The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 26

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26

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

down that steep hill, we saw her with a load of wood
in her arms. Seeing us, she stood stock-still and
said nothing. We went down the hill, took the
wood from her arms, and carried it up to her cabin.
“Aunt Patsy” followed, mute as ever. Finding an
old ax near by, we chopped the wood and then
carried it into her cabin for her. Then from the
lips of this old grandma came the first kind words
we ever heard her utter, “Well, you are good for
something after all.” Taking this opportunity we
reminded her of One who had done more, far more,
for her. Said she, “Well, you’ll have to come an-
other time to tell me about that.” We realized that
another effort at this time would have been wasted,
so we thanked her for the invitation to return and
departed.

Taking advantage of the little opening, a few

- days later we were once more in “Aunt Patsy’s”
cabin. Said we: “‘Aunt Patsy,’ I have a letter
here that I would like to read to you,” and we then
proceeded to read to her from the Gospel according
to John. She, thinking we might get the impres-
sion she was listening, walked to and fro in her
cabin, singing and humming her own peculiar melo-
dies. This she continued to do for several visits
thereafter.

One evening, to our surprise, “Aunt Patsy”
seemed to have been waiting for us when we arrived.
She produced a box for us to sit on, and imagine our
astonishment when she took a seat right next to us,
ready to listen to a lesson from the Bible. Sending
a prayer to the Throne of Grace, we spoke seriously
to her about her soul, about sin, hell, damnation,
forgiveness, salvation, heaven. God blessed those
words, as He evidently had blessed the words spoken
on previous visits. For “Aunt Patsy” was crushed
and asked to be received into the Church.

On December 13 it happened. People would
not believe it. They shook their heads. But at the
appointed time “Aunt Patsy” made her appearance
at the service to be baptized and confirmed. Rey. C.
F. Drewes, Director of Colored Missions, was in
Alabama at the time and present at the service in
which our old friend “Patsy” was received into
membership. He admonished all to be faithful to
their Savior and their Church and assured “Aunt
Patsy” that Jesus had shed His blood also for her
and therefore had redeemed and saved her.

Just like “Aunt Patsy,” so many others who
attend services and the school in the old, dilapidated
chapel at Ackerville, where our Lutheran Church
holds forth, have learned to know and believe in
Jesus, their Redeemer. Former enemies now attend

the services and also do not hesitate to send their

children to our school. The future looks bright.

May He continue to bless our efforts to the salvation

of many others around Ackerville who are still

sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death!
J. V. THompson.

Our Colored Mission-Field in Alabama.

In Alabama we now have twenty-six organized
congregations and six preaching-places. During the
year 1927 two new places were opened: Catherine,
in Wilcox County, on September 23, and Japles-
ville, in Chilton County, on Luther’s birthday,
November 10. As you know, opportunities present
themselves frequently, opportunities to open new
stations and break ground in new territories. May

Former Chapel and School New Chapel and School
in Alabama. in Alabama.

the Lord in these last and evil days of the world
stir our Christians up to support the work more
liberally, so that our conquests for the Savior can
continue uninterruptedly! The night of eternity is
coming when no man can work.

At the thirty-two places where we are breaking
the Bread of Life to old and young we have a total
membership of 1,963 souls. In 1927 our records
were carefully revised, and quite a number of souls
were dropped from our lists. The colored people
are nomadic, due principally to the fact that few,
very few, have their own homes. Because of the
shifting of industrial opportunities our people often
must move from place to place to support them-
selves. This fact and other causes made it neces-
sary to drop a considerable number from our lists.
Still, as stated, we have the fine total of 1,963 on
our books here in the Black Belt, all live, active
members of the Savior’s kingdom. During the year