# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1931_S71 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) pee 70 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER (the latter sung by our blind boys). All expenses for decorations and presents were taken care of by special subscriptions, no subsidy being given by the mission for the Christmas celebration. These subscriptions amounted to about $90 in Chinese currency. On the 26th twenty-seven children -were bap- tized in the chapel in the city. Nine girls and eleven boys were from the city and vicinity; several of them were inmates of our orphanage. Seven boys came from Chi Li-ping, seven li [ca. 214 miles] east of Shihnan, where we have had a school for several years. On the 27th twenty children were baptized at Chin Lung-pa, a village thirty li [ten miles] south of Shihnan, where we also have a school. The celebration took place in a heathen temple, in which the school is housed. The idols were well covered for the occasion, and the temple was splendidly decorated in Christmas style. Thus in this house of idolatry the man-made idols yielded their place to the God-man in the manger! January, 1931. The new year, thanks to the Lord, brings to our mission-field a favorable change. The great war in China has come to a close, and although much is yet to be done, good efforts have been made by the government to overcome the Communists and the bandits. Since the beginning of January the Chinese Lutheran Witness is appearing every two weeks. Publication had been suspended ,for several years. Beginning with January, a series of sermons is also being printed. Hanxow. — Rey. Klein reports the following: Classes for illiterate Chinese have been opened at all chapels. The students of the Bible school for girls and the evangelists are the instructors. Thirty adults are preparing for baptism and four from other denominations for membership. The work of revising The Decalog, by Jesse, and translating The Creed, by the same author, and the Catechism Outlines of Dau is half done. All schools are run- ning in good order. Examinations for the term are being conducted. Rev. Klein is well pleased with the religious examinations. school-teachers is still being held every Saturday. Rey. Zschiegner conducts a course on church history and Rey. Klein a course in religion. SHAsi.—Rey. Zimmermann complains about the soldiers stationed at Shasi, stating that they shot _ at — luckily missing their mark — and beat up _ Mr. Liu, aged about fifty-five, as he was returning from Bible class one night; also, that a certain The class for, Mr. Peu and Mrs. Hisaizumi were arrested, though they were soon after released. Mrs. Hisaizumi is a Japanese lady belonging to our mission at Shasi. Plans are being made to open two new schools which at the same time are to serve as branch chapels. Miss Simon reports that she took care of 187 patients last December and 139 patients in January in the Shasi Dispensary. Icuanc.— It was necessary for Rev. Seltz to make a trip to Hankow to have some dental work done. Rev. Thode reports that peaceful conditions obtain at Ichang. A sailor, Mr. Hermel, a former student of our Fort Wayne Concordia, has been attending services at Ichang. However, since his gunboat, the U.S. S. Panay, left for Shanghai, he also has left for that city. Suruinayn. — At Chin Lung-pa two men of ad- vanced age were baptized, and the marriage of a young couple was solemnized by the missionary. A little girl of our orphanage died. She was given Christian burial. The inmates of our orphanage followed the usual custom of gathering for a service in the mission-home and of escorting the remains to the grave. A Sunday-school was opened on the first Sunday in January. The enrolment, inclusive of teachers, is about one hundred. The Communists, under the dreaded Heu Lung, caused considerable anxiety to the inhabitants of Shihnan and vicinity; but January passed with- out trouble from this source. The military officers took the precaution of sending their wives to Wanhsien, so that they would not need to worry about them while out fighting the Communists. The main body of Heu Lung’s troops appears to be still in Hunan, just south of Western Hupeh. Miss Oelschlaeger reports that during this month 208 patients were taken care of in the dispensary. She has four regular and ten enrolled pupils in her women’s class, three regular and five enrolled pupils in her girls’ class, and four regular pupils in her English class. THe Pusiicity CoMMITTEE, per R. J. MUELLER. General Conference of Our East India Missionaries at Nagercoil. Our India Mission work is carried on in three distinct “districts of Southern India, and conse- quently there are three district conferences — the Ambur Conference, the Nagercoil Conference, and