E. B. Craig and family made a brief visit to some Eastern Assemblies, returning to Parker's Landing, Pa., their present address. Mrs. Craig and the two boys will be living there with her parents, and our brother will be visiting various Assemblies in the country.
Chas. Kautto has been visiting Assemblies on his way to the Pacific Coast where (D.V.), he will spend the winter. He has been warmly received and finds considerable interest in the work in China. We trust this may be increased and the Lord use the visit of our brother to give us to realize the importance of reaching out to the needy in the dark parts of the World.
J. B. Hoze writes of his safe arrival in Speights Town, Barbadoes, the securing of a hall and fitting it up for Gospel meetings. There has been already a good response in the way of crowded meetings. Let us pray that he may be used of the Lord there to reach precious souls.
Robert Deans, 1236 Fountain St., Alameda, Calif., who is warmly commended by the Assembly at Oakland where he attends, writes of an earnest desire to witness for the Lord in Africa. He was brought to Christ in 1901 at the age of twenty, in -Aberdeen, Scotland, and was early exercised as to the foreign field through hearing an address by Dr. Guinness soon after his conversion. He writes of realizing a duty to the colored race because his father was brought to Christ through the instrumentality of Dr. C. J. Davis, "the good black doctor," and his own rescue from drowning by a colored man out of a crowd of 200 of both races, when he fell from a ship in Panama. Our brother and his wife being both forty-seven years of age, are beyond the age usually thought expedient to go to a foreign country, but have excellent health and desire only the Lord's will in the matter. They have three children, the oldest, a son of twenty years, in fellowship at Los Angeles; a daughter of fifteen years, in fellowship at Oakland; and a boy of ten, who has confessed the Lord. They desire our earnest prayers that the Lord may lead them in this very important matter. Let us do this heartily.
The following letters we are sure will be of interest:
9 Rue de Clamart, Compiegne (Oise) France. Dear brother:- Oct. 29,1928.
Many thanks for the Christian's Calendar 1929, that came to me this morning like a delightful surprise. Thanks to God and thanks to you. "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world!"-What a text! Enough to carry us all through the coming year, and the following ones, till we see Him face to face! I am, thank God, still on this lower side of heaven and I sometimes wonder how long the "thread" will hold, for I feel awfully weak at times; but He knows, and, in spite of my feebleness, uses me still. Prance is just being visited by a tidal wave from on high, and there are stirrings among the dry bones, chiefly in the South. Many are expecting a great 'awakening this year and the next one, in France and her colonies. So cheer up and pray through until it comes and Satan be once more defeated. We are now living in the Niagara Rapids of times, and the fight between light and darkness will be increasing tremendously, but we know the ultimate glorious victory is nigh and our ever blessed Lord is very soon coming back to rule and bring (with Him) the true peace (not the Kellogg-Briand one!) Once more, many thanks for all your kindness to me for monthlies and tracts and especially for your prayers, and may God's very richest blessing remain upon your indispensable work until the "Rapture." I am yours most heartily in the exalting hope of His imminent return "in the clouds" (or upon the clouds).
FRANCE:-
In the months of July, August, and half September, our brother J. Rhein (a converted Jew),28 bis rue d,Exincourt, Audincourt, Doubs, was enabled to go to thirty-two markets, to sell over 1150 New Testament three Bibles, and to give away some 9000 go tracts and to preach the Gospel to hundreds of May we pray for our faithful brother, and for + that he has been enabled to sow.
Rue de Verdun, Quiberon, Morbihan:- Our aged Mr. Le Garrec (formerly a Roman Catholic Br still going on in the preaching of the Gospel. He and another brother had a meeting in the main Roman Catholic city of the province of Morbihan. Some 500 people came to hear the message, and, though it was not a quiet meeting, our brethren were able to give the Word and to witness for Christ. Our brother also spent some time at the seaside (a famous resort where some 30,000 visitors come during the season) , where he had the joy of distributing many tracts and portions of the Word.
He also went to a market not far from where he is living to give out tracts. A priest, to whom Mr Le Garrec had given one, went among the people calling our brother an apostate, deceiver, etc.
Pray for our brother that he may be sustained of the Lord, and that his efforts may be blessed to others.
MARTINIQUE:FRENCH WEST INDIES:-
Our aged colored brother F. Fataccy, writes; "I have received the parcel of books and tracts that you sent me. Many thanks. Some of the tracts have been a means of blessing to us. I am ready to go out to distribute them". I hope that they will be a help to those who will receive them. The persons who had asked for Bibles received them with pleasure. All are sold; I have only four New Testaments left. God, in His mercy, will bless His divine Word to many. The love of Christ constraineth me to give that good Word that many be blessed."
HAITI :-
The Mission House, Port-de-Paix :- On Monday the 27th of August I chartered a sailing boat and cogged to the island of La Tortue, taking with me our two evangelists Jonas Pierre and Sem Salvant. I remained on the island five days, during which time we visited many of the inhabitants in their homesteads, holding informal meetings under trees or on the shady side of hut$. Many of the islanders came from considerable distances to visit us in our temporary Mission House, each visit gave us an occasion to preach Jesus. Two men and one woman professed to accept Jesus' Christ as their personal Saviour.
Please continue to pray for us, and ask your friends to pray that we may be kept in the love of God, and that we may be enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry on the work of the mission on New Testament lines.
