Melanesian Mission.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 5, 1 November 1915, Page 60

Melanesian Mission.

Letter from the Bishop. Bishopscourt, Auckland, September 22nd, 1.915. My dear Readers, . You will be glad to hear how our prayers about Mota have been answered. A year ago a Mota boy at Norfolk Island asked us to pray for his people, as their hearts were being drawn back to the Suge, and they did not love Christ well. Hence the prayer on the Intercession leaflet. Then the ladies at Mota had their house broken into m their absence. I believe this is the first time such a thing- has happened m the Mission, unless m most, heathen surroundings. There was no shame or regret on the part of the people as a whole, though only a few to oik a share m the theft. I h°d thought of closing, the ladies' station last year, but Miss Cootni'be and Miss Cooper . urged me to let them go back. If the people were cold m their love, was not that the very reason why they should return and work amongst them ? This seemed sound reasoning. The love of God commended itself to mankind because, while we were yet m our sins and very coldhearted, God gave Himself for us. Then came Miss Coombe's illness, of which you have heard. I called

the people together m Church from all the villages and asked them to pray with me about 'her. Then I told them how their coldness had ; helped her illness, because it had weighed upon her and pulled her down before the fever touched her. I should hajve to take . her away. She had offered her life to serve them, and . whether God took her to Himself now or not, she had made the sacrifice. Her health would not allow of her staying m Mota. Miss Cooper was going to be married, so now there would be no white workers among them. They had not shown much care for them, so I supposed they did not mind. ' Then I walked round the island m two days, and collected the people of each village m turn, and asked them whether 'they, wished to have teachers, and to serve Christ, or whether they wished to return to their old ways. Each man was asked individually, and each replied that he wished to be a true Christian. Next I said that they must show more keenness. Christ needed a live Church, not a dead one. fyach man must show his desire by contributing a certain sum each year. (I forget now whether it was three or four shillings, but it was more than theyhad ever giyen : before.) The men individually agreed, and then the women agreed each to w-ork two kits a year, these to be reckoned at sixpence each m value. In six villages this was agreed to. In the seventh the slackness of morals had been great, and neither chief nor teacher had done ■' anything, so I said the Church was closed and the teacher removed. It so happen 2d that a recent gale had blown the school house to the ground, and 1 said this was a parable of their religious life. They begged me to leave them a teacher, and finally it was arranged that it they re-built the school they should have a teacher. . . Formerly, when the school was m bad repiair, the chief and teacher had refused to touch it unless they were well paid. Now, there was no talk of pay. . . I left the island and went north. When I returned, I found the school house re-built. And m three villages they had collected half the money required, and m the other three they had collected a third.

Hence, there was a fair test of their desire to do well. . We ,pray we may be able to give them a priest before long. But here is an answer to prayer, that sends us forward with new courage and with new faith m those who seem so listless. . I remain, Yours faithfully m Christ, CBCIIv' JOHN MELANESIA.