The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Sheet 173

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

in

_ Missionary Zeal. — In the Churches of West
Africa, under the care of the Disciples, almost one-
tenth of the members have been going out as mis-
sionaries to other tribes, although robbed and beaten
by those to whom they went.

‘In Gratitude for Missions.’’

Our Milwaukee city missionary relates : —

“Some time ago a man who had been wealthy in
his day was received as a patient in a large Mil-
waukee hospital. He had lost all his earthly belong-
ings and entered the hospital a poor man, friendless
and homeless. He refused to give his true name
because he did not want his friends and relatives to
know of his sad plight. He considered the institu-
tional missionary, Pastor E. Duemling, his one
friend in time of need. He soon realized that medi-
cal knowledge and skill were at an end and prepared
for a peaceful and blessed departure out of this
world. Shortly before his death he gave a sealed
envelope to the missionary sitting at his bedside
with the request to open the letter immediately after
he had buried him. He died and was given a Chris-
tian burial. Two men stood at his grave, Pastor
Duemling and the man who conveyed the body to
its last resting-place. On returning from the ceme-
tery, the letter was opened in the presence of a wit-
ness. A slip of paper was found, on which had
been written: ‘In gratitude for Missions.’ In the
envelope he had placed forty dollars. He had given
all he had that others might hear the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and be saved.”

One-Tenth Plus —in China.

Mr. Chow was one of our first converts in China.
After he had learned to know and love his Savior,
his one object in life was to bring his aged mother
and also his two brothers to the knowledge of the
great love of God wherewith He loved us. In this
God blessed his efforts. Thirteen years ago Mr. Chow
was our first convert of his clan; but there are now
written in the Book of Life almost thirty of the Chow
family, and these new converts have been brought
into the Church, not so much through the efforts of
the missionary as through the personal efforts of
Mr. Chow.

But Mr. Chow does not only give his own time
towards the furtherance of the kingdom of God

among his people, he gives also of the material gifts
which God has given him. Mr. Chow is not a rich
man. He earns about $15 a month,.which is con-
sidered not a mediocre salary in China. Mr. Chow
has a family to support, and also $15 a month is not
much more than he needs for the support of his
family, still of this $15 he gives $3 for the support
of his Church. On being approached in the Bible-
class meeting as to how much we should give for the
support of our Church, Mr. Chow made this remark:
“Tf the Israelites in the Old Testament were asked
to give one-tenth for their Church when the Savior
was still a promised Savior, why should we not
give more than one-tenth at least after the Savior
has come?” c

How much of your salary do you lay aside for
your Savior? If we all followed Mr. Chow’s example,
our Church could do ten times as much work for
God as we are actually accomplishing.

The Bible as a Patient Missionary.

For fourteen years an Indian Guatemala could
not understand the Bible he had purchased. He
was unable to read it. He sought the help of the
village priest and invited him to his home. When
the priest saw the Bible, he reproved the Indian
severely. Then he departed in great dignity and
never darkened the door of that’ house again.

This only made the Indian feel all the more that
the contents of the Book must have great signifi-
cance. Even unread, the Book was at work. It had
made an indelible impression upon the Indian and
his family.

He watched for evangelistas, but they were few.
They rarely passed through his village, and when
they did, it was only to get to some larger center.
Several times he heard of the passing of a Bible
man only after he had gone.

The Indian’s sister, in a village twelve miles
away, also watched. One day she heard that an
evangelist was in town, distributing tracts. Im-
mediately she searched for him; but before she
could find him, he had gone. She trudged after
him through the country, finally caught up with
him, and pled that he should go with her to the
village of her brother and explain the Book to him.

He went. For a week he remained, reading
aloud the Book that had waited fourteen years for
its opportunity. The Indian threw away his images,
quit drinking, and he with nine relatives accepted
the Man of the Book as Sayior.