The year which has just drawn to a close has been one of testing and trial to many of the Lord's people, and to any who may be tempted to question God's ability to sustain them in the present difficult and trying times we commend the following letter written by a missionary, Mr. Percy C. Mather of The China Inland Mission, while traveling in Chinese Turkestan.
"A Table in the Wilderness"
We are camped by the River Mujuk on a high plateau in between two ranges of snow mountains. I have just been looking over our stores and find them very low. We have only about 5 lbs. of rice, 5 lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of lentils, a few ounces of tea, 2 ozs. of cocoa, a little salt, and ½ lb. of Mongol butter. Not a bit of firewood, nor a piece of coal! As far as sight is concerned, the outlook seems extremely poor. On June 27, Mr. Hunter and I, together with a Mongol and a Turki boy, left Urumchi, hoping to travel to Kuldja by the mountain route, and work amongst Mongols and Kazaks by the way. When we reached one of the highest parts of the journey, our Mongol boy named Nimgir was taken ill with typhoid fever, and by the time we reached the River Mujuk he could go no further. We have now been held up several days, far away from any house, town or village. We passed the last house on June 29. Of course we have seen many Mongol tents, but this district being high and cold is desolate at present, though we hear there are some Mongol tents about twenty or more miles down the valley; but Nimgir is too weak to be moved, in fact he is in a very serious condition. We have used many medicines and much prayer, but his temperature still remains high.
There has been much rain in the mountains this year, and today, as I write, the clouds hang low, and a heavy hailstorm is driving up the valley and rattling on our tent, and here we are, with a. sick man badly in need of milk, and our stores sadly depleted.
I wonder what you friends are doing about it. Truly, as far as sight is concerned, there does not seem anything to encourage us.
Yes, there is something, the word of god! It seems more real and precious today, and this, morning the text at the head of this letter appealed very strongly to me. We have also got a "Cheering Words Calendar" hanging up in our tent, and the text for today is, "Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn; and god feedeth them; how much more are ye better than the fowls?" (Luke 12:24).
Truly these are cheering words, but since coming here we have not seen, nor heard a single raven.
Yesterday, soon after dawn, two Kazaks rode up to our tent in a very exhausted condition. They are guides to an English traveler who is journeying through the mountains. Six of their horses have been stolen, and they are going to report the matter to the head Mongol prince, whose tent is about seventy miles east of here. Nimgir has an elder brother, a Lama, who is staying at the Prince's camp, so after supplying the Kazaks with some bread and tea from our scanty store, we wrote out a letter in Mongol, telling of Nimgir's illness, and asked the Kazaks to take it to the Lama.
Extracts from Diary
July 17.-Bright, cold, frosty morning. Ground covered with hailstones. Four ravens flying round our camp!
July 18.-"Cheering Words" Calendar text, Ps. 9:9,10. Fine, bright, frosty morning, all hands busy gathering fuel. At breakfast-time said to our Turki boy, "We have only two more basins of rice and one of lentils." He looked very down-hearted until I repeated the words, and added, "and God," then he cheered up a bit. Today, whilst gathering fuel, a text of Scripture came strongly to mind:"Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?" I had to stop and laugh when I thought of it, yet not a laugh of doubt, but of faith. The text seems a direct challenge to god. Here we are held up in this wilderness with only two basins of rice and one of lentils. Can god prepare a table in the wilderness?
10 a.m.-Whilst gathering fuel I was surprised and delighted to see an English officer, with two Indian servants, approaching our tent. It was Col. Schonberg, formerly of the Indian Army, who had seen our tent from a distance, and leaving the road, had come along to inspect. We had met before in Urumchi, so needed no introduction. The previous night he had camped not far from our tent, but neither of us knew it. He said, "I intended going on, but will now stop, and enjoy some English society; that is, if you will have me." Shortly afterwards his caravan arrived with Turki and Indian servants. Three or four tents were pitched near ours, and we seemed quite a busy little village. The Colonel came to our tent and said, "Please come along in half-an-hour and have a cup of tea with me." We went and found tea, bread and butter, cheese and jam, and a table! You can imagine how vividly the text came into my mind once again, but you cannot imagine the feelings that passed through my heart. In course of conversation the Colonel said, "Now to be practical, what can I give you in the way of stores?" We made a humble request, but he soon showed us that he could give us far more than we dare ask or imagine:Tinned milk, Allenbury's Malted Food, and medicines for Nimgir; rice, flour, sugar, butter, cheese, cocoa, damson jam, baking-power, arrowroot, and a tin of Lyle's Golden Syrup. (I was specially pleased, as it is my favorite "jam.")
In the evening, the Colonel invited us to dinner. A heavy wind was blowing, and the cook had great difficulty with the fire, but he made us a splendid dinner, which we enjoyed, not having had any meat or vegetables for over a fortnight.
July 19.-"Cheering Words" text, Isa. 35:6, "In the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."
Colonel Schonberg invited us to a farewell breakfast. Afterwards he took the height of our camp with a hypsometer, and found it to be 9,500 feet.
