UNITED PRATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21266, 21 February 1931, Page 20

UNITED PRATES.

WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DAY. In connection with the world-wide day of prayer arranged by the Women’s International Board of Missions, a combined intercessory meeting for women was held in the Y.W.C.A. Hall yesterday, when representatives of various missionary societies met to tell something of the work in their various spheres, and to unite in prayer for the great outstanding needs of the world .to-day. Mrs Hewitson presided at the morning session, apologis- \ ing for the absence of. Mrs Herrington, who was to have acted in .this capacity. She briefly outlined the objects of the meeting, stating that 36 different countries now participated in this day of intercession, and pointing out that in these days the need of that mighty lever, prayer, v/as greater than ever. To show how widespread the interest in missions is a list was read containing the names of .34 different interdominational and undenominational missions with repx-esentatives in Dunedin. Mrs W. Hamblett, for the Anglican missions, stated that they had representatives in most fields including Africa, Japan, North and South China, India, Ceylon, Polynesia and Melanesia (this being their special field), and also, amongst the Maoris. They had 60 New Zealand representatives working in the various fields, the New Zealand church contributing £12,000 annually for Maori, mission work and £20,000 for overseas. Mrs Anstice, for the Baptist Women’s Missionary Union (founded 27 years ago;, told of their work in the very difficult stations of East Bengal, with its huge population in 2400 scattered villages, which had to be visited by boats. They had nine representatives in this field, doing evangelistic, educational, and medical work, also an Indian doctor and an Indian church.

Miss Gardner told of the Egypt General Mission, founded in 1898 by a band of seven young men. ■ and now with 49 representatives in the field, stations established in seven chief centres, hospitals, schools, industrial works, homes and Scripture translation and distribution,, all working as a means to reach some of the 11,500,000 Moslems in Egypt. Mi’s Christensen, for the Church of Christ, told of their work in India, Tibet, China, Burma, and South Sea Islands, with special reference to the work in Rhodesia, South Africa, for which the New Zealand branch was responsible. Here, in three large kraals, they had seven representatives, assisted by 15 native workers, engaged in industrial, medical, educational, and evangelistic work. At Bulawayo three missionaries were working amongst the natives in the asbestos mines. In both these centres the teaching of farming was specialised. Mrs Searle, for the Congregationalists, spoke of the work of the great London Missionary Society, founded in 1795, and operating in Africa (where the name.of Livingstone will always be connected with its work), China, India, Madagascar, Samoa,. Papua, and New Guinea. In its many activities it ministered to 35,000,000 souls through a vast army of workers. Miss Jeffreys told of the founding of the British Syrian Mission 70 years ago when, after the Druse and Mohammedan massacres in Syria, 20,000 widows and orphans were left, and of the work started on their behalf by Mrs Bovjen Thomson, from which had grown the work of the British, Syrian Mission, with its large training college for girls at Beyrout its blind school, industrial work, and work amongst Syrian women generally. At the- afternoon session Mrs Hamblett presided. ■ Mrs Malcolm, of the China Inland Mission, told of its founding in 1866 to reach the interior of China when only about a dozen coastal ports were open to foreigners. She traced the inspiring story of. its development to the present day, when there are 1137 representatives on the field, established in 296 stations and 1700 out-stations, in 16 out of the 18 provinces in China, with a vast army of Chinese workers assisting, and with. an amount of four and a-quarter millions contributed to this work to the end of 1929.

Mrs G. Davies, apologising for the absence of Mrs Duke, told of the work of the New Zealand Methodists in the Western Solomon Islands, where medical, evangelistic, and educational work is.carried on, and where 10 sisters are supported by Methodist women, The wondferfnl. record of the Methodist’Maori Mission was also dealt 'with, special mention being made of the work amongst Maori girls working in Auckland.

Mrs Jamieson, for the Salvation Army, stated that they were working in every field which was open for work, one of their withdrawals being from Russia. She gave interesting details of work amongst the natives in South Africa, where the Army had established industrial faring for teaching trades and crafts to the natives. Mrs Bfugh' spoke for the Sudan United Mission, founded in 1904, whose aim was to place one strong station in every large tribe right across Africa. . Australian and New Zealand representatives were working on the eastern side, and English and American on the western side, with a gap of 1800 miles between. Interesting extracts from missionary letters were read and details of encouraging results given. Mrs H. Davies, of the Canton Villages Mission, spoke for the Presbyterians of their work amongst the Maoris and Chinese in New Zealand, and of work in the New Hebrides, and in India, with IS missionaries carrying on medical, child welfare, educational, industrial,, and evangelistic work. In China 15 missionaries were doing likewise, and a large amount of co-operative work was now being done by the different missions. Interspersed with all these very interesting details of world-wide work, special periods of intercession were held, when the various needs at home and abroad were made the subject of special petitions.

At both morning and afternoon sessions there were good attendances, and an atmosphere of mutual helpfulness that should go far to ensure the success of future fixtures, which it is hoped to arrange annually. The meeting concluded with votes of thanks to all assisting, special mention being made of the efforts of Mrs Herrington, Sister Jean, and Miss Gardner, to whose efforts the successful inaugural gathering were largely due.