Through the Lord's mercy we have reached the close of another year, and as we look back over the past 12 months we have very much to be grateful for.

First, The workers in the various fields abroad have been preserved in a good measure of health and enabled to carry on the work with vigor and encouragement. In Japan there has been a widening out, and tokens of blessing. In China in the midst of dangers and the unsettled state of the country, the work has gone on. In the Western Hemisphere, in Central America, as well as among the Indians, there has been steady work in the dissemination of the truth. The same may be said of France, and in Africa the work of establishing and enlarging the sphere of labor has gone on. We would return our thanks for all that is past, and look forward to a year of blessing, should the Lord tarry, in the future.

Next, we are very thankful to have been permitted to disseminate the news from the Foreign Field in our pages. Letters from many parts of the world have been spread before our readers, and their message, we are persuaded, has had the effect of deepening their interest and of stirring up prayer in many hearts. We are thankful for the numbers of prayer-meetings devoted to the foreign work, and trust that this feature will mark all our gatherings. It is suggested that one meeting a month of the regular prayer-meetings be devoted to this special need.

We are deeply thankful that the Lord has stirred the hearts of a number of our young to give themselves to the work abroad. The circular letter which follows will give details.

We would also record with gratitude the liberal ministry to this work from various gatherings and individuals throughout this land and Canada. While the Spirit alone is the power for all service, "your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things." May the Lord abundantly bless all this service of love, and guide and keep us in the path of simplicity and dependence which His precious word marks out.

The following summary and extracts will give details, calling for renewed prayer and faith.

BAHAMAS

Some weeks ago we heard from our brother R. S. Stratton that much property and the meeting-room at Andros Island had been completely destroyed by a hurricane. The news was circulated amongst different gatherings, and generous help was sent. On Oct 15 our brother Stratton wrote that Mr. Van Ryn expected to go with his family to Harbour Island, in "The Evangel," whilst he purposed to go to Andros to render whatever assistance he could to the brethren who had suffered in the two hurricanes, of which the last had done more damage than the first.

Before they were able to carry out this purpose a telegram arrived from Hopetown, dated Oct. 25th:"Hurricane, tidal wave, Abaco homes complete destruction. Clothing, help, needed immediately. Stratton." Five hundred dollars was cabled at once, with a request to purchase clothing in the Bahamas, as more suitable garments could be bought there, and at a cheaper price. Fourteen assemblies were notified, and $2500 has already been received and forwarded by the Missionary Fund, while other amounts have been sent direct. Three cases of clothing have also been dispatched. Brother Stratton wrote on Oct. 24th that the hurricane was "accompanied by a tidal wave which rose 15 ft., and nearly wiped out our town, leaving but 8 houses standing. Mine was among these, but was shaken off the pins, and really unsafe. My father and mother-in-law, brother Van Ryn, his wife and three children, and two sisters, besides my own family of six, are living in its 4 rooms. Everything is practically destroyed, and we are faced with starvation…. God spared "The Evangel"-a perfect miracle-so we were able after 2 days to go to Hopetown and get stores. To-day (24th) the Government has a boat here with provisions so we will not starve…. We all faced death by drowning. Brother Van Ryn's little baby was swept out of his arms and drowned. He had two large and deep cuts in his injured leg below the knee, which I had to stitch up under very unsanitary conditions. The dear brethren express their deep thanks to all who have come to their help in their great need, and above all to the Lord for all His gracious mercy in sparing their lives and now caring for their wants."

Other and more detailed letters have been received, but the above gives the main facts. There were 120 houses in Abaco, and the latest reports say six only are left.

Tokyo, Japan., Oct. 5th, 1926.

Enclosed is receipt for the kind gift from the Missionary Fund which we have received for the work of the Lord, for which my wife and I are very thankful. It came at a time of special need. The expenses of the work here are somewhat heavy.

The work goes on as usual. Last Sunday one more was baptized in Tokyo, at Kandu. Young brother Mizuno has given himself to the work of the Lord, as mentioned before, for which we are thankful. I have sent a detailed narrative memoranda as to the work to Brother Harshaw in Philadelphia, for the information of the brethren.* *This will be loaned to any upon request.* We send our affectionate greetings to those conducting the Missionary Fund work. Many thanks for the copy of the its report, June 16th. I am sure this is a service that will be much blessed of the Lord.

