The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 108

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108

a Greek Church priest was imprisoned. His wife
and three children were driven out into the street in
thirty-six degrees of cold. In despair the poor mother
threw her children into a hole in the ice and then
threw herself in. Parents are killing their children,
especially girls, rather than letting them fall into
the hands of the Communists. Spiritual books are
burned when found.

Fruits Meet for Repentance. — After one of the
black chiefs of Africa had been converted by Living-
stone, he forthwith sent all of his many wives away
and kept only one wife. As the great missionary and
explorer came to another place in which lived a chief
who was related to the newly converted chief, that
chief was willing and ready to do anything for
Livingstone, but he would not read “the Book” (the
Bible). He said: “I do not want to learn to read
the Book, for I am afraid that it might change my
heart and make me content with one wife. No, no;
I always want to have at least five wives.” All oppo-
sition to the Word of God rises from the wicked
heart, which loves sin and hates righteousness.

Good News.

The First African Female Physician. — Miss

Agnes Savage, a native of British-Nigeria, who
‘recently graduated from the Edinburgh University,
will be the first native woman doctor in Africa.

Decline in Missionary Contributions.— Reports
from Germany state. that Protestant foreign mis-
sions throughout the world decreased sharply during
the last fiscal year in the amount of their in-
come and expenditures. The income ‘was listed at
$50,000,000, which was a decrease of $3,500,000
over the preceding year and $19,000,000 less than in
the year 1924, which was the high-water mark in
foreign mission income and expenditures. The only
countries increasing the amount of their contribu-
‘tions for this purpose were Germany, Holland, Fin-
Jand, France, and Switzerland. The United States
“and Canada showed a net decrease of approximately
$3,500,000, still contributing, however, 6.24 per cent.
of the total amount spent. England’s share was
22.7 per cent., that of continental Europe 10.2 per
cent., of which the Scandinavian countries contri-
buted slightly more than half. Germany’s entire in-
come for foreign missions totaled 2.71 per cent. —
Among us missionary contributions have also de-
‘clined during the past three years at a steady rate,
and this seems to indicate that also our people are
tempted to permit the tremendous missionary oppor-
‘tunities presenting themselves in all parts of the
"world to pass unchallenged.

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

The Bible Frees a Prisoner.

Steve Ferko is still in the penitentiary in Pitts-
burgh. But though he is legally a prisoner, through
grace he has gained his spiritual freedom, as his
story, reprinted from the Christian Union Herald,
shows : —

“This boy lost both his father and mother before
he was one year old. He was taken into the home
of his grandmother. When he was about eight years
old, he began to use tobacco and strong drink; for
in this home the Bible was unknown, and liquor was
well known. When he was about ten years of age, he
was put to work in a brickyard, later on a farm, and
by the time he was twelve years of age, he was work-
ing in the ore-mines of Hungary. Hard work for
a boy of twelve years, and what little money he
received he took home to his grandmother. Both in
the home and at work the environment was bad for
this boy, making it easy for him to fall in line with
those who swore, stole, fought, and did many other
wrong things.

“When Pista (in English Steve) was sixteen
years of age, through the kindness of his sister who
had come to America, he was able to come to this
country. For six long months after coming to this
country he was unable to get work. During this
time he stayed with his sister, but never having
become interested in studying, he remained in
ignorance of the English language. Much of his
time was spent in the cheaper shows. After the six
months had passed, he started to work in the coal-
mines and, like in the old country, found bad com-
pany. He became a drunkard and gambled his
hard-earned money away, forgetting the old, ill
grandmother in his homeland.

“With no knowledge of the Bible-teachings,
without Christian friends, knowing not Jesus Christ
as his personal Savior, he went from bad to worse.
He met with many accidents here like in the old’
country.. On one occasion, about fifteen years ago,
he fell from the second story of a building while
working and was picked up almost dead. He was
rushed to a near-by hospital, where, following a series
of operations, he finally recovered.

“He decided to marry and settle down; but
a week before his marriage he got into trouble and
with one of his bad chums was arrested. Following
a trial in our courts, he was sentenced, upon circum-
stantial evidence, to die in the electric chair. The
case was twice reheard, and each time the same ver-