Houston, Tex. Dear brother:- Dec. 19,1927.

Inasmuch as it was given out in Help and Food some time ago that my wife and I felt led to go to China, and as some may not be aware that the Lord has in many ways since indicated that His will for us is otherwise, it might be well to make some announcement in the same pages that those who have shown such kind and hearty interest may be fully advised. We appreciate the help which some assemblies and individuals gave us while at school last year and shall be happy to pass it on to others more needy as the Lord enables us,

The teaching work which I took up this summer brought us here to Houston, Tex., and we feel a long way from those we love. However, we are happy in the nearness of our ever-present and never-failing Lord and Master. With Christian love and greeting, Affectionately in Him,

Virgil Pennington, Jr.

Winslow, Ariz.
Dear brother:- Dec. 7,1927.

There are lights and shadows in the work. During the past week especially I have been distressed to find out some of the wickedness that is going on here, and have tried to comfort and help on the one hand, and to lead to repentance on the other, feeling my own insufficiency, but realizing more than ever that "God is sufficient." It is His goodness that leadeth to repentance. Oh, that these poor hardened sinners might realize it. It is a privilege indeed to be here to exhort and warn, and to give out the gospel story again and again in the happy confidence that all is in the Father's hands, and that His Word shall accomplish that which He pleases. "To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life."

The children are an inspiration, and the work with them is a happy work indeed. They continue to come out in good numbers, and also the women are attending the classes during the week very well for such a busy time of year. It is sometimes very difficult to teach the women when the little ones are so restless and noisy, but it is "line upon line," and "here a little and there a little." If during half-an-hour's talk I can impress them with even one meaningful text, I am happy.

We need your prayers.

With affectionate greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ, I am, Your sister in Him,

Minnie Armerding.

Dear brother in Christ:-

Taitowying, North China. Dec. 7th,1927.

The Lord's goodness has been extended to us in many ways. The work is going on in spite of difficulties, and even some danger. At Taitowying Miss Hancock is looking after the work, while I am engaged in different places. At Kan-kou, we opened up work some months ago, and rented a little place in a dye factory. It has proven unsuccessful, for the reason that we have to use the same door to go in and out and now when the Chinese New Year is at hand, they rented some of their space to idol merchants who put up their sign beside our Chapel sign, me only thing we could do was to rent the place to some one else. The other place is eight miles away and called Mu-tou-teng. It is only a little market-place, but there are lots of farms all round. The work here is most encouraging, so I decided not to rent a place after the New Year in Kan-kou, but let the native man stay in Mu-tou-teng, and use his time working there, except that on market days he can go to Kan-kou.

At present, I am at Shuang-Shan-tze, where we have had work going on the past four years. This was a very promising place, but some three years ago they had war here, and since then it has been a hot-bed of bandits. Out of fifty merchants not any are opening their doors and the place on ordinary days is a desolation. Only on market-days there are people, and even then hardly anybody comes, for the bandits and soldiers are the terror of the people, soldiers even more than bandits. Yesterday was a market-day and some sixty bandits entered the town, and were attacked by three companies of soldiers. No one knew anything about their coming until they began to fire, and every one fled to their houses. I was sitting and reading when I heard the rifle-fire, and the bullets wheezing, landing on the house-tops. Three soldiers were killed, some wounded, also some bandits killed, wounded, and captured. This morning they were fighting again, some ten miles from here.

We began a Bible study course for a month, but on account of the unrest it has not yet been as promising as I had hoped for. If the fighting between soldiers and bandits moves to other places, the interest may pick up.

A number have suggested that I should take a furlough, and come over to the U. S.,for a rest, and to try to interest some one else in the work also. So I have thought, if it seems to be the Lord's will, I would like to go home in the month of June, and stay two months, as I have not seen my parents for nineteen years. When I left I was a stranger to the Lord, and I believe the re-union would be for blessing to me and to them. After this I would go to America, and visit the different Assemblies, till I get to the West coast again, and back to China. And I hope the Lord will give me some fellow-worker in the work.

I am trying to get these three stations working so that there won't be great expenses, leaving a man at each place. I hope the natives themselves will take a more active part in the work. At present they are depending too much on the missionary.