If young brother Pennington and his wife go to China, to where brother Kautto is, will you kindly extend our hearty invitation to them to visit us en route … The visit would be a happy change and refreshment to the saints here, and I would interpret for them. Brother and sister Koll left here for China on the 3rd of this month, to go on with the work that he was engaged in.

I hope soon, D.V., to visit the scattered brethren and sisters in both the north and south of the Empire, probably taking brother Mizuno with me, and doing gospel work with tracts and open-air meetings. E. B. Craig.

New York, Nov. 1st, 1926.

Beloved Brethren:Through the Lord's mercy we have been privileged to serve as a channel for your ministry to His servants in the foreign field. We have from time to time rendered you an account of our stewardship, and doubtless you have learned details from the laborers abroad through letters published in "Help and Food." We are now very glad to give you a little definite information regarding fresh encouragement as to further labor.
Our brother Wm. G. Amies, who has been with us on furlough for the last six or eight months and who was married to Miss Elsie Fretscher of the Camden, N. J., assembly, in October, is hoping with his wife to return to the Westcott Mission in the Congo. His health has been restored and he is now ready to resume his services in Africa.

Our sister Miss Marie De Vries of Detroit, as has been before noted, has offered herself to the Lord's work, preferably in Africa, and is waiting for the way to be opened. She is warmly recommended by her assembly.

Our young brother Mr. Virgil Pennington and his wife, of Newark, N. J., assembly, have offered themselves for the Lord's work in China and are now further preparing themselves for the service by taking a course in medical hospital training. Mrs. Pennington was born in China of Missionary parents and her knowledge of the language and conditions there should be of great service. They have the commendation of their assembly and our hearty fellowship.

Our brother Malcolm Gross, wife and family, have just returned from Nigeria after a prolonged season of labor. At the end of their furlough, perhaps next summer, they hope to join our brothers Dr. Woodhams, Searles, etc., and if it is the Lord's mind this may give opportunity for another station in this district. The Lord has so graciously supplied the needs of those already in the field that we are very happy in once more acquainting you with the above facts, so that everyone in fellowship should be able intelligently to help in this good work by their prayers and practical fellowship according to their ability:Ezra 2:69; Acts 11:29.

We may add that the cost of outfitting and sending out a laborer is about $1200.

All communications may be addressed, as before, to Mr. Hughes Fawcett, 115 Franklin St., New York.

The Administers of the Missionary Fund.

Berkeley, Calif., Sept. 16th, 1926.

Beloved brother:I am taking the privilege of sending you the enclosed circular letter on the work entrusted to us.

Copies of "Help and Food" could be used very advantageously on passenger liners here and elsewhere. They could be placed in Social Halls where passengers congregate, and hundreds have access to such literature, and would reach many Christians and missionaries who need its help and food. We could use 100 copies in each port. Yours in His soon coming,

Oscar S. Zimmermann.

Extracts from the Circular.

We feel this may well be termed a "Praise Letter" in reviewing the Lord's gracious dealings of the past few months in the trip to European harbors to establish new stations for taking the gospel to the numberless unreached, unsaved souls on board the ships of all nations.

Prayer was so abundantly answered that we are indeed full of praise to Him, and the resulting situation forces us to plead for further prayer that the way might be shown us as to how best to meet the opportunities given us for sowing the Seed.

No hindrances were found in any of the harbors visited, and in various places brethren were raised up, who have shown deep interest, a real love for souls, and are sacrificing much to keep the gospel lighthouses going upon shores where nine-tenths of the world's shipping originates.

During nine weeks spent in the overseas ports I was enabled to distribute literature on some 250 vessels; meetings were held in various cities and among people speaking different languages, and the following results given in answer to prayer, for which we rejoice.

Germany (Hamburg):Here the Lord has given us a faithful brother, his two sons and two other brethren helping him. Brother Sawallisch is a former chief steward on Atlantic liners, and his present position enables him to issue his own passes to visit the harbor, where he labors often until very late at night taking the gospel to the ships. A recent report from him showed 52 vessels reached in one month's time, distributing over 5200 pieces of literature.

Bremen :After applying to the proper authorities a pass was granted to board all ships in port, and in a letter just received from the two brethren whom the Lord provided for the work, they report having reached 174 small vessels and 350 large ones, flying flags of ten nations; a two-year pass has been granted them to visit all ships in port.

Bremerhaven:The large Atlantic liners dock here, and the Lord has stirred up lively interest to reach passengers as they sail. Many have been reached by boarding steamer trains at Bremen.

