The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1897, Page 6

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6 The Lutheran Pioneer.

A Mission in Namaqualand.

The early liistory of missions among the
heathen is a subject of permanent interest
and benefit to all who are in truth praying
and laboring for the coming and extension of
Christ’s Kingdom. The self-denial, patient
endurance, unswerving devotion and heroism
of many of the early missionaries on pagan
soil will ever remain a source of inspiration
and stimulation to Christian workers in all
spheres. Let me invite your attention to a
bit of history touching the beginning and
growth of a mission in South Africa.

Early in the present century Rev. Barnabas
Shaw was sent out by one of the missionary
societies of England to begin mission work in
Cape Colony. The governor of the province
refused to grant the missionary permission to
preach, and so the
latter sought an-
other field of labor
further north. Inthe
fall of 1815 Rev.
Shaw, accompanied
by another mission-
ary by the name of
Schmelen, with their
families and sup-
plies, set out on
their long journey
toward Great Nama-
qualand. On their
way they were un-
expectedly met by
the chief of Little
Namaqualand who,

accompanied by
four men, was going
to Cape Town to
seek for a Christian
teacher, so that his
tribe, like others,
might enjoy the advantages which he had
seen follow the introduction of the Gospel.
Rey. Shaw agreed to go with the chief to his

- mountain home and to remain with him and

his people, while the other missionary con-
tinued his journey into Great Namaqualand.
After traveling about three weeks the chief
and his party reached Lily Fountain, the prin-
cipal home of the chief of the tribe of Little
Namaquas. As the wagon ascended the moun-
tain, and long before it reached the ‘‘great
place,”’ they were met by a party of more
than twenty natives mounted on oxen, and

- riding at full gallop, who had heard the good

news and had thus come to welcome their
teacher, and especially to have a good look
at the missionary’s wife, whom they surveyed
with reverence and awe, never having seen
ft white woman before. On reaching the end
of the journey a council was held by the chief
and his head men, when they all entreated

_ the missionary to remain with them and teach

‘them, promising to assist him in every possible
Way in establishing 2 mission. Rey. Shaw,

therefore, began at once to lay the foundations
of a mission which, from that day to this, has
continued to exercise a most beneficial influ-
ence on all around: He preached in the open
air, and taught both young and old the ele-
ments of religion and the use of letters, by
which they might read for themselves the
Word of God.

It was hard and trying work, and required

much patience; but labor, prayer, faith and |

perseverance were at length crowned with
success. A number of children and young
people learned to read, and a little congre-
gation was formed.

Let us here pause to take a look at one of
the members of this young Namaqua congre-
gation, one in whom was realized and exem-
plified the word of the psalmist: ‘‘I will de-
clare Thy name unto my brethren; in the

The Missionary’s Arrival,

midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.”’
Andrew Orang was an evangelist of the true
type, an humble, but faithful witness unto
Christ. Though fifty years old and blind in
one eye, he undertook the arduous task of
learning to read. He made diligent use of
the primer and advanced rapidly until he was
able to read the New Testament. He came
to the missionary one day and, by way of ex-
hibiting a sample of his proficiency, read from
1 John 3, 1—8: ‘*Behold, what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God;’’ until
he came to the words: ‘or this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil,’”? when he
looked up and asked the missionary: ‘‘Can
I go out now and preach?” ‘What would
you preach, Andrew?’ inquired the mission-
ary. He replied: ‘I meet many persons who
have never heard such beautiful words as I
haye read. They don’t know that Jesus
Christ came into the world to destroy the
works of the devil. May I not go to them

and explain to them that Jesus is come to
save sinners?’’

Of course, the missionary did not think of
forbidding this loyal disciple to bear such
faithful testimony to the great Shepherd and
Bishop of souls. And so, with the instruction
and encouragement of the missionary, Andrew
went forth, with the New Testament under
his arm and love toward his ignorant and de-
graded fellow countrymen in his heart, and
preached to them which sat in the region and
shadow of death, Christ, and Him crucified.
And in the course of events it appeared that
he did not preach in vain.

Several years later Rev. Shaw had occasion
to visit Cape Town. On his return trip an
old slave approached his wagon and asked
for a hymn book. In reply to the question
as to whether he was able to read he took
from his leather wal-
let a school book and
read: ‘‘God soloved
the world, that He
gave His only be-
gotten Son, that
whosoever believeth
in Him should not
perish, but have ev-
erlasting life.’’ The

missionary asked

him who had been
his teacher, and the
man-then told the
following story :

‘Some time ago
my master hired one
of your Namaquas
to serve as shep-
herd. When he came
among us we knew
nothing either about
God or of prayer,
but he began to sing
and pray with us every morning. ‘Then he
read to us out of the Book and told us about
Jesus Christ. The words pleased me so much
that I wanted to learn to read for myself. He
taught me and gave me books; but now the
hymn book is old and worn off, so that one
can hardly read the words. I would like to
have another one. Our teacher has left us
and gone to another town, but we continue
to sing and pray daily. Some others among
the slaves haye also begun to pray and desire
to become Christians.’’

The teacher of whom this man spoke was
none other than Andrew Orang. ‘Ten years
afterwards Rey. Shaw passed through this
place again, and the same slave met him.
This time he begged for 2 New Testament.
‘Andrew, my teacher, is dead,’’ he said;
“T am at present using his Bible, but his
widow has refused to give it up and let me
keep it.’? He received a Bible and continued,
4s a true disciple of Andrew Orang, to labor
in the Word among his fellow servants.

As the civilizing influences of Christianity