# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S177
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Missions 177

iv: Wereas, The Fort Wayne Synod of 1941 resolved that a
‘survey be made of mission ‘opportunities in the ‘Hawaiian Is-
Jands; and —

~ +» WHereEas, This survey was made and is completed, be it
Resolved, That Synod grant the Secretary of Missions an op-
portunity to address the convention briefly on his visit to the
“Islands, which he made in company with the Director of Missions
of the @alifornia and Nevada District. - ;

a

Report of the Board of Foreign Missions
re (Memorial 410)

‘. When on December. 7, 1941, the radio reported the bombing
of Pearl. Harbor and therewith: our nation’s entry as combatant
‘into World: War II, the entire woth. of our Synod of necessity
was placed on a wartime footing. In occupied China our American
missionaries and their families became prisonérs of war, at the
mercy of the Japanese enemy. Before very long, J apanese planes.
bombed the ‘island of Ceylon and other sections of South India
near our mission stations. Any hope of early mission work in
the Philippine Islands vanished with the oncoming hordes of ‘the
enemy. Before long the rumor was current that foreign mission
work in general had come to a standstill and possibly would soon
die out altogether,

However, our Board of Foreign Missions can. state, with thanks
to the Lord of the Church, that all such frightening forebodings in
spite of almost three years of bitter warfare have become ground-
less. Today, as three years ago, we report constant’ successful
operation of our missionary, endeavor, although in China still in
a limited way, and urge our Synod not merely to continue energetic
support of our Foreign Missions, but. to be'ready for that day of
mercies when the Lord shall make wars to cease and throw open
the doors. now closed to us because of the war,

In looking back today to the early beginning of our foreign
mission endeavor in India, we cannot but thank God with burning
heart and lips for His exceedingly gracious blessing on our efforts
to bring the message of salvation to the heathen in the Orient.
As .is well known, we shall celebrate this year, if it pleases God,
the golden anniversary of our India Mission. It was on October 14,
1894, that our first missionaries, Theodor Naether and Franz Mohn,
were solemnly commissioned by us for their missionary tasks,
In spite of all our weaknesses, of much natural and instigated
enmity on the part of the non-Christians, of heavy losses of mis--
sionariés and national Indian co-workers. by reason of ‘two world!
wars and other causés, we view with astonishment and divine

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