The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 85

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

A Little Girl Missionary.

An Englishman with his family once went into
the country some distance from Bombay, in India,
for the sake of his health. His little girl, accom-
panied by an old native servant, often went into
the forest, where there was a small temple with a
small stone image, or idol.

As often as they came near the temple, the old
servant worshiped the idol. Once when he had
done this, the child asked him in her innocent way:
“Soamy, why did you do that?’ He answered,
“Oh, Miss, that is my
god.’’ ‘‘Your god, your
god, Soamy?’’ said the
little girl; ‘‘your god can-
not even see orhear; your
godisastone. My God
sees and hears every-
thing.’’

But as often as they
cametothat place, Soamy
never failed to worship,
and the child never failed
to rebuke him for his
idolatry. Nevertheless he
loved the girl very dearly,
and when he heard that
she was going back to
Europe, he said to her,
‘“What will poor Soamy
do when Miss goes to
England? Soamy has no
father nor mother any-
more.’’ She replied im-
mediately, ‘‘O Soamy, if
you would love my God,
He would be father and
mother to you. He will
care for you.’’

The old man promised with tears in his eyes
that he would love her God. Then said she, ‘“You
must learn my prayers.’? And she really taught
him the Lord’s Prayer, the Three Articles of Faith,
and her morning and evening prayers. Once when
the family was holding its morning devotions, Soamy
of his own accord walked quietly into the room, re-
moved his turban from his head, and repeated the
Lord’s Prayer after the master. From this time on
there was a visible change in his manner. He was
very anxious to learn English, so he could read the
Bible. He soon became a firm Christian, lived a
good life, and never again stood before a stone idol,
Saying, ‘‘That is my god.”’

Rev. Prof. N. J. Bakke.

85

Twenty-five Years in the Mission Service.

Twenty-five years ago, on November7, 1880, the
Rey. N. J. Bakke, our oldest missionary among the
colored people, was ordained for the ministry at
St. Louis, Mo., and soon after entered the mission
field. Ever since that time he has been laboring
faithfully among the colored people, during the first
years in New Orleans and later in North Carolina.
He is at present visitor of all the mission stations’
in North Carolina and president of Immanuel Col-
lege at Greensboro, our institution in which colored
preachers and teachers
are to be trained for the
mission field. God has
graciously been with His
servant in days of joy and
of sorrow, and has richly
blessed his labors in
church and school.

Twenty-five years in
the mission service! This
is cause for congratula-
tions, and these we and,
no doubt, all our readers
most heartily tender to
our beloved missionary.
With him we thankfully
acknowledge God’s bless-
ing upon his work in the
past and pray for con-
tinued blessing in the
future.

‘Praise ye the Lord.
O give thanks unto the
Lord; for He is good; for
His mercy endureth for-
ever,’’ Ps. 106, 1.

Shine as Lights. Phil. 2, 15.

A traveler visiting the lighthouse of Calais said
to the keeper, ‘‘But what if one of your lights should
go out at night?”

“Never! impossible!’’ he cried. ‘‘Sir, yonder
are ships sailing to all parts of the world. If to-
night one of my burners were out, in six months I
should hear from America or India, saying that on
such a night the lights of the Calais lighthouse gave
no warning, and some vessel had been wrecked.’’

Would that all Christians felt as deeply the re-
sponsibility that rests upon them as lights in the
world.