The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1916, Page 28

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

28

The Lutheran Pioneer.

neighbor, who had come to inform us that the roof
of the church was on fire. Mr. Coco was the first
to discover the fire, and had kindly hastened to
warn us of the danger we were in....A spark flying
out of the chimney and falling on the roof had
caused the fire. Having had‘no rain for some time,
the roof was quite dry, and easily caught fire. The
wind was also very high at the time, and soon the
whole roof was in a blaze. Every effort was made

by us to save the church, but from: the time that
the fire was discovered there’ was little hope of
quenching it. All the-men of the congregation were
in the fields, and by the time they arrived the fire
had gained: too ‘great a headway.

All that they

St. Paul’s Chapel, Mansura, Destroyed by Fire.

could do was to save as much of the furniture as
possible. They were able, by heroic efforts, to save
the following articles: four pews, the organ, a few
lamps, the communion ware, and the altar fur-
nishings. .

Our dear chapel is now a heap of ashes. Oh,
dear reader, if you tould have been here to see and
hear the schoolchildren and members erying and
lamenting over the loss of their chapel, you would
have been quickly convinced of the love they bore
towards their church and school. /

But while we were sorrowing, others were re-
joicing, especially the Catholics of -the neighbor-
hood. Some of them have already said, “This will
be the end of that old Lutheran: mission.” « .-,
- -However, let them laugh and make light of us:.
We know that God is with us*in our distress... We

sorrow not as do those who have no hope. God
moves in a mysterious way, but we are sure of His
love and goodness. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer,
“Thy will be done.” And so we will bear our cross
willingly, and patiently await His promised help.
We are very thankful to God that the wind was
blowing from the south, since this alone saved the
parsonage and our old friend Scott Normand’s
house. W. J. Tervaon.

Nore sy Eprror.— We are sure that all our
readers will agree with us in saying that our friends
in Mansura must be provided with a house of wor-
ship and school as soon as possible. At the present
time services, Sunday-school, and day-school are
held in the parsonage. But it is self-evident that
this arrangement can only be temporary. Our mem-
bers at Mansura fully realize this, and for this rea-
son have already decided to do all they can to
replace the destroyed chapel by a new structure as
soon as possible. ‘T'wo collectors are at work gather-
ing money for a new building. Seven members
have already subscribed $10 each. Others will fol-
low the good example. ‘But if it be remembered
that the boll weevil has for years been playing havoc
with the cotton crop, the main crop of our Man-
sura people, it becomes apparent that we shall have
to. help our stricken brethren in getting a
building. It is also very desirable that the
edifice be larger than the old one, in order that
the school may be given a separate room. ‘The
fact that the floor space of the former chapel was
more than half occupied by school-desks which could
not be conveniently used by the adult worshipers on
Sunday, has been a great inconvenience in the past.
It is estimated that an adequate building will cost
about $1,500. Of this sum about $800 probably
would have to be contributed by the white friends
of our Colored Mission. Who will help our faith-
ful Colored Lutherans of Mansura, poor in this
world’s goods; but rich in the Lord, that they may
soon have a new house of worship and school? May

new
new

God move many of our readers to cheerfully say, .

“T will!” F. J. L.

Items of Interest from Our Colored
Mission Field.

New OriLEans.— The Colored Mission Board

has «called Rev. J. 'T. Mueller, of Hubbell, Mich.,
as pastor of Mount Zion Station, to fill the vacancy
caused by the departure of Rev. Friedrich, who

|.