The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 143

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

143

towns and villages have no center of Gospel light.
No province is adequately worked.

Only one Chinese man in a hundred, taking the
empire through, can read, and still fewer can write
a letter. Of the women not more than one in a
thousand can read or write.

The Chinese government reports more than
40,000 schools under its control and has primary
and intermediate grades in every province, with a
total enrolment of 1,500,000 students. The mis-
sion-schools are said to be far ahead in the quality
of teaching, and seventy-five per cent. of the text-
books used in the government schools were prepared
by Christians or under Christian supervision.

Leading Chinese affirm that, while they are Con-
fucianists, they regard Christianity as the chief
hope for China.

Every great upheaval in China has, under the
overruling providence of God, been followed by the
wider opening of doors for the preaching of the
Gospel.

A providence in Manchuria with 1,500,000 in-
habitants has only one missionary. In Mongolia
2,000,000 have none. Outer Karan province has
none. ‘Tibet, with 6,000,000, has none.

In China there are 2,955 Christian congrega-
tions, 548 ordained Chinese pastors, 5,364 unor-
dained workers, and 470,000 connected with evan-
gelical churches.

From some fifteen of the most important theo-
logical schools in China it appears that during the
past year about 450 men have been engaged in prep-
aration for the ministry. These figures are signifi-
cant because it is upon the Chinese preachers that
the ultimate success of the country’s evangelization
depends. M. R. W.

A New Kind of Beggar.

A queer beggar lived on the island of Rarotonga,
which is near New Guinea. A disease which is
common there had eaten away his legs and his
hands. He had trouble crawling about on his knees.

The hut of this man was in very good condition.
His wife and his children had plenty. to eat and
to wear. i

One day when Missionary Williams passed by on
the road near this beggar’s house, he heard some
one greeting him: “Welcome, servant of the Most
High! You brought light to this dark island, and
to you we owe the Word of Life.”

Missionary Williams sat down on a stone and
asked the man what he knew about Jesus.

“T know,” said the beggar cheerfully, “that
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
I know that He is the Son of God, that He died on
the cross in great pains to do away with the sins of
all men, to save their souls from damnation, and to
make them eternally happy in heaven.”

“Do all men go to heaven after their death?”
asked the missionary.

“Oh, no,” the beggar answered; “only those who
believe in the Lord Jesus, give up their sins, pray,
and live godly lives.”

“Do you pray ?”

“Oh, yes. I always pray when I dig my field,
especially three times a day, mornings and evenings
combined with family devotions.”

“What do you pray?”

“I say: ‘Lord, I am a great sinner and can
become clean only through the blood of Christ.
Give me the righteousness of my Savior that it may
adorn me; and give me the Holy Ghost that He
may teach me and make me good, so that I may
be a man of God and go to heaven when I die.’ ”

“That is right, my friend,” said Williams. “But
where did you find out all this?”

“From whom else can I have heard the good
news but from you? Who else brought it to this
island?” replied the man.

“But I never saw you in our church or school,
and I do not see how you could have gotten there.”

“Oh,” said the poor cripple, “I can-explain that
in a hurry. As you see, I could not walk so far to
church. So I sat down on a rock near the road,
and when the people came back from the church,
I begged. I begged each one for a word he had
heard. One gave me one word, another gave me
another. I gathered these together in my heart,
thought about them, and prayed to God that He
would open my heart in order that I might learn
to know a little about His Word. I still do that
when there are services.”

Do you try so hard to hear and learn the Word
of God? — Selected.

BOOK TABLE.
(By the Eprror.)

Proceedings of the Fifty-Seventh Convention of the
Eastern District, Synod of Missouri. Vol. 1933,
No.2. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo.
Price, 23 cts.

pesides she customary, President’s aidress and Report,
this synodical report brings a very timely r on ie

Present Economic Daneaaian in the Light of God's Word”

and an interesting account of the Home Mission enter-

prises of the District.