It is a cheer to know that the monthly meeting for prayer for the Lord's work in the foreign field is an established fact in a number of gatherings, and we trust it will become the general custom among us. The regular weekly prayer meeting is devoted, once in each month, to this work. Thus without multiplying meetings, a regular season for study of the field and prayer for the workers, is insured. The nature of the meeting is very simple. Letters and information as to the field are read, and this is followed by prayers for the various interests and needs. While the letters read may come from various places, yet it is practicable to have one special country before the meeting at each time. Items of interest as to the nature of the country, its inhabitants and customs, can be gathered and read. In this connection we would call attention to the concise but illuminating articles now appearing in this magazine. Last month it was France which was before us. Next month we hope to have Spain and Portugal. Our beloved brother expects in this way to furnish brief articles on all the lands where our brethren are laboring, and give in general a panorama of the whole field, together with accounts of the Lord's work intrusted to us. Accounts will not be confined to our own laborers, though these will naturally be prominent in our prayers, but all who are carrying the good news to distant lands will be before us for our prayers and interest. May the Lord lead as to all this, and give His blessing.
Numbers of interesting letters have been received, which we insert as far as space permits.
20 Quai de la Barre, Tonneins, France. Dear Brother in Christ:- Jan. 8th, 1926.
Our Brother Le Garrec is back in Brittany; he finds some encouragement, but meets also with opposition. Where our brother labors is rather "hard ground;" the people are very ignorant and have fallen into many sinful ways. Last year we were with him for some days and we went around in the towns and villages, and were able to get an idea of what it was to preach the Gospel there. However, the Lord was gracious in leading us to find some few who believed in Him as their Saviour, and these, as they are in the midst of strong R. C. people, need to be visited and to be fed with the Word. No one else has ever gone there but Mr. Le Garrec, and as he was formerly the priest he is well known and is able to bear a testimony to Christ and to the truth. May he be encouraged to serve our Lord there as it is a very large and needy field.
In our sphere the Lord has encouraged and is encouraging us much. During the past year He has given us many opportunities to serve Him in many places and in many ways. The work has abounded in such a way that our hands have been more than full, and we have not been and are not able to enter all the open doors that were and are before us.
There is a great need for many fitted laborers. We can only lift up our hearts to Him who is able to feed the multitudes and meet every need.
We were glad to learn that the "France and Work" was enjoyed; what you said encouraged us much to continue to send it out; with love to you and to all,
Aff'ly yours in Him,
Louis J. Germain.
Our beloved brother Le Garrec has printed a most excellent summary of Gospel truth, which is well calculated to excite the interest and awaken the conscience of the reader. It is, of course, in French, very clearly, faithfully and sweetly presenting this great salvation and the wonderful Saviour. It is especially to be commended because of the faithful words as to the witness to be borne by the believer, in a life of love and holiness. We add a translation of a recent letter of our brother.
Quiberon, France. My dear Brother:- Jan. 14,1926.
Again I am happy for the opportunity which the Lord gives me to greet affectionately the brothers and sisters of the assembly of God in Philadelphia.
I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their gift, an encouragement from the Lord for me to work in this vast Breton field where the devil reigns completely.
It would be necessary to write a whole book if I wished to tell of my experiences among my old companions.
How much we ought, my dear Brother, to give thanks to the Lord for having rescued us from that sad state of misery and sin where all is darkness and for having brought us into His marvelous light into which we should like to see enter all the poor souls who are perishing.
God willing, I expect to go to-morrow to Lorient where I hope to hold some meetings. It is one of the largest cities of Morbihan. I place my confidence in the Lord (Ps. 11:5). And I beg all my friends of the gathering in Philadelphia [when offering homage to Him], to remember us before the Giver of all good, our well beloved Saviour for whom we wait.
To you who are in Him, my dear Brother
F. Le Garrec.
Let us remember specially the beloved brother in China, whose letter follows.
Taitowying, China.
Beloved brother in Christ:- Nov. 30,1925.
