Kitabı oku: «The American Missionary. Volume 49, No. 04, April, 1895», sayfa 6

LETTER FROM AN INDIAN

David Tatankaota recently wrote the following letter to Miss M. C. Collins. David is the missionary in Thunder Hawk's village, a new mission recently opened by the American Missionary Association. Miss Collins writes that David sent his report together with this letter and a collection of $5.50 from the Indians in his mission:

"January 26, 1895.

"Winona, My Friend:

"I will give you a letter. My children and wife we are all well. Every Sunday brings praying. Some are beginning to understand the Bible. At the second service on Sunday I ask some to pray and some to talk. Also at the Wednesday prayer meeting these are ready to respond. Chasinghorse, Flyinghorse and Whiteagle.

"Thunderhawk is growing a little stronger (spiritually). He and his family are always at church. I have said enough.

"Your friend,

"David Tatankaota.

"This is written with my own hand. Amen."

Translated by Miss Collins.

THE CHINESE

GLEANINGS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION FOR THE YEAR ENDING AUGUST 31, 1894

BY REV. W. C. POND, D.D

This is old news. But the report has been delayed in order that the treasurer might keep his books open till the very last offering pledged to us in aid of the work for that year could be collected, and thus, as much as possible be paid of the salaries which remained unpaid at the end of the year. We had no deficit. The mission does not run in debt. It never uses the resources of a new year to pay the arrears of the one preceding. Consequently there was only one thing to do when it became apparent that our resources would not be equal to our needs, viz., to authorize our workers to cease work and close the schools, and to say that should they continue in the work, we could promise them only this, that we would do for them all that was possible to us. The final result was that our workers—steadfast and faithful—after having given their usual donations, squared accounts in January by extra gifts amounting to $374.90.

And while we are on this matter of the finances, we will give an abstract of the treasurer's final statement respecting current expenses in our general work:

In addition to this, the work for Chinese mothers and children cost us $557.70, a little less than one-half of what we could have used with rigid economy and good results.

The statistics of the work show twenty-one missions in which schools have been maintained, as follows: Fourteen during the entire year, except as recesses were taken at Chinese and American holidays; four with but one month's vacation; two during the four months that the fruit men have comparative leisure, and one—that at Watsonville—a new mission which commenced work four months before the fiscal year closed.

The total number of months of labor was 431.

The aggregate enrollment of Christian Chinese connected with our missions, so far as reported, is 596. The number concerning whom we may hope that they have been led to Christ during the past year is 60, making the total number of whom this hope has been cherished, and who have given "credible evidence of faith in Christ" from the first more than 1,100. How many of these will appear in the church of the first-born "clothed in white robes" it is not for human judgment to decide. Sometimes the human, the frail, we may almost say the devilish crops out in a way to put hope and courage to a test that is terribly severe, but never anything to compare with that which Paul had to confront in those at Corinth, whom he nevertheless denominates "the sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." The Good Shepherd knows his sheep, and those thus given to him by the Father shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of his Father's hands.

The limits of our space forbid that we follow the report into its accounts of the year's work in each one of these missions. Two points deserve special notice. One of these has been referred to in a previous number of The Missionary. More attention must be given to preaching in the street and in our schoolrooms, which make very comfortable little chapels. The other is that many Chinese children—native-born Americans—are growing up not only in the great centers, but also in interior villages, and we must open the doors of our schools to these; make such arrangements as will secure their attendance, and so bring it about by the grace of God that they grow up not in darkness, but under the healing beams of Him who said, "I am the light of the world."

Offerings of our Brethren.—It is not possible to segregate their gifts to our treasury with perfect accuracy, but we are within the truth when we place them at $1,905.40. In addition to this they have given for the local expenses of their several Associations $1,134.10, for Missionary Work in China $675.65, for their Worldwide Missionary Society (through the American Board) $63.60, and for relief to needy brethren and others $358, making an aggregate of $5,136.75 as their offerings for the year; and this, be it understood when the pressure of the times cannot but be felt by them, on the average, more severely than by any others. The goods a Chinaman has to sell are likely to be those that in hard times we dispense with. If wages are to be reduced, the reduction begins with the Chinaman. It is no great sin in the view of many to steer clear of paying a Chinaman. If anybody is to be dismissed from service when economy begins it is the Chinaman. We cannot but think that under the circumstances the financial showing at this point is highly creditable.

BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK

WOMAN'S MISSIONARY UNIONS

THANK-OFFERING DAY, APRIL 12

It is heart cheering that the Women's Unions have planned for thought, prayer and special offerings on Friday, April 12, or Easter Sunday, the 14th, the day which, in the words of the resolution adopted by the State organizations at their annual meeting, "commemorates Christ's gift of Himself to the world."

Surely liberal offerings must follow sober thought and earnest prayer for the redemption of those whom God seems to have given into our special charge here in our own country. Our Lord Himself said, "Ye have done it unto Me." What if it does cost self-denial? Shall we not plan more liberally for Christ than for self?

"How much owest thou my Lord? That is the question which the giver has to face. Sometimes in commercial circles a man will assign a debt that is owing to him to someone else out of friendship that he may take it when he has collected and use it for himself. Much in the same way, I think, the Lord Jesus has assigned a large portion of the debt which we owe to Him to those who are around us, to the unconverted at our doors, to these races among whom we labor. Let us see in those for whom appeal is made to us through this Association the representatives of Christ."

Dr. William M. Taylor.

"When men know the grace of Christ they will never feel that they have given Him enough. Until they know it they will never give Him anything. They may contribute to keep up appearances so as to be like other people or to gain a reputation, but they will never give to Him until they know His grace. Before men give to Christ they must receive from Him, and when they have received Christ Himself into their hearts they will be impelled to give, impelled not compelled; for the delight and the duty will co-exist, or rather the duty will be merged in the delight."

Dr. William M. Taylor.

Wanted, to supply demands for libraries, copies of The American Missionary for January, February, March and April, 1862, January, 1866, January, 1867, and January and August, 1875. Also, copies of The Annual Report for 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863.