AFRICA-Belgian Congo:,

Up to the time of writing neither Dr. Woodhams or Miss DeJonge have been able to get away for their much needed furlough.* *A cable just received gives news that Miss DeJonge is leaving the end of June to return by way of Europe, and that Dr. Woodhams and his family are leaving at the same time to return via Japan. May the Lord give journeying mercies to all.* Letters and extracts given below will show how the work is progressing in that part of the field. Dr. Woodhams says:

"Here at Mambassa we have been having a real time of blessing and a good many have recently confessed the Lord. Some of these were ones who for a long time had been indifferent and had resisted the truth. It was good to hear such cases giving thanks at the next prayer meeting after they were saved and praying for others who still remained where they had so recently been. So the work goes on and one by one are added to the Church. Those recently saved were natives from Nyangkundi who had come here with us but the Mangwana and others here show much more attention to the Gospel than heretofore."

Our sister Miss DeJonge writes on May the 2nd as follows:

"I am still hoping the way may open for the Woodhams to come when I do, and am waiting until the last of this month, before making final plans to leave early in June by way of the Nile. Should they receive word by that time, I may postpone my coming a little longer, in order to travel with them, if the Lord so leads. The doctor has made inquiry about the Pacific route, and has received a reply from a Japanese line. It will be cheaper to come by the Orient for them, since their home is in California, When seeing all the work that should be done here, we are not so eager to come, but on the other hand we feel that a change is needful for all, and the sooner we come the sooner we may expect to come back, if the Lord still leaves us here a little longer.

To-day being just five years since sailing from New York, we look back and see the good hand of the Lord over us all along the way. And thinking about the number who have already gone on to be with the Lord, among them those who gave such fitting words at the farewell meeting on May 1st, we can see how God has answered definitely the prayers offered at that time; in a special way, the prayer for "the church or assembly of Babira" and the "saints among the Walesi," for at Mikairi's place four Walesi boys have now confessed the Lord as Saviour."

We are glad to be reminded of the happy occasion of the going out of the Woodhams party and also to know that prayers offered then have been abundantly answered.

The following is a further letter from our young brother William Deans telling of the progress made on the new site in Lolua.
Lolua, Irumu, April 18, 1930. Dear brother:-

Thank you for the cheery letter received last week. It does one's heart good to remember those dear saints who are remembering us, and the work at home before the mercy-seat.

Since I arrived at Lolua, where the new work is being established, about six weeks ago, there has not been an idle day. As the site is in the dense forest, much of the work has been in clearing a spot to build upon. Now after a month of watching the giant trees come thundering down we have sufficient space cleared to start a small, high and dry, home. ,

The shack I'm living in is a shelter, but not as healthful as might be desired, being on a low level. Dr. Wood-hams recommends building suitable quarters before the school house and road are completed, as several weeks ago I broke out with several "tropical ulcers" on my legs (which are practically healed now) due to close contact with the natives in bandaging their many diseases.

The corn and bananas planted upon our arrival are growing well, and in a short time sweet corn will put variety into the diet. Food is very scarce in the forest, The natives themselves live almost entirely on a variety of bananas the white man cannot eat. So my food is rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas, all of which were brought from Nyangkundi.

Eggs are available, but not as plentiful as I had imagined. The Pygmies are the only ones who are successful with hens, and I send a boy to their village to buy with salt. It is surprising how well one can enjoy certain foods when no others are available.

I'm getting used to not seeing a white person for weeks at a stretch, and by this isolation am gaining the confidence of the natives so that they are responding splendidly, and are attending each service with encouraging regularity.

Daily, there is the school for men at sunrise, the medical dispensary at 11 A.M. and general school at 2 P.M. At both schools the Gospel is presented and daily an opportunity for personal work is found in the medicine hour. As we have no building for the schools they are held out in the open.

In the middle of each week I'm able to get out to villages a little more distant and thank the Lord for the genuine interest shown.

