MISSIONARY WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 127, 30 May 1944, Page 4

MISSIONARY WORK

TRIBUTE TO LOYALTY OF SOLOMON ISLANDERS Tributp to the loyalty and devotion to duty of the natives of the Solomon Islands was paid by the Rev. A. W. E. Silvester. Methodist missionary, in an address to the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday. He said when the war came to the Pacific their help and assistance had been invaluable to the British and American cause. Mr. Silvester was on Vella Lavella during the time it was occupied by the Japanese. The speaker referred to the natives, through their jungle knowledge and scoutcraft, outwitting the Japanese. During the anxious days of 1942 and early in 1943. Mr. Silvester said, he came to arjireciate the organisation and steadfastness ol the natives more than ever. On one occasion it was found necessary to make a perilous voyage of 60 miles across open sea to another island and back, and when he asked for volunteers for the task they were forthcoming immediately. The sea lane which had to be travelled was right in the path of Japanese barges and other craft, but the natives made it successfully. They had also been instrumental in saving the lives ot 2T4 naval personnel and Chinese from th» Japanese invaders. Mr. Silvester said the work of th* Methodist mission in the Solomons began on May 23, 1902. The honour of being first in the field was the Catholic Church, whose missionaries landed there in 1844. Of a band of 18, only five survived the fury of the natives of these days. Alter a lapse of more than 30‘years, the Catholic Church, began again in 1898. The speaker r ecalled the effort* ot Bishop Patterson and Selwyn in the early days, and extolled the work being accomplished on behalf of the natives by the various missionary societies. Speaking of his own mission. Mr. Silvester said it had made a great contribution to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the natives. Much had been accomplished in the educatixial field, and some natives had excelled in medical work. On completion of their medical training elsewhere. these natives had returned to th P islands, gone back to their people and assisted the missionaries in alleviating sufferings of their own people in th P island fastnesses. The heats and burdens endured by the missionaries had been well rewarded by the faithfulness of the natives to their religious training anrt devotion to duty. The vole of thanks was moved by Ven. Archdeacon J. R. Young.