Manutuke Mission Station.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XIV, Issue 12, 1 June 1924, Page 404

Manutuke Mission Station.

(Extract from the Report of the Mission House, Manutuke). In January I went to Napier for the Retreat, met Nurse Bartram and we came back to the Mission House, on January 28th. Having 1 the Mission House as a centre I was able to carry on full work with the exception of long- distance walking. The Mission House . each week proves to be more and more just what we needed, both for the work and our own comfort, and we are very happy m it. ' .. Classes. — Each morning the children come, to the Mission Room on their way to school for prayers, hymns and instruction. The number so far averages forty. Each Wednesday special children's Bible Class is held m the Manutuke school, when Miss Bartram takes the younger children and I am free to give more definite study and instruction to the older ones. The Sunday School at Manutuke shows a further increase m the number of scholars, and with Miss Bartram and the Maori girls I have a staff of four. Each Sunday morning I go to Muri"wai. Hitherto I had Sunday School only m the schoolhouse, but feeling that Muriwai needed more than the monthly service taken by Tureia, I decided to hold a children's service m. the Church, each week. In this ■way I have the parents and grown up members of the family, and I give them a special address, and then follow with children's instruction. The Result is we get more children, and

the Church, for- the first time, is beautifully kept.;. ; Each Thursday we, both go to Mur iwai to , . give instruction m , the day school and spend the day visiting the people. , Once a month when Tureia goes to ifuriwai I am free. I then leave Nurse Bartram m charge of the Manutuke Sunday School and go to Waihirere, a Maori, pa some eighteen miifes away. where I also have a children's service m .jth,e ; Church when the. adults attend as well as ;: the children. The service" / is 1 ; 1 taken - ? m Maori.-. - ! '- .■':-.".'.;.'' '■ > . i '\ > v : ;. : i " .''■: ' ■'■.: The Mission Rooi^' is open each evening, and the people, come : ! very freely. On two separate evenings we have the boys and girls for garnet. We close at 9 p.m. with prayers. Once a week, qn Tuesdays the Maori women come for sewing, and, at the close of this we have a short. Intercession Service. Choir practice is held each Friday. On Tuesday the men— some of whom are returned soldiers— come for a social evening— games and reading. Tureia is always present and takes prayers and reading m Maori for them. Later on out of this .we hope to form a Men's Bible Class which will be taken by Tureia. Our annual Sale of Work m aid of the Maori Mission was held last week. The proceeds were handed m to the Church funds, a portion being given to the Mission Room for a much needed library. The Sunday School prize giving for the Muriwai and Manutuke schools was held m February. Every spare afternoon we visit to-g-ether m the pa. I also visit the Hospital m Gisborne regularly. I am preparing two girls here, for confirmation, and there are two more preparing at Waihirere. Canon Williams is holding a Mission m Manutuke from May 11th to 18th and I am hoping that one result will be more boys and adults coming forward for Confirmation. I should like to say how thankful I am to have Nurse Bartram, who m every way proves specially fitted for the place and the people. .