The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1913, Page 94

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94

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Items from Bethlehem, New Orleans, La.

Sunday, October 26, our Bethlehem congrega-
tion celebrated the annual Reformation Festival.
The congregation decided that the day should be
one of special thanksgiving and thank-offering.
Bethlehem especially has every reason to give thanks
and much opportunity to offer thanks. During the
summer our school-building was enlarged to four
rooms. ‘These rooms are now filling up with chil-
dren. Up to date, 275 are enrolled, and they are
still coming on each successive Monday morning.
Should this not be accounted a good reason, indeed,
among Christians for special thanksgiving? But
the opportunity is also there for a thank-offering.
Of the total cost of enlarging the school, the con-
gregation has shouldered $500.00. Of this $100.00
was collected during the year in advance. But this
still leaves us a deficit of $400.00. ‘The congrega-
tion resolved that on Reformation Sunday, with the
help of God, this deficit should be greatly reduced.
A special envelope was printed for the occasion.
Three rules were printed on them to guide us in
our giving: “1. Let us all give something. 2. Let
us all give as much as we possibly can. 3. Let us
give what we give cheerfully.”

Reformation Sunday came. Many envelopes
were returned. Some members gave $5.00, others
$1.00. Thus the goodly sum of $62.00 was collected
toward paying off our deficit. A number of mem-
bers promised to bring their envelopes later, when
they would be better able to lay by them in store.

There is love for a Christian school in Beth-
lehem.’ Our members are ever ready to work and
give for it. And they will not cease until the deficit
will have been wiped out. Not to beautify their
church, but to build their school, that was the ob-
ject of their giving, and that in many cases not
for children of their own, but for strangers. For
our young people were among those that gave, and
. they were headed by grandfathers and grandmothers.
As long as such love for our school is to be found
among us, it will be well with our church, and
children and children’s children will reap the bless-
ing thereof.

Our old friend from Evansville, Ind., eho two
years ago helped us increase the capacity of our
school by donating $50.00, lately sent us a check
again for the same amount. Many thanks to him.
May God bless him for it!

Perhaps there is one or the other of our Petar
teaders who has forgotten all about giving some-

¢

thing for Bethlehem School. Let him be aroused
by these examples, and make his gift now all the
greater. How it would encourage our Mission
Board! Just think of it, 275 children in a Chris-
tian school, where they hear of their Savior and
are brought to Him as His tender lambs! Can
any of us stand by indifferently, and refuse to lend
a helping hand? Not if we ourselves love that
Savior. — Christmas is coming. Let our gifts for
the mission come with this joyful festival, and our
joy will be all the greater. G. M. Kramer.

Items from the Foreign Mission of the
Missouri Synod.

Mrs. Theo. Guiknecht, of Nagercoil, took sick
with malaria, and was obliged to go to our Moun-
tain Home. May the Lord grant her a speedy re-
covery !

Our missionary conferences in India are busily
at work translating our Synodical Catechism into
the Tamil language.

Missionary H. Nau will during the coming
months use most of his time for translating parts
of the Liturgy, the Catechism, and a selection of
Lutheran hymns into Malayalim, the language
spoken in Trivandrum and vicinity. Rev. Nau be-
gan this work last year by publishing a revised and
amended edition of a translation of Luther’s Small
Catechism published by the Basel Mission. ‘This
translation was not only very faulty, but in many
places the text was actually corrupted.

On September 25, the home of Missionary Nau-
mann in Krishnagiri was brightened by the arrival
of a little daughter. And Missionary H. Stallmann
reports that on October 3 the stork left a bouncing
baby boy at his residence at Ambur II. Hearty
congratulations !

On August 3, Missionary G. Huebener, of Nager-
coil, had the rare privilege of baptizing 15 persons
at Kandanguli, one of his outstations. :

The “Famine Fund” of our mission is empty!
As want, if not actual famine, is at all times more
or less present in India, such a fund is a necessity.
Will you, dear reader, remember this fund’ on
Thanksgiving Day?

The plans for our Mission Seminary (Institute)
at Nagercoil came to hand and were, in the main;
approved by the Board. It will have two stories,
and its dimensions, including verandas, will be
1293014 feet. ‘The walls of the lower story will