10 a.m.-Said good-bye to our kind friend and watched him out of sight.
By this time the Mongols down the valley had heard of us, and came for medicines, bringing with them presents of milk, butter, cheese, etc. Then some Turki merchants sold us some of their rice, on consideration that we direct them a few miles along the road. Then a Turki on his way to Urumchi with a flock of sheep, sold us one that had become lame, and killed and dressed it for us. Nimgir's younger brother then paid us a visit, and brought us flour and rice, and nearly half a sheep, so that we had plenty for ourselves and some to spare for occasional Mongol and Kazak guests, who spent the night with us. "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?"
Aug. 17.-Arrived safely in Kuldja. Nimgir now regaining his usual health and strength. He owes much to the careful nursing of Mr. Hunter, who waited on him hand and foot. The long delay brought us into close touch With Mongols and Kazaks; gave us opportunity for preaching the Gospel to many who had never heard it before, and who may never hear it again; strengthened our faith in God, and in His Word, and proved to us that God CAN prepare a table in the wilderness.
TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
"Send out Thy light and Thy truth" (Ps. 43:3). The difficult task which confronts missionaries in heathen lands in connection with the translation of the Scriptures into the native tongue is not generally realized.
A missionary writing from Central Africa says:
The translation of the whole Bible is a matter which should be constantly remembered in prayer. It is a work which requires ceaseless exertion, intensive concentration, and nothing will do for it but the best. These remarks apply to all that our hands find to do for the Lord. Yet possibly there is no work which suffers more inconvenience and is more often hindered than the translation of the Scriptures. It is a cause for thanksgiving that all the tribes along the route taken by the late F. S. Arnot, when on his march to the capital of the much-feared Mushidi, now have the New Testament in their own tongues. But the goal is not yet reached over a wide area.
The following remarks made by an esteemed elder brother from England when visiting some of the African assemblies in 1928, may well be considered with care if so be we are the least bit inclined to slacken our efforts to reach that goal. He said, "In my judgment I do not consider the New Testament alone to be sufficient for the complete spiritual development of an individual or local church. It would seem that the Scriptures combining the Old and New Testaments are definitely required, not only to interpret each other but to provide all that the believer and the church need for growth. Without the Old Testament how can a believer know the New? How should we fare in our spiritual experience if we possessed only the New Testament? The truth of this statement cannot
be disputed, and we may well pray that a stronger and ceaseless effort be made to give these tribes the whole Bible.
WORK AMONG THE INDIANS IN U. S.A.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson of Valentine, Arizona, write as follows:
Once again we say, Thanks to you and the dear saints who have again remembered us with their ministry. It is greatly appreciated, and means much to be remembered by these brethren again.
As we look around us we long so to have folks wake up to the condition of things in the world today, for surely the time to do for the Master is now, and soon working-time here will be done, and how we need to redeem the time. This winter all our Indian men who are able to work will have work in the C. C. C. Camps, and that will help them to take care of themselves. 'Last winter we all had to help out with clothes and food, as they were very poor. We are going to take advantage of this and will have many meetings in the camps this winter, D.V. The women's meetings are well attended, and it keeps us busy getting things ready for them. But they are worth while, and some are saved each year and many helped who are saved. Again, we say, Thank you one and all.
From Shiprock, N. M., Miss Holcomb writes:You there were wondering about our fuel, and we here were asking the Lord for coal for winter fuel. When we went to order a load last week, we found they would be glad to bring us a load, but a load would be four tons, and we had only counted on a two-and-a-half ton load. The gifts in your letter and another, that also came yesterday, will complete the amount needed for a full load, which we will probably receive in a few days more. So again we thank God for His tender thought-fulness for us in temporal things.
One item of the work here has been an encouragement to us of late; that is the Women's Bible Class, which we have been holding in the home of one of its members for some weeks past. Recently Mrs. Martin, an English-speaking Navaho woman (in whose home we had been holding the class), moved away, and immediately another home was offered. Part of our women have moved away from their gardens to winter camps, and this has reduced the attendance, but tomorrow we are opening a class in the new place, and hope to get back several of those who had moved as well as others. We are using pieces for quilt-blocks given out each week as an inducement to regular attendance, and the women are much pleased with them. I have been teaching them the first chapters of Genesis, drilling them from week to week, on previous lessons. It is new work to our women, but they are responding better than I had hoped for. We are praying and longing that the Word may sink down into their hearts, and spring up and bear fruit to the glory of God.
AFRICA
"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6).
The following encouraging report from our brother Searle gives much cause for thanksgiving:
The Lord's grace has been magnified in the turning of many to repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Last Saturday there were 162 souls baptized here at Nyangkundi, some being station people, and others from the out-schools of our beloved brethren the native evangelists. On Lord's Day there was much joy and we had the largest assembly group yet seen, several hundred being present.
