China Inland Mission.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5256, 11 May 1895, Page 8

China Inland Mission.

A meeting was held in the rooms of the Toung Men's Christian Association, last night, to bid farewell to Misa Searell, who is about to go to Chefoo in connection with the China Inland Mission. * There was an attendance of about fifty, and the Eev B. Erwin presided. The proceedings were largely devotional. Mr George Nicoll, a missionary who has^ laboured for twenty years in China, said that though Miss Searell had had to wait a long time after offering herself for the work ere sho was able to leave for China, not only was she now about to go, but tho 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. Ho gave several interesting particulars of tbe work of the China Inland Mission, and said that very few of its missionaries had had to leave thoir stations owing to the late war. The missionaries were strictly enjoined to rely on the divine protection, rather than on that of the Chinese and their own Governments, and were forbidden to make, on their own responsibility, direot appsals to consuls or authorities. Miss Searell was going to special work in the school established by the mission at Chefoo for the education of the children of the missionaries, who had suffered much through their children that had been sent 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. Miss Searell said that she was very elad that Mr Erwin was presiding, for bis worda, at a missionary gathering about eix years ago, on the needs of China, had firat kindled in her a wish to engage in the work she was about to undertake. She related tho aeries of circumstances which had led to the fulfilment of that desire. She spoke fervently of the privilege of devoting oneself to thia work, and of giving up one's relatives, and appealed for the prayers of her friends for the children and for herself.