The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 31

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

31

NOTES.

Statistics or our CoLoreD Missions. — From
the Statistical Year Book of the Missouri Synod
we take the following statistics of our missions
among the colored people for the year 1905:—
Mission work was carried on at 28 stations: 19 in
North Carolina, 4 in Louisiana, 3 in Virginia, 1 in
Illinois, and 1 in Missouri. At the close of the
year, 30 laborers were at work in this mission field:
10 white and 5 colored pastors, 5 white and 4 col-
ored teachers, 1 white and 2 colored students;
1 white and 2 colored lady teachers. The mission
numbered 1751 souls, 787 communicant members,
209 voting members, and 1159 pupils in the day
schools. During the year $32,068.48 were received
for the mission treasury, of which sum our colored
congregations contributed $2064.68.

Crry Missions 1n St. Louris. — The latest re-
port of this mission has been kindly sent to us.
From it we learn that also in the past year God
has abundantly blessed the work of the laborers
in this important mission field. The Gospel of
the compassionate Savior was brought to the sick
and the dying in the hospitals, to the prisoners
in their prison cells, to the poor and the destitute
in their lowly homes, to the children of the poor
in the mission school. And the Gospel proved a
power of God, filling the hearts of many poor sin-
ners with sweet comfort and the blessed assurance
of salvation. Said a very sick person to the mis-
sionary: “Brother, I met you at the City Hospital
and heard you preach there. I am very sick and
sincerely desire your prayers.” “You are a wel-
come man,” said another, “because you bring ‘me
the Word of God, and that gives me comfort in my
trouble.” “The Word which you preach does me
more good than medicine,” said a sick woman to
the missionary in one of the hospitals. And when
the missionary spoke to a patient who was nearing
death, pointing her to Jesus and His merits as the
sinner’s only hope, and closing with the verse:
“T build my hope on nothing less than Jesus’ blood
and righteousness,” the woman added with great
joy: “That is the only thing to depend on in life
and in death.” A poor old man passing the mission
school was attracted by the song of the children:
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” The man entered the
schoolroom asking for that hymn, which, he said,
was to comfort him in the hour of death. The
teacher gladly gave him the printed hymn and also
a New Testament and our Lutheran Catechism.

The man received the books with great joy, thank-
ing the teacher with tears in his eyes.

The Great Day only will reveal all the good
done by the blessed work of City Missions, but
Christians will heartily thank God for permitting
us to see some of its fruits already in this life.

A Wetcomse Girr.— From our German mis-
sion paper we learn that our Colored Mission re-
cently received a valuable gift from the widow of
the late well-known Lutheran artist, Mr. Wehle,
of Milwaukee, Wis. Mrs. Wehle takes an active
interest in mission work, and has presented to our
Mission Board 10,000 large beautiful Bible pic-
tures from the estate of her late husband. They
are to be sold for the benefit of our Colored Mis-
sion. Some of the pictures may also be used to
adorn the chapels and schools of our colored people,
each picture reminding them of Christ and His
work for sinners.

NortH Caroriina. — Immanuel College at
Greensboro, N. C., we hear, is nearing completion.
The work has been somewhat hindered by the pro-
tracted rainy season; but the professors and stu-
dents will now soon have the joy of seeing the
sorely needed building finished, and we all will
rejoice with them, especially if the necessary funds
have all been paid in. May many more contribu-
tions be sent in for this worthy cause. “God loveth
a cheerful giver.”

The Rev. Lash and his people at Salisbury,
N. C., are glad that their chapel, which was de-
stroyed by a violent storm a year ago, is to be re-
built. ‘The work of rebuilding has already begun.

A Musstonary ror Arrioa.— From the Lu-
theran Herald we learn that a young man from
Eshowe, South Africa, has entered the college of
our Norwegian brethren at Decorah, Iowa, to pre-
pare himself for taking up the study of theology.
He was born in Africa, his father being a merchant
at Eshowe. He has studied in the school at his
home and has spent three years in England at-
tending school, frequently visiting Norway during
these three years. He speaks fluently Norwegian,
English, and the Zulu language, and intends to
enter the mission among the Zulus on completing
his studies.

Wuere Christ is, there must needs be joy of
heart and peace of conscience; for Christ is our
reconciliation, peace, life, and salvation. — Luther.