AFRICA

Dr. Woodhams writes us of the problem that faces him as to feeding the large number of helpers required at the new station. He says:

"My present object is to get rid of a little of the dense forest and make room for some buildings. Our first house is nearly finished now, and I have made it large enough to serve us for several years (D. V.), before we build of brick. As soon as the men finish this so that we can move, the next job I will put them on is to clear more forest, and plant at least two thousand banana trees- food for the men is the great problem, and the only solution is to grow our own. Two thousand trees planted will mean that when they bear, eleven months later, we shall be able to cut three hundred large bunches per week. Such a grove goes on bearing indefinitely, as long as cared for, for the banana replants itself, and around the first tree planted will be five or six others nearly as large as the mother. With this number plus a few tons of rice per season which we shall be able to buy from the Mangwanas, we shall be able to feed 150 natives. I will not want that number of workmen after the main buildings are up, though for hospital patients and school-boys, etc., we will always need a lot of food."

The following very interesting letter has also been received from him:

Mambasa, Irumu, Congo Beige, May 19, 1929.

"I am writing from the forest of Central Africa. My little room here may interest you. It is only 11 ft. square, thatched on top with forest leaves and on the sides with dried banana leaves. My "cook" has just put away the dishes and gone, and has left a fire crackling outside where he cooked me rice and sausage. I have a rough table, and above it, nailed to the wall, a kerosene box for books and papers. Another kerosene box with a shelf serves as a dish cupboard. Along one side of the room are three shelves made of poles. On these are piled about half a ton of rice-a bale of 50 blankets (one blanket lasts a native a year's contract), several sacks of cheap sweaters and short pants for the natives who sign up contracts for a year's work. On a third side is my camp cot and a mosquito net over it. In another corner is another series of shelves made of poles, and on these is a 200-lb. bag of salt, 45 axes, 40 hoes, 30 bush knives, 6 shovels and a few picks and crowbars, a cross-cut saw and two pit-saws, besides hammers, etc. The rest of the floor space is mostly filled by a steamer-chair, and I also have a fire in the center every evening, for it is now the rainy season and very damp here in the forest. So my 11 x 11 room is not idle. It has served me since I started coming here, as I do not usually stay more than a week at a time. My wife came over with me once and we managed to get two beds set up in this very room! Of course a lantern is on the wall. I will tear it down one of these days and move into our new house. The roof of the new house is thatched, and door frames all in, and we are now putting on the clay for the walls. This ought to be finished in less than a week. I will then keep big fires going in all the rooms to dry it as soon as possible. Then a second coat of mud to fill up the cracks, then a coat of white, and when that is dried we will move in. By the first part of June, D. V., the new road will be opened through, and before that date I have only one more trip to make by donkey, and then we expect to drive clear through. I have promised to bring the children with me on the first trip that I drive clear through for they have heard so much about the forest that they are anxious to come. John is especially interested in my account of the monkeys. The trees are full of monkeys some days -hundreds of them. A buffalo also walked across our clearing early one morning, and on another, leopard tracks were right outside my window; evidently he smelled the dog, which fortunately was not in my house but had gone to the natives' hut, but for all that it is not nearly so wild as either Chicago or New York, and I prefer it to either.

I must have given you a wrong impression, as we did not yet start the Lord's table with the natives. I believe we intended to at that time but for some reason delayed. It is now being announced for next Lord's Day, May 12th. I will tell of this afterward.

I was interested to hear further of your missionary meetings and of the good interest.

The drugs, hospital beds, etc., arrived in good condition, and I went for them last week. The supplies from Boston are surely appreciated, and represent a lot of work and time, a labor of love to our Lord. The dental chair is very satisfactory for my purpose and I used it at once, for scarcely a week goes by that I do not have several patients. It was a great relief to get the patient in a proper position.

With much love, your brother in Christ,

E. C. Woodhams, M. D. china

Brief mention was made in our last issue of the safe arrival of brother Kautto and his wife at Taitowying on May 9th. He writes in part as follows:

May 9th we arrived at Taitowying and found everything O. K. Immediately upon our arrival we set to work at house-cleaning. The house had been closed for a year, and we were quite busy getting things cleaned and dusted. Some parts needed repairs, painting, etc.

