The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 52

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

52

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

life, gave them a portion of land for their own, and
started them on the way to become a happy pastoral
people.

Khama was not won to Christianity by a mis-
sionary of the London Mission, with which Moffat
was connected; a member of the band of Hermanns-
burg workers sent to South Africa by Harms was
the means of Khama’s conversion, and he also bap-
tized him.

The years which succeeded Khama’s accession to
the chieftainship of his people resulted in the con-
version of an entire savage tribe into a peaceful,
agricultural, Christian people. Well-built houses
replaced rude huts. The arts of civilization were
introduced. Churches and schools sprang up and
poured out their blessings throughout the land.

Of course, the Bechuanas are not all Christians ;
neither are all Americans. The Bechuanas, how-
ever, demonstrate most clearly the wonderful effect
of Christian missions. “To pass from Bechuana
Land before Khama to Bechuana Land with Khama
was like passing from Dante’s Inferno to his Para-
diso,” is the way a traveler put in words the great
change that had taken place under this Christian
ruler. F.J.L.

Piney Woods, Miss., Once More.

Of course, our readers will still have in mind
that very interesting and encouraging report given
by Superintendent Geo. A. Schmidt concerning the
fine opening given us at Piney Woods, Miss., in a
large and flourishing colored school there. From
a recent letter received from Pastor Schmidt we cull
the following items: —

“As you no doubt know, I am spending most of
my time in Mississippi. I leave home on Thursday
morning and return on Monday night of each week.
This gives me only two days for the work in
Alabama. :

“very Friday evening I have a meeting with
the Sunday-school staff at Piney Woods from 6.45
to 8. My whole Sunday-school staff is made up of
faculty members of the Piney Woods school. These
meetings, I feel, will bear fruit, since in these
round-table discussions many points are touched
upon and brought out which otherwise could not be
discussed. In turn, the teachers carry away what
they have heard and discussed in these meetings to
the classroom and the Sunday-school class.

“Besides spending an hour and a half in Sunday-
school every Sunday morning, I conduct a service
at eleven o’clock and a vesper service at seven. These

services are attended by upwards of 300 young
people and faculty members and give us a splendid
opportunity to sow into the hearts of the hearers
the saving seed of God’s holy Word.

“With each of the high-school classes I have
an hour each week in class-work. The twelfth grade
has given up an hour of its free time to take an
extra hour in Bible-study.

“So far I have emphasized and tried hard to
drive home the following points: inspiration of the
Bible; the teaching of the Bible concerning the true
God, with special emphasis on the deity of Christ,
and I have had them recite John 5, 23 so often that
I suppose the girls and boys recite it in their sleep;
the creation of the world and especially of man;
man’s fall into sin and his present bankruptcy by
nature in things spiritual; the giving of the Law;
the Ten Commandments.

‘JT still have quite a bit of time left and shall
now at once take up the study of the purpose of the
coming of Christ into the flesh, His suffering and
death.

“The difference between Law and Gospel has
already been studied, and having learned man’s sin-
fulness from the commandments, we shall during
the rest of the term study the grace of God in
Christ — the Gospel.

“I also teach the lower grades religion. In
Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 I am following the same out-
lines that I use in the upper grades, but I am going
more slowly and am treating the subject less fully.
In the primary grades I am teaching Bible History
with the necessary applications.

“T also have a half-hour with the blind students
on Monday morning. Besides the blind boys and
girls there are four adult blind pupils and teachers.
Pastor Kuntz of our Deaf-mute and Blind Missions
just recently sent me a dozen copies of Dallmann’s
Catechism in 114 Braille. About six of the pupils
and teachers can use this type of Braille. It was
one of the most joyful experiences of my life to
hear one of the blind girls read for me Luther’s
explanation of the Second Article: ‘I believe that
Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father,’ etc.
Pastor Kuntz also sent us one of our hymnals in
Braille with notes. Miss Fleming, herself blind,
but a talented young woman, who plays the piano
wonderfully well and is otherwise highly gifted, was
overjoyed to receive this hymnal.

“This past Monday morning I taught the chil-
dren in the primary grades to sing: —

Now the light is gone away;
Savior, listen while I pray, ete.