The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 54

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54 :

The Lutheran Pioneer.

school in October. It was started in an old,
dilapidated hall, a very unsuitable place for a
church or school. Hence at an early date new
quarters were secured.

_ Simultaneously with the opening of our school
another one was opened in opposition td it. On
the first day the Rev. Ford enrolled only 5 scholars.
The enrollment went up, however, from day to day
until it reached 65.

Not only did our missionary meet with oppo-
sition in school, but at first he found it hard to
get a place to stay. But by the help of God, who
has promised: “My Word shall not return to me
yoid, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it,”
Is. 55, 11, it is now so different from what it was
at first. By a thorough Christian training of the
children the missionary has not only won the
hearts of the children and caused them to love
him, but he has won the parents also. Those who
were formerly against him now praise his school
as the best school conducted in these parts — and
want him back again.

On the evening of May 17, the undersigned
was called to the above place to address the school
on “The Christian Training of Children.” Our
missionary had prepared an elaborate program in
which 60 children took part. ‘The exercises were
held in one of the largest churches, in which about
350 were present. It was remarkable to hear those
children sing our Lutheran hymns which had been
taught them in school.

Rev. Ford has been preaching here regularly
once a month. Now that school is over, he hopes
to give more time to doing real missionary work.

. J. ALSTON.

The First Fruits at Greenville, N.C.

The 21st of April was a day of joy to the
Lutheran Christians and pastor of Greenville; for
on that day the preaching station which hitherto

had been carried on by holding divine services in“

Greenville, was organized into a permanent Lu-
theran’ congregation. ‘This event filled the mem-
bers and the missionary with an exceedingly great
joy, and awakened a holy and faithful zeal in their
prayer and work.

Still greater joy and gratitude to God for His
grace and blessings filled our hearts when, on the
26th of May, the newly organized congregation of
Greenville harvested her first fruits. ‘Three chil-

dren received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism,
and one boy, after having received the Sacrament
of Baptism, and one adult were given the hand of
fellowship and received as members, after a public
confession of their faith, a declaration of their
sincere willingness to become members of the con-
gregation, and a solemn promise to adhere to the
doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and.
to remain faithful to the same until death. After
the confirmation the newly confirmed members,
together with the other communicants, partook of
the Lord’s Supper.

Indeed, the members and pastor of our Green-
ville mission have much reason to rejoice and to
give thanks to God for the blessing which has
attended the preaching of His Word. Especially
do they praise and magnify the name of God that
He upheld them in their hope and trust in His
Word, in the most discouraging time, and during
bitter opposition on every side. ‘They labored,
trusting in the Lord’s promise that where His
Word is preached it will not return void. It is the
voice of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep
and brings them to the fold. Christ says: “And:
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice,” John 10, 16. The congregation looks for-
ward to another harvest of souls in the near future
which will be added to its number.

May God continue to hear the prayer of this
congregation and pastor, that many be brought to
the saving knowledge of the pure Gospel of Jesus
Christ! Cc. P. T.

A Missionary Offering by South Sea Islanders.

In The Miracles of Missions, the late Rev. Pier-
son thus describes an offering of the South Sea
Islanders for mission work:

On one occasion Missionary Williams explained
the manner in which English Christians raised
money to send the Gospel to the heathen, and the
natives expressed great regret at not having money
that they might help in the same good work of
causing the Word of God to grow. Missionary
Williams replied, “If you ‘have no money, you have
something that takes the place of money, something
to buy money with.” He then referred to the pigs
that he had brought to the island on his first visit,
and which had so increased that every family pos-
sessed them; and he suggested that if every family
in the island would set apart a pig for causing the