As concerning His protection in times of danger the Lord has shown Himself strong on behalf of those that put their trust in Him.
For two months now the natives have been fighting again. Last week they were only 20 miles from us. There are many deserters from the army going around looting and robbing people. Day before yesterday some of the boys went into villages to preach and distribute tracts. They were met by 3 of those outlaw soldiers, who took one of my blankets from them and threatened to take the mule also. The boys came home in a hurry, and so I went with some of the local soldiers who disarmed the outlaws. I brought them to Chapel, and after them came a mob of some 500 men. I preached to them all and fed the outlaws and let them go. The things that they have taken were given to their owners. They were grateful to me for their lives. For I suggested they should not be shot according to Chinese law. Yesterday some 200 outlaws came to the town and the merchants had to raise $1900 for them to escape looting. God only knows what there is ahead of us. For there are said to be several thousands of deserting soldiers going around and looting merchants. Of course I have God's never failing promises and so am in perfect peace. Psalm 34:7; 91:1-16. But the poor natives are in darkness and in danger. Psalm 43:3. Kindly continue to remember us in your prayers. With my thanks and love to all in Christ Jesus,
Affectionately in Christ,
Chas. O. Kautto.
We welcome the following letter from our brother Gross, in Western Africa, not only for its interest, but as the first we have been privileged to have from him.
Dear brother:-
Akwatcha, Nigeria, Oct. 6th, 1925.
It might be of interest to the saints to know that on September the 9th, I started off on a journey of over 150 miles to preach the gospel and was gone until the 25th of September, in which time I stopped and preached at 43 villages reaching over 1000 adults. Though this seems but a few people for so many villages, yet many of these people were hearing the gospel for the first time. The present time is a very poor one as most of the people are working on their farms. It is quite possible that the total population of the country I traveled through would be as much as 20,000. When we take into consideration that one out of every twenty heard, one can easily see how the message of salvation could be passed on.
In this journey I preached to the Igalas the Bassa Gas, the Bassa Komos, and the Egbilas. The Igalas are rather a small tribe some say 50,000 while others say 100,000. It is quite possible that they are or were once part of the Yoruba Tribe which is a very large tribe on the Western Side of the Niger River and extending south very near to Lagos.
At a place called Odugbo, I had rather an interesting time. I was completely out of the Igala country and so I preached though my boy (he understanding Igala) to a mixed audience and he translated in Bassa Ga another translator translating in Bassa Komo while a third translated in Egbila. There were about 80 people present and after I had finished, the Bassa Komo chief replied through the interpreter that he thanked me for coming and speaking to his people and telling them that God did not want their sacrifices because God himself had provided a sacrifice even the sacrifice of His Son and that anyone believing in His Son should not perish but have everlasting life. He concluded by saying that he had never heard this before.
It is encouraging to hear such things, for if men can understand the message after it has been interpreted into another language, then the Igalas can understand the gospel message as we speak to them direct.
In this land, one finds the same reception for the gospel as in the homeland; some receive the word with gladness whilst some seek to belittle the message.
While I was up in the Bassa Ga country, I preached to the people through one of my boys who is a Bassa Ga, and in preaching to the people I was told more than once that my words were the same as the other white man. They referred to the Church Missionary Society man who is an Episcopalian, so I sought to show them by their own way of seeing things, that even as in a native court the evidence is declared to be the truth when it is at the mouth of two witnesses, so our testimony was the same because it was from the word of God and it was the truth and since it was the truth that they had better not lightly pass up the preaching of the gospel, for that since they had heard before, their responsibility was greater.
On October 12th I expect to begin another journey through the Agatu country, where I will find both Agatus and Igalas. I am expecting to travel about 175 miles and preach to those who have never heard. I would value your intercession in behalf of those who shall hear that the words of life might be the means of many passing out of death into life.
We continue in good health for which we are thankful. I don't know if you have heard or not that the Lord has blessed us with a little daughter Naomi Hannah born at the Lokoja Hospital May 3rd.
With Christian love and greetings to the brethren, Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Malcolm L. Gross.
