The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 140

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140

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

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tianity that lifted them out of this state and gave
them and you, their descendants, the Christian
civilization and enlightenment you now enjoy. You
owe what you are to Foreign Missions.”

Times Change. — Tribesmen of Papuan villages
who once fashioned spears and arrows are now
fashioning golf clubs for sale to the white man’s
country clubs.

Propagating the Gospel through the Printed
Page.— The American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Atheism conducts its propaganda
mostly through leaflets, which it finds cheapest and
most effective. At the same time it regards the
American Tract Society as its greatest and most
formidable opponent. Just as when the burglar
admits that the small dog in the house is his
greatest danger, we have there the best evidence for
the value of a good watch-dog on the premises, so
this admission on the part of the atheists offers in-
disputable proof of the value of printed evidence
for the truths of Christianity. Pastors, as a rule,
should be doing much more than is being done in
the way of disseminating tracts and leaflets, and
Synod would probably do well to set apart more
money for this purpose than it has done in the past.
Books are, as a rule, too expensive to permit of
wholesale free distribution, but leaflets can be pro-
duced at a low cost and should be available to all
at a small price, so that those willing to distribute
them incur no large expenditure.

Old Women and Missions. — A returned mis-
sionary said that what impressed him most when he
got back to America was not the Woolworth Build-
ing in New York, nor the autos, nor the radios, nor
the aeroplanes, nor the wonderful hotels, and
churches, and factories, and machinery, nor the
beautiful dresses, nor the beautiful young ladies in
the dresses, —it was the beautiful old women of
America. We says they don’t have beautiful old
women in heathen lands. They grow old early out
there. And when they grow old, they grow ugly
and unattractive and are cross. This need not sur-
prise us. Vacant minds and unimproved hearts are
good soil for ugly features. What a good advertise-
ment are beautiful old ladies for Christianity!

Seeking Wisdom.— A young Moslem of Ben-
gal, having become a Christian, made his way 4,000
miles, through many hardships, to consult with
@ missionary in Cairo and receive further instruc-
tion. After two years of study he returned to India
‘to preach Christ to his own people.

Courageous Christians. — In the Minge region,
located in the hinterland of Kamerun, where as late
as 1915 cannibalism was. prevalent, the Basel Mis-
sion is carrying on successful work since 1925 in
spite of most determined opposition.on the part of
heathenism. ‘Though powerful chiefs, who first
called in the missionaries for the sake of the schools,
are putting forth strenuous efforts to crush the
Christians because of their courageous testimony
against sin, the cause of Christ is steadily moving
onward.

Turkey Banishes German Mission-Workers.
Because they succeeded in bringing to Christ a
number of Turkish soldiers, six German workers
were recently banished from Turkey. The Turkish
authorities are also showing themselves very un-
friendly to American missionaries.

Conversions on Bali. — Though the Dutch
authorities have forbidden all mission-work on the
island of Bali, the Gospel has nevertheless been
securely planted on the island through the testimony
of several Chinese Christians who married Balinese
women. Already 235 natives have been baptized,
and 300 more are being prepared for baptism.
Hindu landowners are doing all they can against
Christianity. They refuse to rent their land to
Christians; they cut off the water from their fields;
they refuse to sell them land to bury their dead.
But all this opposition is not able to hinder the
onward march of the Gospel. In ten villages the
people have destroyed their idols and renounced
heathenism.

Successful Work.— The Basel Mission has six
self-supporting native churches in Hongkong. One
of these has recently built a beautiful chapel.
One native, by no means rich, gave $3,000 for it.
Another native Christian, much richer, gave only
$1,000; but when he heard what the other one had
done, he added $2,000 to his gift. In another con-
gregation a fisherman gave $100 for the building of
a chapel, money which he had gathered over a period
of years. The members of these native churches are
regular visitors of their sick and are very attentive
in their care of the needy. The church attendance
is said to be wonderful. Many families conduct
daily worship in their homes. These congregations
are carrying on aggressive mission-work among
their heathen neighbors by personal evangelization.

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“WHEREVER the Gospel has been preached, God
has greatly honored the faith and labors of the sent
and the senders by the results that have followed.”