Sunday services, which are held in the chief's village, draw natives from all the nearby villages, and they sit with eager eyes and absorb every word. Last Sunday after preaching the Gospel, I asked them if they understood. The chief replied, "Some of it, but there is yet some we don't understand." So I called for a volunteer to explain it. One, who has been regular in attendance, stood up and gave it out as he understood it. I was able to correct incomplete parts and I’m sure God's offer of salvation was finally made clear to all present. That one chap certainly understands it with his mind. Pray that the Spirit will touch his heart that he may be numbered among those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. At first the women didn't attend but now a number are at each service. This is a difficult problem to be overcome, I believe, by prayer alone. By our prayers here and those that are ascending from the homeland many miles away.

Nine pygmies were here several days ago and for a half an hour they listened to the Word. If we could only feel assured that^they understand. The Pigmy is not used to figuring things out for himself and to comprehend the love of a sin-hating God, in giving His Son a ransom for sinners, is indeed a difficult task for him. But we shall not cease to plead with God for their souls. It is His will that they turn to the Lord, and He has promised to give what we ask in His name. We ask for souls to God's glory alone.

What a blessed thought it is that we shall meet some of these black converts when the Lord gathers His own to Himself and that we shall share the joys of being with Him and with them through all the ages of eternity.

At last report all were well both at Nyangkundi and at Mambasa. Dr. has told us of several who have accepted the Lord at Mambasa. This is indeed cause for rejoicing. Whether the skin is white or black there is a needy soul within, and thank God there is the same Saviour for all.

Christian love to yourself and to those who love the Lord, Your brother in Christ,

Bill Deans.

CHINA:

We have not yet heard of the arrival of our brother George Foggin in China. We fear however that he will find conditions very unsettled as the following extract of a letter from a missionary laboring in North China will show:

China remains a land of paradoxes; millions of Chinese citizens are starving this present moment, but the Chinese government is not spending a cent to prevent those millions from dying; on the other hand several millions of Northern and Southern soldiers are facing each other and at any moment may start fighting. In slaying each other they will involve other millions of farmers and merchants in dire suffering but in spite of all this the government is on the one hand freely pouring out millions of dollars for war expenses and on the other (for American and European consumption) are prating about the suffering of the poor Chinese citizens and th-necessity of putting and end to strife! If the Chinese government did not fight supposed enemies the farmers and merchants would be able to live and trade would recover but then the militarists would lose their jobs and that would never do. It is better to rely on American and British cupidity to relieve the famine suffering millions than it is to stop fighting. Fighting enriches the Chinese militarists and incidentally enriches foreign dealers in guns and ammunition! Famine has lifted its gaunt head in our midst once more and a few days back when the local authorities approached me with a view to organizing Famine Belief I felt like sending them about their business. Each member is an opium sot, gambler, and low-down-liver. The love of Christ for the poor got the better of me and I promised to do what I could in approaching the International Famine Commission on their behalf. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor" the Lord Jesus is ever that blessed One (2 Cor. 8:9) and it is our privilege to be associated with Him. We feel we must help the Chinese believers but we do not feel free to use money entrusted to us by the Lord's children in relieving the heathen; not from lack of desire but from lack of ability. It will take many thousands of dollars to give even a very little relief to all who are suffering in our county and unless the I. F. C. make a grant, we dare not attempt to do anything for the folk would rise up in a body unless we helped them all believing that we were either holding back funds for our own use (as all Chinese officials do) or that we were showing favoritism:it is strange that they honor us for looking after the Christians and they would not think of rising in protest:all societies in China are supposed to manifest a sort of "Free-Masonry" spirit and look after their own followers or members, but if you are kind to them "that are without" you dare not make discrimination.

Soldier-robbers have given us trouble all through the past winter but until recently they did not steal much of value (1:e., of value to them) but their latest exploit is to run off with our daughter Ruth's valuable donkey. They came in over the wall, but in leaving made a hole in it and walked out. "Thieves break through and steal." We were hoping the animal would give good service in the village work. We have to seek grace "to take cheerfully the spoiling of our goods" for were we to report the thefts to the high military officials the men (or some men) would probably be shot (its much cheaper than sending men to prison!!!) and we are here to "save life." We had thirty of the soldiers into the Gospel meeting last Lord's Day, so the Devil does not get it all his own way; the preaching of Christ either saves them or condemns them. In any case He is honored so it is better to suffer loss and have the joy of heaping coals of fire on the heads of those who cause the loss.