The following is of tender interest, as showing how, when our dear young sister laid down her work, with her life, another was led to offer herself to carry on the Master's work.
Westcott Mission, Inkongo, via Lusambo, Congo Beige-Dear brother:- Nov. 26,1925.
Thank you for your letter. I was so pleased to hear from one who knew and loved Mercy, and much appreciate your kindly interest. It was with deep sympathy for her people and for those she worked amongst out here, that I heard at the New Year's meetings in Edinburgh, Mercy had passed away. And when prayer was made for someone to take her place I felt very definitely led to offer
For some time I had been exercised about doing definite work for the Lord. My own work seemed to take all my time and energy, and so little was done for Him who has done so much for me.
With Christian love, yours aff'ly in Him,
Annie Thomas.
A Message from Heaven. We add the following deeply affecting message from our dear young sister, with the prayer that it may find a place in all our hearts.
Baka Mbule. Dear Friends:- Feb. 17,1924.
I have had a great longing to speak to you for sometime, and to-night I want to write a few lines to you before going to bed. I have been thinking of how much little things count in our lives.
Years ago when quite young I read a book called "Things as they Are." And in it the one who wrote it, told of the sorrow, and suffering among those who were in India who did not know Christ. The writer loved the people she was speaking of, and it meant so much to her, that I never ceased to think of that book, and of those who were away from the sound of the gospel, at least in some measure.
Many years after I heard two servants of God at the close of a general meeting in Pottstown speak of the books of Mr. Bellett, C. H. M., and others, in such a way, that I knew they really loved the books they spoke of. It made me want to read them too, and it was those few words that gave me to know those books later, just little things, but how much they have meant in my life.
In a letter we had recently from Mr. Wilson, he told us of a teacher, who had been taken as a boy from his village and sent to work on a big road the State is making. He knew nothing about God, but one day he saw some natives sit down to eat, but before eating they closed their eyes and said something. He asked them about it, and they told him they were thanking God for their food. This was a little thing but it started him thinking. Later a bunch of bananas was stolen, and the white man from whom they were stolen said, I do not know who took them but God saw him. That made him think more, and when the time was up, he went where he could learn more about God, and is now serving Him. Little things! but sometimes little things mean a whole life lost or won. You may have heard of the actress who on her way to the theater one night heard some children singing-"Depth of mercy can it be ? Mercy still reserved for me ? " And after having them sing it once for her, went on her way. But instead of singing what was expected of her that night, she sang a verse of the hymn instead, and then hurried home to seek mercy from God. A few words, a book, a giving of thanks, and who knows what may come of it. And even if no one here knows; still, if in what we do we seek to honor God's dear Son, surely we will have no regrets.
And what of you? In the places you go, in the books you read, in the things you do, and say, how are you speaking to others? Do those you see know you love God's Son? Do they know you belong to Jesus? If not, I do beg that you will stop and ask yourself, if love so abundant does not deserve our love, and if we will not wish we had been all for Him, when we see His blessed face and see those hands and feet nail-pierced for us. And one more thing, if you have trusted the Lord Jesus, do seek for time to be alone with Him.
I have three little girls, and as they are my children, I naturally like to have them with me when possible. The eldest, Katingi, never comes to me unless she wants to ask for something, or when I send specially for her. Mabuki comes sometimes just to be with me, and sometimes comes at night, and wants to sleep in my room, and is never in a hurry. Ngee comes too once in a while, and always when she is sick or in trouble, and she likes to sit on my lap and talk or just be loved. And my heart likes to have them come and know their joys and sorrows, and have their love.
How like our God and Father. He longs to have our love, and to have us come to Him, and to have us sit in His Presence. Seeing such love as this should draw out our love for Him. May you seek to honor Him in the little things, and to count all things here but nothing, that you may tell others of this love. And God will help you.
With love in Christ,
Mercy McCandless.
"Surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him"-Eccles. 8:12.
Letters for this department will be thankfully received, and returned when used.-S. R.