# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1920_S46 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SPREE Ft STH Le Tee (SR eo. eee EE rr cee a The Lutheran Pioneer. , 45 The other three belong to the Minneapolis Mis- sion, One of them attends services every Sunday. Ife was confirmed in 1913. With joy he confessed his Savior and thankfully pressed the hands of his pastor for the instruction he received. In church A Challenge to Christians. In a certain Chinese city, with a population of half a million, ninety-five per cent. of the people are unable to read and write; fifty out of every hundred babies die be- fore they are a year old; of every hundred only two are born, live, and die with any real medical atten- tion. In this Chinese city, which is typical of dozens of others, the only bathing facilities are in public bath- houses, where it costs as much as the whole day’s wages of a coolie to rent, a jar of water and a_ towel. Under these circumstances it is not surprising to hear that only about one per cent. of the men ever bathe, while the women neyer do so. ‘The poor children of these cities know nothing about play. A wedding or a funeral in the family of the Lae ing class means ‘the expense of ¢ whole year’s wages. W hat a change the preaching of Christ’s Gospel would bring about in the social condition of these poor people, not to speak of the regen- eration it would work in the hearts of many now filled with the filth of sin and the darkness of heathen superstition! Surely, we must be’ up and doing. FJ... - G our Catechism with Luther’s explanation. In 1917 he was baptized in the name of Jesus unto the remission of sins. ‘Thereupon the sister applied for baptism. With the same zeal she took up,the study of the Bible and Catechism. We still can Chinese Christian Children. a friend also takes his hand and copies the signs made by the pastor, and thus Christ is preached to him who ean neither see nor hear. The other two are a brother and sister living with their aged mother. When we met them, neither of them had been baptized. At that time he still had some sight. Diligently he studied and memorized the six chief parts of First, the brother was instructed., remember how joyfully she recited Luther’s ex- planation of the’Second Article on her fingers. In 1918 also she was baptized. It was a day of great joy for her. She still speaks of it and rejoices in her baptism. ‘These two do not attend the monthly services in their city, but the following day the missionary wends his way to their humble home, where he is joyfully met by his deaf-blind wate , ‘ CeO