CHINA

We would specially commend our brethren laboring in China to the prayers of the Lord's people. The following extract will give some idea of the conditions under which they labor in that land. Conditions in the North have been further aggravated by the outbreak between the Japanese and Chinese in Manchuria.

During the past winter and spring brigands were active all around us, and one band, some two thousand strong, sought again and again to get control of our city; it was a most anxious time for all the Lord's servants, for we had to be prepared to leave for the coast at a moment's notice. The soldiers broke up the large band of brigands and so relieved the tension. Small groups of the robbers have been operating all over the district during the summer, and some of our Chinese brethren were tied up, but when it was known they were Gospel preachers they were set free with little loss; when traveling in June we very narrowly escaped being carried off for ransom (the passengers from three other carts traveling with us were all taken to the mountains) and just a few weeks back, one of our fellow-laborers was relieved of sixty dollars and two watches! There is much which calls for praise and thanksgiving however, for on the one hand God's work has not been hindered and on the other we have realized that our affliction is light indeed when compared to those of our fellow-creatures in south and central China.

During the summer months brother Kautto was able to reach large numbers with the gospel, both in Taitowing and outlying districts, going as far north as Mu-tou-teng and Kan-Kou, a distance of thirty-five miles as the crow flies, but much further by the rough Chinese roads.

JAPAN

Translation of an extract from a letter of Dr. K. Tsukiyama to E. B. Craig:

Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 21st 1931.

We are very thankful that the Lord is blessing our little faith. The number of meetings has increased somewhat. On the Lord s Day at my house every week we are remembering the Lord. In the evening in front of my house, and at Kanda Park, we have open air preaching. Last evening there were 30 or 40 persons listening. On Wednesday evenings likewise we have this preaching. On Thursdays brethren Fujimoto, Matsunuma, Hayashi and others have begun street preaching at Okachi Street in Shitaya Ward. At the house of brother Sano in Nakano on Tuesdays, at brother Hosaka's in Omori on Fridays, and at brother Mizuno's in Fukugawa Ward on Saturdays, there are cottage meetings and street preaching. On Thursday evenings at the house of sister Motoyoshi in Setagaya there is a cottage meeting for her sewing pupils. Sister Motoyoshi and brother Sano are two of those who have become believers since you returned to America.

Brother Fujimoto is at most of these meetings working, and brethren Sakurai, Nishihara, Nakamura, sister Kawai and others are helping.
On the first Lord's Day of this month, at the house of sister Motoyoshi, two of her sewing school pupils confessed the Lord in baptism. Their names are Toru Harada and Shizu Koizumi. Please pray for them.

From September first the monthly magazine, Shinri no Kura (Treasury of Truth) will be printed instead of being multigraphed as has been done for some time.

Yesterday we remembered that it was just three years since you and Mrs. Craig left for America. We are awaiting your return, if the Lord tarry.

Since the Lord has shown me that for awhile it is His will that I continue as at present to witness, while continuing my medical practice, I desire Him to use me in His work thus as much as possible. But I am praying constantly about this matter. (He refers to his exercise as to giving all his time to the work of the Lord, for which there is so much need.)

Please pray for this little flock in Japan. We are praying for all our dear friends in the Lord in America. And we pray the Lord's rich blessing be upon all your family. Kotaro Tsukiyama.

In sending the above our brother Craig writes:

Piedmont, Calif., Sept. 28, 1931.

Concerning our endeavor to serve in the gospel among the Japanese in this land, we have not as yet found the entrance we desire, but have distributed by hand and by mail gospel literature in many places, beside using opportunities here and there for speaking in Japanese to individuals or to little companies, and sometimes preaching in churches or open air. I am now on a trip to the Northern Pacific Coast States, expecting to do some work among the Japanese in those parts, as well as ministering in the assemblies.

Please pray for brother E. Akiyama and his wife of Oakland, Calif. I have been expecting to work with him. He is well acquainted with his countrymen on the coast. But for six months his wife has been seriously ill and her life is in danger. They are earnest souls.

Eugene B. Craig.

Just as we go to press the following very interesting letter comes from our brother Foggin. May we be much in prayer for his guidance.

Sept. 29th, 1931.

