The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1924, Page 46

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46 The Lutheran Pioneer.
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from a far distant place] to us from your country
[your honorable country]. Our church [our humble
church], in accordance with your directions, has
Teceived these gifts, and is respectfully preserv-
ing them.

“We feel that you are a true believer, sincerely
serving the Lord, doing heavenly work for Him.
Besides exerting yourself in your labors in your
own country, you also, with equal love, think of
other Jands. You do not fear the oceans separating
us, but go to the trouble of presenting us with
numerous treasures. If it were not for your sin-
cere faith in the Word, this could not have taken
place. How could we ever forget your exalted
goodness [forget to think and to speak about it] ?

“We, the undersigned, have nothing wherewith
to repay you, except to pray God, our Lord, abun-
dantly to reward your righteousness [the righteous
man] with grace and peace, and thus spread abroad
the fame of your beautiful virtue. Furthermore,
that He will enlighten us with the Holy Ghost and
enable us to enjoy mutual fellowship in spite of
distance, and never to be separated unto eternity.
This is the fragrant incense and the sacrificial
tripod of our good wishes.

_ “Furthermore, we people at first did not know
how to follow the holy [Christian] doctrine. We
had to depend upon the various American pastors
who continuously promulgated the [Christian] doc-
trine in our midst, influencing and purifying us,
and animating our souls.

“Our church, now at the beginning, is still like
a young fledgling. The road to heaven is. long,
and there often are dangers and obstacles; so we
look forward to your writing us and helping us to
correct our shortcomings.

“We want to make it a point respectfully to
write you this letter in order to voice our sincere
thanks.

“Christmas is also approaching, so we pray our
Lord to bestow upon us jointly His blessed favors.

“We especially write this letter in order to greet
you with best wishes for your welfare and happi-
ness, and to send you our greetings for the festival.

“Yn the name of the Lutheran Church of
’ Shihnan, CHAN KAN-oH’ENG.

“(Also signed by) Jao Hsi-ju, Liu Yiieh-t/ing,
Hsii Shih-tuan, and Liu Li-chao. The 19th day of
the 12th month of the 12th year of the Chinese
Republic (December 19, 1923).” , ;

Shihnan, Hupeh, China.

i ArNnoLp H. GEBHARDT.

Items of Missionary Interest.

Mansoura, La.— The members of our Mansura
congregation are getting ready to put up a neat
iron fence in front of their church and parsonage.
The church and parsonage are also going to get a
new coat of paint. The painting will be done by
the members. —In Marxville, the seat of govern-
ment of Avoyelles Parish, La., and only a few miles
distant from our Mansura church, the Catholics
have recently opened a Colored church. 'The new
building here erected by the Romanists has helped
to call the attention of our Mansura people to the
needs of their property; hence the improvements
mentioned above !

Napoy,KoNvinLe, LA. — Director Drewes, on his
recent visit, arranged that certain necessary im-
provements be made about the mission property at
this place also.

Serma, AtA.— We should like to add a few
remarks to the article of Superintendent Schmidt
on the Alabama field with reference to the needs
of Selma. As we understand, the Board has made
arrangements that our Teachers’ Training-school at
this place is to get buildings of its own during this
summer. But no provision could so far be made
to supply the needs of the two promising mission-
places that have been opened in this thriving city
of 16,000 inhabitants. One of these mission-places
has found a temporary home in the rented quarters
of the Training-school, and the other is domiciled
in a dilapidated and most disreputable-looking
shack in the eastern part of the city. In this last-
named building 106 children are being taught by
two teachers under the most trying and discouraging
conditions. That these faithful workers should be
compelled to labor here under these conditions is
almost inexcusable, and ways and means should be
found to provide a suitable building. We are
reliably informed that a building could be erected
here for about $3,500. Should it not be possible
for our readers to help the Board in putting up
this needed building this summer? Pastor Cozart
is the missionary in charge. of the two Selma
stations. ; j

Burtpina OPERATIons. — Our rapidly expand-
ing Negro Missions, just because of their rapid ex-
pansion, are put in about the same awkward posi-
tion that a boy is in who is always outgrowing his
clothes and whose rapidly expanding limbs are ever
threatening to burst the seams of his coat and
trousers! For a while mama is able to mend the