Holland (Rotterdam) :The Lord has given us two brethren, both with private means of support, and free to devote their entire time to the harbor work-one of them a high school professor on pension. Literature has been ordered direct to them from France, and two large boxes of literature have been shipped them from San Francisco, upon arrival of which they will begin work.

Belgium (Antwerp):A brother speaking fluently English, Dutch, German, Flemish and French has undertaken to board the ships in his spare time. In this large world-port no permit is necessary to gain access to all vessels.

France (Bordeaux and Marseilles):Brother L. J. Ger-main has undertaken to make the reaching of these two ports part of his work in France. He has visited several vessels in Bordeaux, and has written brethren in Mar-shies' and is now awaiting their action. Please pray definitely for these two ports.

ITALY (Genoa) :A brother was found who is willing to undertake the ship-visiting himself, if no one else is raised up He holds a permit from Mussolini's government for distributing gospel literature anywhere in Italy.
In London, England, and Dunkerque, France, a seamen's work was found already existing but greatly handicapped through continual shortage of literature. Several small shipments of literature were made to them by me, giving us a share in the enlarged work, and it is hoped we will be enabled by the Lord to continue so doing.

There is much poverty among European Christians, and though the brethren in each port are standing wholeheartedly behind their work, the supplies of literature to continue the work must come almost entirely through funds from God's people on this side of the Atlantic. It may be of interest to know that laboring brethren can live on about $50 per month in Italy, France and Belgium, owing to the present exchange rates.

This letter is being sent out as we draw to the close of our fifth year of laboring in faith and dependence upon the Lord alone, and looking back over this period we can surely rejoice much in what God has done in answer to prayer. San Francisco, New York, Boston and Halifax, with work in summer in the lake ports of Buffalo, Montreal, Erie, Toronto, etc., form the United States and Canada work. Galveston and New Orleans were occupied for some months, though we have no laborer on the Gulf at present. Pray for this need. With Auckland, N. Z. (the farthest station out), and these various new ports in Europe, we are enabled to send out a constant stream of literature day and night. These stations now encircle the globe and open up untold opportunities of reaching unsaved souls. This world-wide work calls for continued prayer and self-sacrifice.

It has been found necessary to have an American brother free to give all his time to a port in Europe (presumably Antwerp, where the present part-time worker cannot meet the extra large need).

There he could find more than an abundance of shipping to keep him busy, and at the same time be the medium for careful distribution of literature to be divided amongst these various European laborers as the needs are made known. Counsel, encouragement, exchange of lists of ships visited in order to avoid duplication, or where possible, to enable "follow up" work, and the prompt forwarding of supplies of literature to most needy points, will be of untold benefit to all the workers across the Atlantic, and a much more satisfactory means of handling the situation than could be done from San Francisco, so far away.

The Lord has laid the need upon some for definite prayer. The answer is already being manifested in that God has burdened our brother Jonas Eck with this wonderful opportunity, and provided for his immediate need, so that he expects to sail from New York for Antwerp, D.V., on Dec. 14th. Brother Eck has given his entire time to San Francisco harbor work for the past seven months, carrying it on faithfully during my absence, so his experience here has specially fitted him for this need overseas. Inasmuch as the new laborers in ports in Europe speak either English or German, and brother Eck is fluent in both, this will enable him to correspond with all. We commend him heartily as he goes on to his new field, and would urge continued prayer for him in his difficult task.

Another definite need for prayer is for Scripture text Calendars for 1927 for the work. These have proven an exceptionally valuable asset; bought at 17 cts. per copy, a single calendar brings a new message from God's Word each day of the year, often to as many as 25 or 30 men in one room, and printed in their native tongue.
Appreciating the hearty fellowship of all who have stood with us by prayer or gifts through these past five years, I remain, Yours, in our soon-coming Lord,

Oscar S. Zimmermann.

1 Tim. 4:13:"Apply thyself to reading"-Brazilian Trans.

My dear brethren:May I speak of what has made me a very happy man? It is lovely to have the mind saturated with the records of the life of Jesus by the oft-repeated reading of the Gospels. Though unable to tell the exact number of times, I am sure to have read the Four Gospels nigh to one hundred times, and the whole Bible over seventy times. Every book of the Bible has special charms to me for its dignity, majesty and loftiness; but to consider that in the Gospels we have the very words of Jesus is ineffable and solemn!

