IN THE FRONT LINE

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 30, Issue 12, 1 February 1940, Page 6

IN THE FRONT LINE

Church Fighting for Christ m Many Fields

HOLY BIBLES IN DEMAND.

CHINA. Effects of Air-raids. — Miss B. Tobirt writes from Kweilin:— Owing to the air-raids, the Government wants as 1 many people as possible to evacuate.. A good many have gone, including many of our Christian women. Someleave their children there, and return at intervals for a little church fellowship; our hearts are gladdened by~ news of village women beginning tolearn a little of the "Jesus Way." 1 One began so simply with daily Bible: reading and prayer with her children and a simple Grace before meals.. Now at least one woman comes regularly to listen to the reading and easy explanation; other come quiteoften. One of our women workers has: been m another village for sometime. She preaches m the marketplace, has over thirty women and children coming for regular teaching: (they are reading their sixth book) r and has a simple form of service ©rt Sundays.

A third woman came to me one day for Gospels and tracts to use m the/village where she has taken refuge. Fortunately, a good supply of both had reached us a few days before. We sell a good many Gospels. There has been a demand for Bibles, too, but mostly on the part of Christian refugees who made a hurried flight from their homes and did not bring their Bibles along. These last two weeks we have dropped our children's and women's meetings, though teaching of individuals goes on as opportunity permits. I hope one woman 1 will be confirmed next Sunday. She was baptised two years ago m Hanking, and since then has been working m different places where there is no Shen Kung Hing. The Bishop had confirmation services here m January and May, but she was not here m time for the first and just a few weeks before his May visit she left for a teaching job some thirty miles away and could not get leave of absence so soon. Three women, two of them educated, were admitted as catechumens a fortnight ago. INDIA. A Pastor Without Salary.— Rev. . J. .E. Jones has written from Chapra .giving the following account of a native pastor m his district: — I want to tell you a word or two" about our native Pastor. He is a :remarkable man. When he was a : youth m Calcutta he- wished to become a Christian, for he was a Brahmin by birth — one of the aristocrats of the Hindu religion — but his father prevented him, and brought him back to his village. Then he fell seriously ill, and as a last report was taken to the C.M.S. Mission Hospital at Ranaghat, about 30 miles from Chapra. Here he slowly recovered, and felt that God had brought him once again into the Christian Society. In the meantime, his father died, so he was free to •change his faith. You know that when a man openly embraces the •Christian Faith he is normally driven out of his family home, and ostracised by his relations. He was baptised at -the age of 19, and later joined an

Indian Brotherhood of high Church principles. Within this St. Andrew's Brotherhood at Haluaghat he was ordained to the priesthood of our Church, and remained there for 14 years. Then he joined the Rev. Das Harford m the Asram (or School of Peace) at Meherpur. It is a wonderfully peaceful place, just 30 miles north of this. Here, m the quiet atmosphere of prayer, he spent three years, often taking quiet days and doing a good deal of translating work besides. Now he has left the Asram and come into the stress and strain life. He possesses nothing whatever except a few clothes and a bicycle. He goes about barefooted at all seasons and anywhere. He receives no stipend for his work, but goes round from house to house for his meals, a day with each family m order. It is an entirely new experiment, and so far it has worked. A truly remarkable man, isn't he? I know him fairly well, because he was a pundit m the Language School of last year, and has a good knowledge of English. MELANESIA The "Southern Cross" arrived m Auckland early m December bringing the Rev. H. V. C. Reynolds, the Rev. J. P. Nana, Mr P. B. Armitage, Miss Nancy Armstrong and Sister P. E. McKenzie, Sister Phyllis Talbot, Henry Mabe and George Rasile. The last two. are going to Te Aute College this year for general education. Sister McKenzie is, unfortunately, retiring from the Mission. The "Southern Cross" will remain m New Zealand waters till April or May next. A tour of some of the ports is being arranged, but cannot be settled until the arrival of Bishop Baddeley, which will be some time m January. POLYNESIA A New Hostel. — This is a building project which has been talked about for nearly 10 years, and only three years ago I told the ladies of St. Mary's School that, if they could raise £300 m three years, then the building would be undertaken. It seemed an impossible request to make of them, but they have accomplished that and a little more. The

contract for the building was signed last month, and an undertaking given that it will be completed some time m April next. The diocese had already m hand a sum towards the cost, and the H. and W. Williams' Memorial Trust have generously donated a further amount, the C.S.R. Co. is helping by providing metal for concrete and the Government has doubled the amount. FINANCE. . .Still slightly ahead.— The figures m the columns below show the Diocesan Contributions to 31st December lasthalf way through our financial year. The increase of £ 190 over the previous year will be noticed with satisfaction. But, we will all have it m mind that the war is likely to make things harder for us. This means that those among us who work and pray for this cause must be the more earnest and persevering m both matters: we must work harder than ever, and pray with increased faith for God's blessing on our efforts. And those who give already must surely give more, m order to make up for those who perhaps cannot give their usual amount this year. This war time must not be taken as an excuse for slackening m our aid or efforts, but rather as a reason for increasing them. Is not God judging the world m some way, by this awful war? Do we not all recognise that the war is the outcome of selfishness and sin? Is it not part of the struggle between righteousness and unrighteous—between Christ and Satan? Arid as such it is not a part of our effort to spread Christ's Kingdom on the earth. Even so, there is no difference, save m method, between this war and missionary work. Both are for the furtherance of Christ's Kingdom. To starve one, for the sake of the other would be as foolish as it would be wrong. So let none of us say we cannot give to Missions owing to the claims of the war. Let us serve Christ reasonably. He will value bur co-operation the more. His Kingdom m the Mission field must be pressed on as firmly and as fervently as we fight the war, and we all knqw that we must do that to the utmost of our power, and at great but willing

Sacrifice erf our many comforts and pleasures; Let us all continue to work, pray and give fervently. DIOCESAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO 31st DECEMBER, 1939.

1939 .1938 £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland 444 13 10 596 6 5 Christchurch 840 15 1 628 11 7 Dunedin 461 11 6 379 13 11 Nelson 446 10 5 291 18 5 Waiapu 361 2 5 472 311 Waikato 139 18 6 96 11 10 Wellington 738 10 5 768 15 4 Extra Diocesan 2 14 6 11 18 5 3435 16 8 3245 19 10