I wish your co-operation in prayer to this end. that, if it, be the Lord's will, He may make it possible for me to do as I have described.

With much Christian love to all, and my hearty thanks for all the saints' prayers and interest in the work, both spiritual and temporal.

Yours affectionately in Christ,

Charles O. Kautto.

Lerida, Spain. Dear brother in Christ:- Dec. 24th, 1927.

As you will see by present address, we moved from Termens to the city of Lerida, where we expect, D. V., to remain until the Lord opens the way for our return to the States, where I desire to leave the family and then go to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I had requests from a dear Brother in Nicaragua, Ignacio Juncadella, Apartado 36, Managua, to go and help him. He labored for years under the Baptist Board, but lately he was led to step out and he is laboring now depending on the Lord. I thought my family could remain here, but conditions are such that I trust the Lord will supply us with the necessary means that they can come with me to the States, and remain there while I visit Nicaragua and Costa Rica. From Lerida we can now reach several towns, where we find souls interested in the Word. We break bread here and in Termens, every other Lord's Day in each place; believers from Torreserona come here to the meetings, as it is only one hour's walk, and we go there for gospel meetings, when a large crowd of attentive hearers gather to hear the Word. We have a feast each time, thank the Lord. Sincerely yours by His grace,

B. Montllau.

Taitowying, North China. Dear Friends who pray for us:- Nov. 4,1927.

After sending you my Appeal for Prayer of Aug. 25, I now wish to report to you how our prayers are being answered for the tried ones of Kwang Ping Hsien district in Southern Chihli. You will understand that I am still away from this beloved work. The U. S. A. Consuls, because they are trying in every way to avoid international trouble, are unwilling that any American citizen should be in the districts where battles are expected to be fought Our district, in the extreme South of Chihli, being one of the important gateways from Southern China to Northern China, is not likely to be free from trouble until the war is over.

I have just had a visit from Evangelist Chen, one of the native brethren who are carrying on the work there, and will now pass on to you what he has told me. The trials there are threefold-WAR, FAMINE and threatened PERSECUTION. The war of course continues. The famine is partial, some parts of our district having had rain and other parts dry. God is indeed helping the Christians in this famine. While thousands of the population are leaving to ben elsewhere, only one believer and his family have had to leave, and he has written back to his brethren that he has found work, also a station of the China Inland Mission where the family now attend meetings. Other believers who have, later on, come to an end of their resources have been relieved from a fund God has given us for the purpose.

As to the threatened persecution of the Societies risen up among the people to oppose the military rule (which I wrote to you about as demanding that the Christians join them though they practice idolatry, etc.), I am now thankful to be able to report to you that God has kept our people from real harm. There have been many threats and not a little fear, but when the time came to enforce the threats the two Societies fell to quarreling between themselves and nothing was done.

As to the general gospel work, it is going on in spite of all difficulty. Mr. Chen tells me that at our seven Sunday meeting-places the attendance is, in actual numbers, about the same as when I was there. He thinks that this is a real advance, because there has been a falling away through fear, but many have continued-in fact, all of those whom we had received as really converted- and others have been added, with apparently a deeper interest than those who fell away. He is much encouraged, though he and the others have been through very trying circumstances. Please continue to pray. God is really working, and, I am sure, measuring out the trials as He sees they can bear them.1 Cor. 10:13 is such a blessed promise for them, and may it prove to you also, dear praying friend, a help in time of need; may you always find "a way of escape"-the Chinese translation has it, "a road out"-in your time of sore trial. May your ministry of prayer be blessed toy our own spiritual life, and while you so help the work in China, may your ministry in the homeland be increased in scope and blessing.

I am thankful for this opening at Taitowying in Northern Chihli, where I can do gospel work among the women, during the time of my exile from Southern Chihli. God has graciously guided and provided. HE IS FAITHFUL.

Yours in His glad service,

Anna M. Hancock.

Parintins, Brazil. Dear brother in Christ:- Dec. 24,1927.

I am glad to inform you that from next month on I will engage in a business enterprise with profits which I hope will cover nearly all that I require for our living. The nature of the business is such that I can preach Christ as I go from place to place, and this is especially dear to me. Yours in Christ Jesus,

J. P. Ribeiro.