As you know, Gansu has been on my heart for some time, and now I feel a definite call to that place. I expect to stay here at Peiping for the winter, continuing to study the language, and hope to leave in the Spring for Gansu. I do not expect to stay here at Peiping for the winter, continuing to study the language, and hope to leave in the Spring for Gansu. I do not expect to settle down permanently on a Mission Station but rather moving from place to place, although I will likely have centers to work from for a time. To tell you the truth, I have lost confidence in Mission Station work, and believe that in one sense of the word they are a great hindrance, and I have met several older missionaries who are of the same mind. An old missionary here in Peiping who is esteemed by all for sound judgment, said to me, "You can't get the Gospel over to them because their minds are so full of Mission property." Even the Christians are affected by it, and they learn to rest on what has been provided instead of learning to provide for themselves, and the result as far as I can see is that the Christian Church in China is weak and depending upon the Lord, instead of being self-supporting, depending upon the Lord. Until sometime ago I have been busy bill-posting in the City, but owing to the fact that the posters which I was using ran out, I have not been doing that work of late. However, I designed one of my own in the meantime, and have had a thousand printed. They came to-day, and expect along with the use of Mr. Ruck's servant, to be out on the job tomorrow afternoon. It is very interesting. As the man does the posting, a crowd usually gathers round to see what is going on, and then with my limited Chinese I tell them what it means, and then pass out tracts.

I have a good teacher who comes from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day, and also for an hour in the afternoons. He is the best private teacher that I have ever had.

We have been having some real spiritual times at the "Home of Best" of late. Two Missionaries with their children passed through here last week on their way to Gansu, giving me a hearty invitation to their place. They live ten days' journey past Lan Chou, the capital of Gansu. It will take them nearly two months altogether to get there from here. Now I must close, hoping this finds you well and happy in the Lord. Kindly give my love in the Lord to all the saints with you. Thanking you for your kind interest from time to time.

George E. Foggin.

AFRICA

The following interesting letter has come to hand from our sister Miss Esther Creighton:

Mambasa, Irumu, Congo Beige, Sept. 5, 1931. We are all very happy and well. Happy to be here in the Lord's work. What an encouragement it was to have two confess the Lord within the first three weeks after our arrival. We are praying the Lord may overcome for them.

One of the men in the Mangwana village died last week and Lord's Day morning, while Dr. Woodhams was speaking, five Mangwana women filed in covered all over with ashes. They claimed to be the children of the old man who had died. They were in mourning for him. I can't tell you the feeling that came over me when I first saw them. Pity was uppermost. What utter darkness fills their hearts. Oh, that they may find the peace and joy which alone is found in Him the only true Saviour. They have been having a dance and sing and feast all this week. It ends to-night, I believe. The men dance and sing in the inner circle and the woman wail and dance outside the men's circle. We can hear them quite distinctly. It grows louder towards morning. Poor deluded souls. They are so self-righteous. They know they are right. You can't tell a Mangwana anything. We have yet to see the first Mangwana confess the Lord. They surely need our prayers.

We are kept quite busy in the hospital. We did an emergency case at 3 a.m. this morning.
May the Lord guide and direct all the dear saints in the homeland and on other foreign fields. We remember you all in our prayers.

Sincerely in our soon coming Lord,

Esther Creighton.

Dr. Woodhams writing on Sept. 13th says:We are all well and all busy. Miss DeJonge will start native school again next month, D.V. The end of this month we are planning a conference here at Mambasa. Searles and Deans will be over for a few days and we are looking forward to a good time together. Will Deans keeps going, but he is not over his rheumatism yet by any means.

As evidencing the great darkness in parts of our own country we quote from a letter of our brother Lacey:

Clay City, Kentucky, Sept. 12, 1931. This field is very needy and we are working out from Clay City in the mountains around about. I think we could spend at least a year and not go more than twenty miles from this town. I will give you one example of the need. One school I was in this week gave the afternoon session over to me and the parents were invited also. There were thirty-two scholars, only two of whom had ever been to a Sunday School. None of them could quote a single verse of Scripture. I gave each scholar a Gospel of John and after talking to them for two hours, at least half of them held up their hands saying they wanted to be Christians and that they would that day get on their knees confessing to God that they were sinners and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. I gave the teacher seven of those Gospel medals as a reward to the one in each grade who could memorize the greatest numbers of verses from the third chapter of John. She told me that the next day all except the very smallest could quote the sixteenth verse and many of them several other verses beside.

That night I spoke to a school full of parents. When I say full, I mean not only all the seats filled but many sitting on the floor and standing inside and also outside at the windows. There had not been a preacher through there for some years. I have invitations to go to about a dozen such places to hold a week's meetings. So you will see that the field is indeed "white unto harvest." Yours in Our Master's service,

Thos. H. Lacey.