News and Views From the Waiapu Van

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 5, 1 July 1944, Page 10

News and Views From the Waiapu Van

(By Captain J..T, Withers, C.A., : "Together.") .

"Interviews".: A few callers. Tap! tap! "Come m." A boy stands at the door with a note that may send nic urgently anywhere m my 200 square miles of Urewera dis- , trict; or it may be any one of a score of t requests: "Will you please write— witness this form— explain

this letter— come and help me 'time' my, truck— Captain, the Jradio lhasi gone Wrong again, and the ' old man can't hear the war newsr— my child is very sick arid ,the District Nurse is not home-r-will you speak to my boy —I have obtained a telephone, will you please install it—the milking machine has gone wrong, and 'dad' is away." Just another job m the service of the Master, and done m His Name. As each is finished, an Evangelist gets a little closer to those he works amongst, and he frequently hears the words,"Gdd bless you, Captain." Some days begin with no definite programme. 8 a.m. usually brings the first caller, and 9 a.m. sees the day fully booked out with jobs that it is a delight to do— some really outside the scope of an evangelist. TTet, if the job is necessary, it is somehow done, and everyone is happy. ' ; ' v '. : '•■ -,:■.'. : ' : ;; :';[ ■■ •■ : ■ But sometimes it is like this:— He (swaying slightly): "I'll give you three hours .to get that caravan out of the Motor Gamp." I: "And if I ' don't?" He: "I'll come and break every window m it." I: "Thanks;. I'll come back and see you when you are sober." Nothing usually comes. of such incidents and they are forgotten by next visit, but m the case described I naturally remained near the van for, a while. Indifference, and sometimes active opposition, is sometimes to be expected from somequarters. It takes all sorts to make a world, arid some folk are very hard to help. Potted Experience.— A Saturday night dance is m progress at ourlocal Maori meeting-house. I arrive home at the van about 9 p.m. for a . quiet read before turning m for an early rest. -But though the lights; are on, there is a great silence m the big house. As I wander curiously over, here conies the dance prompter m a flurry: "Our orchestra has let us down; will you play?" I dislike Saturday dances, and previously; had already refused to play for this: dance. ' But the crowd is there, sitting disconsolately round the walls; they have no music at all, and, after all, it is a deserving cause. I think" of One who years ago gave up His rest day on the shores of Galilee to. help folk m need. Other members of our orchestra are there, but they will not play without me. With a grin, I unlock the piano and we play; till midnight. V - And the results? Sometimes taken for granted; sometimes indifference from those not directly concerned; sometimes opposition— but sometimes, too, a jewel like this: "We don't thank you, Captain; we thank the God who sent you here." The answer to all this is, of course, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto . • me.'" ;' •■ ■ '. ..' ■/ ; .■■