I left for Shuang Shan-tze last Saturday, and arrived here that evening all tired out, as I made the trip with bicycle, and I never seen the road in such poor condition. I had to push my wheel more than half of the 33 miles, the road being very rocky and steep.

Last Lord's Day was a day of marked blessing. We had many hearers, and I have seldom preached with such freedom and liberty. I took Romans 1:18-23 and Phil. 2:5-8 as my texts, and showed the root and beginning of idolatry and the prevision God had made in Christ Jesus. First, man's seven steps down to sin, and then God's seven steps down to meet the sinner's need..

For the past couple of days I have been busy trying to get the new place ready. We have plenty of room for a chapel, school-house and a couple of rooms for ourselves, also for a native teacher. Through the kindness of brethren in the States I was able to send $450 to the brethren in China towards the purchase of the place which was $500. They supplied the remaining $50. Although we have been offered $600 for it, we will not sell as it is now worth $1000, property increasing in value right along.

The native brethren have willingly offered themselves for whatever work they are able to do. They are glad too to give what material they have in their homes.
Next Saturday I am leaving for Mutow-teng, and expect to lead the meeting there next Lord's Day, D. V. I wish we had the roads and methods of travel to be found in the States, but here we must travel by pack-animal or walk. With much love in the Lord and my best wishes to all who are praying for us, I am,

Yours affectionately in Christ,

Charles O. Kautto. japan

The following item of news from Japan should be an encouragement for those who engage in tract distribution.

"Brother Fujimoto found an old lady living near him, who was treasuring some Christian tracts and a Bible in memory of her son who had died eight years before. He had been converted through the tracts, and had gotten a Bible which he diligently read while ill till unable to do so, and then got his mother to read to him. When she showed the tracts to brother Fujimoto, lo and behold, he found that they were tracts of our Bible Truth Mission. This is a great encouragement to the brethren and sisters in Japan in their tract distribution work. "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days."

HARBOR WORK

The following is a brief report from brother West in connection with his work among the seaman in an around the port of New York. Just recently brother West has found a new opening in being allowed to visit the sick seamen in St. Vincent's Hospital, and we should remember to pray for our brother in connection with this work:

(1) On the steamer "Alamo," a little coastwise freighter, I met an Argentine seaman, who had never seen a Bible! His family are Romanists and he has gone through much trial in the past few years. He listened keenly to the Word, and I was happy to have a John in Spanish for him, which he promised to read.

(2) I had splendid liberty, July 4th, on the steamer "Queen Maud." Brother Anderson wrote me of this ship, and I had some follow-up work to care for. The chief mate, and three engineers listened carefully for about 40 minutes to a plain discussion as to the merits or demerits of Evolution. I had, too, an excellent chance to present the gospel. The mate warmed up considerably during the conversation, and at the end took my hand with tears in his eyes and told me how much he appreciated what he heard. I believe the Lord is at work on this ship in some hearts.

(3) A few days ago the Lord gave me much grace to witness to a group of stewards on the White Star steamer "Adriatic." One of them, an Irish lad of Catholic persuasion, showed the greatest interest, and actually rebuked one of his companions for disturbing the message, and at the time I was comparing what Rome said with what Scripture said! May God save many out of this awful system!

(4) Through the generosity of some saints I have been able to purchase many "Traveler's Guides" for the work, some in English, and others in French and Italian, also in Portuguese. I have already distributed a number in the last-named language, and saints would be amply repaid to see the manner of reception on the part of Brazilian seamen.

In this connection, a good number of bags from sisters in different meetings have come to hand, and I have given out not a few to men. I often make it a point to give out bags to those who showed a fierce antagonism, generally making a second visit to the ship. This takes them by surprise and seldom fails to soften their hearts.

Ralph A. West.

PACIFIC COAST

Brother J. A. White writing from Vancouver, B.C., says:There is a fine chance for Gospel work along this coast from here to Alaska if we had a gospel boat, as the coast is sheltered by islands, and there are many towns and small places where the gospel is never preached. South of here there are thousands of towns and villages along Puget Sound that could be reached by a gospel boat. The climate is mild even in the winter, but "Who will go for us?"

We pray for the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers. As ever by grace,

J. Augustus White.
"ALL YOUR THINGS"