H. Driver then extended a hearty welcome home to Miss Peters—the former speaking on behalf of tho North-Hast Valley Church, and tho latter as secretary to tho'Baplist Missionary Society,

Miss Peters, in the course of a- short address, paid that they heard a good deal of talk at limes about tho sacrifices a missionary made; but the. greatest sacrifice, she thought, was friendship. Thoy could not mako friends of tho natives, oven of those of them who wore Christians, and they had to be kept at arm's length. The missionaries had two classes to deal with—the Hindus and the Mohammedans; and of these the

latter were much tho moro difficult to deal with. Miss Peters then gave some interesting particulars of the work being done in India- by Dr North and Miss Beckingsale, and asked that those who remained at home should encourage them by writing to them and praying for them. The speaker's remarks wero attentively listened to, and during tho evening it was announced by 'Mr Driver that it was proposed to arrange for Jlis3 Peters to give addresses in different parts of the colony during next vcar.

After' Mr M'L'aren and the Rev. Mr Hay had engaged in prayer another hymn was sung, and the meeting brought to a close.