One thing is to hear the opinion of others (as in John 7:46), and quite another to make that our own experience. In Acts 4:13 the adversaries are bound to own that the disciples "had been with Jesus." How? By seeing in them the Lord's ways. Jesus is in the glory now, beyond our physical intercourse, but His very words and ways are our legacy-the four-sided presentation of Him, with the Holy Spirit to impart His likeness in us!

The Four Gospels- never am I tired of reading them; the sentences from the lips of our Lord being always as "apples of gold in pictures of silver."

Let me ask the dear brothers or sisters, that through this coming year you may become an advancing reader of the Bible. Make it a subject of prayer, too. For years the Lord has been pleased to bless me with ability to go over my rate every day, even if at some times I must read it with fever, in the open sun, or by the bedside of a sick crying child.

The blessed Word of God has been my choice reading since my conversion in 1903; I owe much to other books but only as guides to this one and only Book.

Parintins, Brazil. J. P. Ribeiro.

Phila., Pa., Sept. 18, 1926. Beloved Brother:

I am inclosing letters received from Mr. Althorp. They are a little old, but I am sure will prove of interest to all interested in the work of the Congo.

Yours in His love, Wm. G. Amies.

Baka Mbule, Dec. 11th, 1925. My dear Brother Amies:

Things go on here pretty much as usual. I went to Kasongo Mule's for a week to see the schools. I found evidence of progress in Lobanda's school but not much elsewhere.

We are now preparing for the conference in about ten days' time. The preliminary conference was to have taken place this week but Mr. Westcott has had a stiff fever which has pulled him down, so it had to be postponed until next week.

We are sending the children home on Monday for their half-yearly holiday.

Mr. Westcott is away on the BaBindi journeys. He is doing the Northern section first. We expect him back in about a week's time and then after a few days here he will commence the Baka Mdai journey. While he is thus engaged I hope to get through the Baka Mbule schools, also those on the Inkongo route, and the Bena Indanga. When all is done, Mr. Moyes and I have it in mind to take a journey into regions beyond the limits of our present field of operations. We shall start from Bena Dibele and go through the three tribes, Bankutshu, Bakela, and Denegese. The two former I am somewhat acquainted with, having passed through them on my previous visit to that region, but the Dengese presents a new field. I should like this trip to ascertain as far as possible what the prospects are of opening up definite work in the midst of those three tribes, and how many centers would be required to effectively make a commencement.

The teachers' conference is now past history. There was a rather restless spirit manifested, and the leaders were insistent that more money should be paid, but we told them plainly that the standard of work had been very unsatisfactory, and therefore an increase in wages could not be entertained. The Lord was very good to us, and every effort of the enemy to spoil the meetings was frustrated. We had a really good time and I think many will have profited by the ministry. We succeeded in filling up nearly all the villages in the BaBindi. A new school is to be opened at Indanga. Mbutu and Cibola and Mbeengo and Makaxa are going there. I don't know if you know the village they are going to, Iyolo.

Feb. 8th, 1926.

Mr. Westcott completed his tour of the BaBindi and was much encouraged in the improvement in spiritual tone, and brighter work in the schools. It is a joy to be able to record this uplift in the work, at a time especially when things seemed to be so low, and tended to be depressing. Surely God is good, and does not allow the trial of our faith to go beyond the measure we are able to bear. Mr. Westcott is now at Inkongo. He left here last Thursday. I fear it is the last we shall see of him for some time. He has received advice from Dr. Kellersberger as to his complaint. It appears that nothing but an operation will give him relief, and for this a journey to England is necessary as no doctor out here would care to tackle so serious a case. He has gone to see the doctor at Lusambo, and if he receives from him confirmation of Dr. K.'s diagnosis, he and Mr. Moyes will commence their homeward journey immediately.* *Our brother was obliged to take the journey to England where, through the Lord's mercy, he is gradually regaining strength, after the needed operation.* That leaves us a small and feeble band. My prospective journey across river will have to be postponed indefinitely, but we are the servants of the Lord and work under His direction so whatever He orders is for the best, His wisdom is infallible. We are all fairly well, Mr. Nixon is not too well, and Miss Isaac is often down with weakness and fever. I hope the Lord will send out more workers if He tarries. The little baby Ninga is filling out nicely. All the other orphan children are well. Our little girlie is going ahead and we are thankful to say is keeping well. The postman is expected to-day so I will close and get this ready for him. I trust you are well and enjoying fellowship with your brethren at home.
With love in the Lord, yours affectionately in Him, Chas. Althorp.

Correspondence relating to the foreign work please address to, S. R., c /o the Publishers.