WORK AMONGST JAPANESE:.-Our brother Eugene B. Craig writes as follows:

"The Lord willing, we expect to leave on Friday, the 20th, on our way West, stopping at several places, including a while at my wife's home near Parker's Landing. By the time school opens in the fall we expect to be settled somewhere on the coast for the purpose of Gospel work amongst the Japanese there. There are a few Japanese in different places in fellowship, and a lot of our Japanese Gospel literature has been distributed amongst the Japanese on the Pacific coast by brethren in several places beside some which we have sent by mail. I have a directory of the Japanese in the United States.

INDIAN WORK:

Our brother Holcomb writes from Shiprock, New Mexico, as follows:

We are quite well here at the mission and the work of giving out the Word going forward much as usual. Mr. Girdner was out in the camps day before yesterday. Most of the camp work has to be done on horseback. He reports a good time giving out the Word. Visited three camps and found six hogans which were occupied, (this time of the year many are not occupied) and in them twelve people. As a rule there are more at home than that but they are busy at their gardens which may be five miles from their flock of sheep. And one or two from each camp will be with the flock almost any time of the year. The same day fifteen called at the mission. Thirteen listened to the Word. We average about nine a day callers the year around.

The following is from the pen of Dr. Northcote Deck, medical missionary to the Solomon Islands and is worthy of consideration:

"Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to give to every man according to his works" (Rev. 22:13).

In evangelical circles I think we are rather afraid of "works." They are so often made the way of salvation and salvation we know is a free gift 'which we do nothing to gain, but only accept. But having been saved by the alone atoning death of Christ at once we face the command "Work out your own salvation." And once having entered the Kingdom of God "works" do become a most important subject. Now I hope "we love Him because He first loved us" and long to serve Him for love alone. Yet what saith the Scripture? As universally as it teaches us that we are redeemed for naught it also teaches us we are rewarded according to our works. And the incentive of rewards and crowns is continually set before us by God to urge us on to more devoted service.

We need not be afraid of this Divine incentive to faithfulness. We shall soon find as we seek to excel that it is self sacrifice and not self seeking which it demands of us. And we may safely strive for high rewards not because it is pleasant to obtain them, but because it will rejoice our Saviour's heart to bestow them.

I do hope we have all reached the stage in the Christian life, where our lives can no longer be measured in terms of dollars and cents, the world's usual estimate of a man. Money and what it will buy is a sacred trust to be exercised by the way. But we need to have seen further than that. It was an old saint who cried:"I had eternity set in my heart and after that nothing else or less contented me."And once we realize that, too, we shall develop a divine discontent with merely material things. We may have to give much time and thought to them but now, God is our goal. And it is possible to be "not slothful in business" yet "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."Through it all we may keep "looking unto Jesus."Every day we may redeem the time and lay up more treasure in heaven. For, indeed, we can pay too much for money and fame and power. For our treasure is not so much what belongs to us, as what we belong to mostly men have not got wealth, it has got them. And only the grace of God and the clear sight of eternity will keep these needful, yet dangerous, material things in their rightful place in life under His feet."

The expected visit of our brother J. P. Ribeiro of Brazil to this country, as reported in the June issue, has not been realized. He writes that on account of the much increased cost of passage he has abandoned the contemplated visit and is now laboring in the neighborhood of his home in Parintins.

Our brother William G. Amies, with his family are staying with his wife's relatives. Their address is, care of Mrs. George Fretscher, Route 1, Sewell, N. J. Our brother was at the meeting in Plainfield on Decoration Day, where many had the joy of meeting him and hearing something of the Lord's ways with them.

Our brother, Joseph B. Hoze, writes from Speights-town, Barbados, under date of May 28, giving tidings of a visit to Port of Spain, Trinidad, to attend the marriage of Egbert MacDonald at San Fernando. He-writes of finding things encouraging in Trinidad, with good opportunity for ministry of the Word.