Also from our brother Will Deans, who has been on a safari, the following encouraging news comes to hand:
Forty-two men and twenty young and old women have accepted Christ in that village since Anderea, his wife, and a helper entered with the Word over a year ago. A bright going work is there to the praise of our Saviour. Each of the carriers found a large basket of steaming beans waiting for him. So much had they that they said, "It overcomes us to finish."
Fully 300 were present at the Gospel service the next morning, villagers, chiefs, and headmen. Time and space forbid telling more. We returned, having many opportunities on the way home and securing several new openings for the Gospel. In the midst of the wet season we had a dry trip-answered prayer.
CHINA
Brother Kautto writes:
We have been here at Shuang Shantzo since the 17th. On market days we preach in the chapel; on other days we visit different Christian homes. Yesterday we visited a school some five miles from here, the teacher of which said that he was converted here last summer. We sang with the school-boys, "Jesus loves me." Then I explained to them the song by asking questions, and we were delighted and surprised to find how well they knew the Gospel, but they had not heard of the blood which is able to wash away all our sins. You should have seen them, how they were all ears when for the first time they heard of that precious blood. Upon inquiring who had been preaching to those school-children the teacher said he alone had done so. It made us rejoice, and 1 Cor. 15:58 came to our minds.
The little gospel work mentioned in our previous letters is going on nicely. After we had visited them and had a meeting with them, brother Foggin thought that at least four or five of those men must be saved. They usually have their preaching-meetings on Sundays. Often some Christian from another village goes out there to read and preach to them, for though there are from ten to twenty men and women who go there to meeting, only one boy is able to read, and sometimes on account of high water in the river, or because of sickness, none of those that are able to read go there, yet they have their meeting just the same. Their leader is our old workman. Although not able to read, he has heard lots of preaching, so he preaches to the others, and then they all have prayer. Wednesday evenings they have their prayer-meeting. We hope and pray that there may be many more of such meetings started by Chinese.
We had contemplated going to Mutowteng yesterday, but the local officials warned us that there were some bandits on the road, so we had to postpone our going until some later date.
We tried to hold some gospel meetings in the evenings, but they were not successful, for there are many soldiers in here now and the place is under their control. After 7 P. M. none can go on the street without being challenged by the guards. Some evenings Christians some from other villages and I have to escort them back until they pass the soldiers. HARBOR WORK
Our brother Ralph West gives the following account of his work amongst seamen on the ships visiting the port of New York:
It is just ten years ago today, December 31st, 1923, that the work here among seamen was begun, and in looking back over these years two texts come before us, namely, "In all labor there is profit," and, "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." How God, in His grace, has made good these blessed Scriptural verities to us here is all to His praise. In our effort to carry the Gospel to the thousands of unsaved seamen who yearly visit our great port we have found it to be "labor" indeed, and at the same time we have learned that in this work there is also "profit." Souls who knew nothing of His Word, His love or His mighty salvation have been enlightened, and in some cases distinctly blessed, for which we thank God. The grand truth of salvation by grace, through faith, has gone out, not only to these thousands of seafarers, but they in turn, many of them, have carried it to the four corners of the earth. Christ has been preached, sinners warned, and saints helped, for contrary to common understanding, quite a number of men on ships are true Christians. Certainly this is "profit." Then too, God has manifested His hand in encouraging, keeping and blessing us as we "labored." To Him be the praise, for this spiritual "profit." If figures mean anything, we have visited an average of 600 ships each year, and have been able to give away tracts, Scripture portions and Gospel books and booklets in as many as 25 different languages. As to our second text, "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul," this has been blessedly brought home to us. For a long time prior to our entrance into this field of gospel work it was the "desire", of our heart to give all of our time to missionary work. Just what field the Lord was going to open we did not know, but by grace waited on Him, and now as we glance back we can joyfully say, "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." The work among seamen opened up to us very clearly, and the evangelizing of these thousands who live in spiritual and moral darkness, souls who know not the love of God, many of whom are deceived by false religions of the Orient, to go to them as "His witnesses," this great privilege was the gracious answer to the years of waiting, hoping and praying for the accomplishment of our desire. How great is His goodness to us and to them!
As we look, ahead into 1934 we trust Him for further grace to continue in this blessed work, and earnestly request the prayerful fellowship of fellow-servants for our labor, that we be more faithful than ever in the actual work, for it is anything but easy, as those who have done it will testify. Men are indifferent, some opposed, and one often meets with deliberate refusal of the splendid line of tracts and booklets we give out. So one needs patience and much strength to go on for Him. As to visible fruit, we can honestly say that here and there we know of definite cases of real conversion. These came about as the result of personal talks, literature given and carefully read, and in other cases men whom we sent to different missions there "heard and believed." How many others have been blest the future alone will show, and how happy we shall be then to meet there as saints those we met here as lost sinners, and who through us found in Christ a great Saviour.
The support given us by our brethren, their prayers, literature sent or paid for, all of this has cheered us in the lonely path of seed-sowing, and we are glad to acknowledge this help. May His abundant grace be upon us all for what may be the last year of our sojourn and service in this world.