The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 106

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- 106

Judging from all accounts, it is a wonderful
work which the Northern Presbyterians are doing
at Elat. Their work includes all kinds of mis-
sionary activity. Schools of every type are found
there: primary schools and orphanages, with hun-
dreds of little black youngsters, happy in the pos-
session of spiritual and physical blessings unknown
among them before the coming of the Gospel;
schools where French is taught (for Kamerun is
a French mandate since the war); boys’ schools
with useful manual training and girls’ schools with
no less useful domestic teaching ; schools where these
Bulu children can learn to read and write their own
native language. And, of course, in all these schools
religious instruction in the fundamentals of Chris-
tianity forms an important part of the curriculum.

Then there is in Elat a printing-press, where the
older boys, under the supervision of expert printers,
turn out about two million pages of reading-matter
every year. Here all the reading-matter that is
published in the native Bulu is produced. ‘Then the
medical work done at the great Central Hospital of
Elat must not be forgotten. This hospital has two
hundred beds, and patients come here from all parts
of Kamerun and even from colonies beyond. Not
far from Elat, at Nkongmelon, is a leper colony,
where a truly appealing work is being done.

After visiting Elat, somebody wrote: “I have
seen with my own eyes the missionaries, by modern
science, inspired by sacrificial love, performing the
ancient miracles: ‘The deaf hear, the blind see,
the lepers are cleansed; to the poor the Gospel is
preached?” —

In this mission-center of the African forest,
where thirty-five years ago not a single native had
heard of Christ, from 5,000 to 8,000 are gathered
every Sunday about the Word of God. Every Sunday
the sound of the drum calls these thousands to
service. It begins to beat at early dawn and sounds
for hours before the service in the early hours of the
morning. Its insistent and penetrating message to
the inhabitants of the dense forests and the clearings
seems to say: “Come, come! Iverybody come! Do
not come alone! Bring your brother! Bring your
sister! Come! Come!” Impressive indeed must
be the sight to see these multitudes come together
as members of the tribe of God to hear about the
One who left heaven’s throne to save them as He
came to save us.

It is a wonderful work that is being done in
_ Kamerun by the Northern Presbyterians under most
, favorable circumstances. The missionaries realize

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

how wonderfully God has prepared this field for the
laborers He is sending to gather the harvest, and
their many striking and inspiring successes give them
encouragement to continue in maintaining this living
work by their living sacrifices. But strange to say,
despite the astounding successes God has continued
to bestow upon their labors, the home Church in
America needs to be urged to help sustain this
wonderful work by its interest, its prayers, and its
gifts of money!

There are other fields in Africa that appear to be
as promising as is Kamerun. And there are vast
territories still unoccupied on the upper waters of
the Congo, around Lake Tchad and elsewhere. In
not a few of the occupied fields the work is still in
its beginnings. But wherever work has been begun
in Africa, the evidence of success has been so great
that he must be a feeble Christian indeed who does
not feel encouraged by these successes.

There is only one real problem, the home Church ;
indeed, for years this has practically been the only
real problem. Will the people at home have vision
and courage and consecration enough to do the great
thing to which God is pointing them by many cir-

cumstances? Africa is ready; the missionaries are
at hand and ready; God is ready; ARE WE
READY ? F.J.L.

—_—_—_-.-___

Painful Comparisons.

The pastor of an Eastern congregation analyzed
the pledges of his people in terms of luxury expen-
ditures. The result could not have been pleasant,
but must have been thought-provoking.

There are, he said, 431 automobiles in the 408
families of the parish. Forty families pledge less
per year than the cost of one tire.

Seven families are happy to contribute per week
no more than the cost of one soda.

Forty-six families prize their religion in terms
of less than half a pound of candy a week.

Twenty-two families are content with a weekly
gift of the cost of two and a half gallons of gas.
How far will the car go on that?

Fifty-one families count it a joy to subscribe
each week a sum equal to what many men spend
for smoking in one day.

Why go further? O retone hundred and
forty-five more families have pledged nothing.

“Tf every person gave just like me, I wonder
where this parish would be?”