J. Alfred Pearce. Canada:-
554 Sixth Ave., Verdun, P. Q.-It is with thankfulness that we can report that the Lord is sustaining and encouraging us in the sowing of the precious seed. This Summer and Fall we have been privileged to do pioneering work amongst the French Roman Catholics. We sought to scatter the seed as we went along, and we thank our God that some wrote for gospels and New Testaments. Here is the translation of two letters from a French woman and a girl:"Dear Sir, I have found on the road some papers of which you say that you will send free the gospels or the New Testament to those who would like to read them. I am one who truly would like to do so."
"Dear Sir:Having found on the road a paper on the which you say that you will give the four gospels as well as other papers, I would like much to read them."
The books and papers have been sent to them both as well as to others who expressed the same desire. Kindly pray that the seed sown may be much to His glory and for the eternal blessing of many.
Louis J. Germain.
According to the United States Census estimate, there are 70,000 blind in the United States. Much has been done towards providing them with the Scriptures in what is called Braille, which is a raised type made by embossing, so that they can read with their fingers. It will be of interest to know in this connection that the Gospel pamphlet, "The Reason Why," by R. A. Laidlaw, has been issued in Braille by the Christian Life Literature Fund through the efforts of the director, Mr. Oliver Richard Heinze. On account of the large expense of such work, the actual cost per copy has been about $1.25; but Mr. Heinze has succeeded in placing two copies with each of the libraries for the blind in various parts of the country. May God use these in bringing many to our blessed Lord.
The response to the letter sent out as to the sufferers from the Hurricane in the Bahamas and Porto Rico, as will be noticed from the report, has been generous and we thank the Lord for the relief thus afforded to our dear brethren. We sincerely hope that this will not in any way curtail ministry to those who have gone into foreign lands and we earnestly commend our beloved brothers and sisters who are carrying the Gospel of Christ to the needy parts of the world, to the fellowship of our brethren everywhere. In connection with this it will be of interest to know that our brother, Dr. Woodhams and his wife have on their hearts the carrying of the Gospel to a new tribe not far from where they are. Dr. Woodhams writes in part:-
Now about the Walesi. My wife and I feel that we ought to undertake a work 'among this tribe. Or rather I will .say that we are rejoicing over the fact that the Lord has laid this upon our hearts and we believe that God is thrusting us forth into this harvest field. These people have been increasingly upon our hearts for the last six years at least, and I have often prayed for them and for a work among them but until now had not seen the way open nor felt the conviction that we ourselves' were to go. The work here at Nyankunde, though more pleasantly carried on by the two of us, I admit, can all be done by one under the urgent conditions-which urgent condition is that the Walesi have been unevangelized since our Lord first spoke of "every creature." Mr. Searle is very happy to stay here and we are agreed about the need of work among the Walesi. He has a good hold of things now, knows Kingwana well, and will undertake Kibira since sure of staying here, nearly all necessary buildings are up, ground cleared, roads graded, etc., so that, he will be free for the work of evangelization. I have not thoroughly looked over the territory yet and will not do so until ready to act-rumors and such might thus do us harm and hinder a good location. What I have in mind is a point about fifty miles West of here and thirty west of the Ituri River, if that proves to be the center of the tribe. There is a motor road, the first lap to Stanleyville which is not finished all the way through as yet. It is the main forest and we will have to clear a place for a home. I will go over by motor bike and be back and forth until I can erect a temporary house and get a start.
One of the things that has precipated this is the fact that on this side of the Ituri there are so many settlers etc., that I am forced to spend too much of my time with medical practice, which if I had wanted to do I" should have stayed in America. Some weeks I am away five or six days, home at nights but separate calls. I cannot (professionally) refuse to go, but I do not like it, and it is getting worse and worse and will do so as more Europeans move in. But beyond the Ituri is forest and not a country for settlers, and it is across a wide river which, must be crossed by a canoe barge and I will be "protected" from calls!
There is a Dr. at Irumu and one at Kito whom they can call and will call if I am that far away, instead of calling me. If I build a European Hospital here I would be tied down worse than I am now, and what is the profit. So we came to the conclusion that the logical place for us is farther West. And I believe that we have the Lord's mind about this also.
I hope to come here once a month for native medical cases and for the rest of the time leave my trained Dispensary native who can look after ordinary dressings and ulcers, etc.
I must not write more now for it is very late. The actual start waits on the trip first to Kampala, which trip waits now on a maternity case. I hope the truck will be here by the time we begin for taking goods to the new location. It will be a great joy to begin. I feel that our past ten years are preliminary for what is now before us in the Lord's mercy, and should He tarry, seek grace to be a servant of the Walesi Gentiles whom our Lord would gather out for His name.
With much love in our soon coming Lord, R. C. Woodhams, M. D.
May the Lord guide them in this, and us in our responsibility as to this new work. Our brother Searle his wife and our sisters Miss DeJonge and Miss Wilson, will continue with the work at Irumu so that there will be now two stations in that part of the field. In the Sunday School Visitor for December 2 will be seen a picture of the auto truck being sent out to Irumu. This was made possible by the gifts chiefly of a brother greatly interested in the work and who has asked that his name should not be mentioned, and will be a very great help to our brethren, especially in view of the proposed beginning of a new station.