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The Eastern Tidings for 1929

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The Eastern Tidings for 1929 Registered No. B 1858 EASTERN TIDINGS VoL. 24 POONA, INDIA, APRIL 15, 1929 No. 8 A Word of Appreciation and Farewell 0. MONTGOMERY As our ship plows her way westward passeth all understanding, shall keep your bearing us on our homeward way, my mind hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." turns back to India with pleasant memories. Morning by morning as Brother Town, Dr. DEAR FELLOW - WORKERS : Clark and I meet in our little cabin for wor- ship, we do not fail to pray for the work in We know that many earnest prayers your Division, remembering the workers have gone up to heaven from your hearts and the various interests of the Cause. Our during the past two weeks that Pastor hearts are with you, Brethren and Sisters, Montgomery and I might have a safe and we greatly rejoice in all that the dear voyage. I am happy to tell you that God Lord is doing through you. Truly His has heard your and our prayers and has hand has been over the work in blessing and brought us safely and with nice weather much mercy and power and we praise Him and smooth seas for the most part, to our with you and take courage. desired haven. The future is big with promise for the Every morning just after breakfast the work in India, Burma and Ceylon. Those three of us have met in our cabin for wor- of you who have toiled on for long years ship and we have remembered the work and facing difficulties and perplexities, a n d workers in Southern Asia. We remember perhaps seeing but small fruitage for your with pleasure and thankfulness our visits labour, as compared with some other parts among you. You treated us royally and of the world field, be encouraged. Look up we enjoyed our associations with you. and rejoice, for there is the sound of a The interest you all took in our comfort going in the tops of the mulberry trees even and welfare is illustrated in the prayer of in India. The Master sees your labour of Brother Flaiz's little girl when she prayed, love. The splendid work that has been "0 Lord, keep Brother Town from losing accomplished will be greatly enlarged and his wooden leg l" I am glad to tell you, strengthened and built up through the June, that up to the present I haven't Spirit's power. lost it and I trust I shall not. If we could We rejoice in the splendid staff of earnest all learn better how to come to our Heaven- devoted workers in the field, and that so ly Father with the same simplicity and many new recruits are joining your forces. confidence as the children do what greater I shall remember with lasting pleasure blessings we should receive from Him. our visits to the various parts of the field, We leave Southern Asia with good the hospitality of your homes, the happy courage for the future of the work in that association with workers and believers and field. We believe you have each returned the joy of seeing what you and those who to your post with renewed courage and have gone before you have accomplished confidence and with the determination to under God. attempt greater things for God and to We are carrying in our hearts a good re- expect greater things from God. Somehow, port of the work in the Southern Asia Di- I have a vision of bigger things not only in vision to our Brethren and Sisters in the literature work, but in every line of America and we shall rejoice to tell them of missionary endeavour throughout the field. all that the Lord is doing there through you. May God help you in doing these bigger " But sanctify in your hearts Christ as things. Sincerely your brother, your Lord," "and the peace of God which N. Z. TOWN, 2 EASTERN TIDINGS April 15, Report and should be the products of our own school system. The village schools must be strengthened to make H. CHRISTENSEN them all they should be, and very careful study must be given to placing properly trained and qualified To the delegates and believers assembled in the fourth teachers in them. Biennial Conference. of the South India Union Mission, greeting: God has prospered the medical hospitals until the We are passing another milestone in the work of Narsapur unit is well on its way towards being a preaching the everlasting gospel in the South India self-supporting institution, and the Giffard Mission Union Mission field. The close of each biennial Hospital is working in the same direction. Untold period finds us nearer the culmination of all things, blessings have flowed out from them to the people of and nearer the realization of the hope which has the surrounding villages in the relief of physical cheered the advent believers for more than three suffering they have given. In the month of September quarters of a century. While we are thus hastening the Narsapur Hospital was formally dedicated to the on, we must never forget that in our hands, placed work for which it was planted. The influence of there according to a divine will, is a great unfinished these hospitals is seen in a very liberal offer made to task. the South India Union by the Rajah of Bobbili. There are a number of items to which I shall call During an interview he said he had heard of the good attention in this report. Inasmuch as the superin- work our hospitals were doing and their efficient tendents of the local missions and departmental management by those in charge, and came forward secretaries will submit reports concerning their with an offer covering the erection and equipment of respective fields and departments, I shall not enter in- a hospital in Bobbili. Also financing the securing of to details to be covered by them. a doctor from America. We are glad for this indica- The membership of the South India Union Mission tion of confidence in our work by men of thought and at the close of the last biennial period was 781. influence in India, and believe this is as it should be. Since then 169 have been added by baptism, 227 by Somehow with confidence we look forward to the letter, 17 on profession of faith, 28 have been dropped establishment of these medical centres in the respec- by death, 64 by apostasy, and 222 transferred to other tive local missions in the Union. We believe the God fields by letter, leaving at the close of the fourth whose interests are with the children of men will hear quarter of 1928, a membership of 880, or a net gain our prayers as we seek him for these openings. in two years of 99 members. My heart has been moved as I have read accounts There are at present employed in this Union 46 from the various fields of the world in which are held European and 119 Indian labourers. Of this num- out the wonderful ixtovings of His Spirit as men are ber, 19 are giving full time to office and administrative led to seek the light of truth. There are indications work; 50 to school and educational work; 23 to that the same spirit is at work in this great Union medical; and 74 to evangelistic. We are glad to re- Mission. Many urgent calls have been pressed upon port that most of these, are trained in our own schools. your humble servant during his few months in the Out schools are a vital factor in the proper develop- field. To relate these in detail is not in order, but ment of our work and workeis, and must be strength- permit me to state that the last one comes from a ened in many places in order to meet the demands section in which, as far as we know, no work has been upon us. done by Seventh-day Adventists, and the call is for a teacher, and "if a teacher cannot come, send us a col- The financial report will be rendered by the Treasur- porteur," says the call. er, and therefore I shall but refer to items which may appear therein. The Treasurer has made efforts to To the brethren assembled I would urge that we safeguard the expenditure of money, yet, to be success- strengthen our evangelistic work, and give a new ful, he must have your cooperation. It would be a impetus to these endeavours for which all agencies very trying task for the Treasurer and your humble within this movement exist. While we do not con- servant to rule out items of expense from reports, descend to number Israel, yet we do not believe that therefore I am appealing to you to study economy the present rate of progress meets the full favour of and the wise expenditure and use of sacred funds. I God, and we must strengthen every agency which will believe there are yet untapped monetary resources in contribute directly to a strong, aggressive evangelistic India, which we would do well to carefully study, campaign. "To win souls to the kingdom of God with a view towards becoming, at least partially, must be their first c on s i d e r a t i o n,"—"Gospel self-supporting. Workers," p.31. The educational work in the Union forms a very Much can and should be done towards strengthen- important part of our missionary programme.
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