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Registered at ths Gemara Peg Office, Sydney, for lir...lambda, Vol. 31, No. 7. Sydney, Monday, February 14, 1927 I y Post as a fiewspatiort WAITING ON US BY LEON A. SMITH Ages have lapsed since the divine commission, " Go, teach all men," from Jesus' lips had birth, Since first was uttered the inspired petition, " Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth," Yet still delays the day of its fruition, Still rests on earth the pall of moral night ; And multitudes, in sad and lost condition, Still sit in darkness, waiting for the light— Waiting on us. Heroes of faith, the holy men of old, Apostles, saints, and martyrs, who laid down Their lives, in toi and sacrifice untold, Ere this should have received the victor's crown. Not now are they in glory with their Lord, Though round their names a light immortal spreads ; But all oblivious of their rich reward, They still are sleeping in their dusty beds, Waiting on us. The Son of God, who at unmeasured cost Redeemed mankind, has not received His own ; Not now He rules o'er man's dominion lost, Not yet He sits a King on David's throne. The wounds of Calvary are still unhealed, And Heaven-defying sinners fill the land ; And looking on a remnant yet unsealed, The great Omnipotent withholds His hand, Waiting on us. Unfallen worlds, that circle farthest space, Are listening for the final burst of praise In God's unfinished symphony of grace, Telling the end of earth's discordant days. Seeking the hour when sin's destructive reign Shall be no more—the controversy done— While yet creation groans and sighs in pain, Earth, heaven, and all the universe are one, Waiting on us. rkWAA40 1 14/2/27 2 ALISTRNEASIAN RECORD •"5 let him four he go, one he stop." This 4 • one is now deceased. How We Spent Sabbath at Limbul O Our Mission Field CD A crowded church met our eyes as we assembled for the Sabbath service, which was conducted in pidgin English, Masig Nalo, the teacher, interpreting. After the service we witnessed Brother Visiting the New Hebrides Mis- that in the twelve months she had been James baptise a newly appointed teacher sion Field—Part 2 on the island she had met two other white from another station. Owing to his hav- women only and that just for a short time. ing to pay off some old heathen accounts, The Training School Property And this station is not quite so isolated he had preferred to postpone his baptism as the one where Brother and Sister Weil until he had a clean record. Mark, as he ON the return to Atchin from Big Bay are located in Big Bay. One cannot help is now called, is a very faithful tithe- we were able to visit the newly selected but admire the Christian courage of these payer, and before he became a worker site for the training of native workers for devoted sisters as they willingly endure paid tithe to the amount of over £20. this field. This property, which com- long months of isolation and happily do He is now receiving the modest sum of prises over 1,200 acres on the island of their part in the busy routine of mission 17/6 per month. No teacher—and some Aore and two small islands in the Malo life. of them are married men with families— Pass, is a very fine one indeed. In fact, The new station at Baiap, with the has yet received more than Ei per month. it is so attractive that some of the local native houses and compounds, looked very It is scarcely enough to keep them respect- residents have ventured to encroach upon neat, and flourishing gardens were grow- ably dressed. its boundaries and commence clearing ing in close proximity to the station. It Here again the natives were very and planting. Owing to the land tenure was very pleasing to see a fine large pleased to meet our Fijian crew and of the group being in such an unsatisfac- company of worshippers meet together in listen to them sing. Sabbath afternoon tory condition under the Condominium the evening for worship, and to notice was largely spent in an interchange of Government, there are really no titles to their orderly conduct. More reverence is singing, first by the Fijians and then properties, but the claims are lodged with often shown by these people for sacred by the Ambrymese who are very anxious the Joint Court and we have purchased things than we see in places in the home- to learn our hymns. Everywhere we the prior claim to this property. Those lands. went Brother McLaren was asked to encroaching upon our claim have now bring his crew ashore and sing, and if received notice that we are the proprietors. One of the Finest Interests in the the request could not for any reason be With one or two the notice appears to South Seas granted the natives were disappointed. have been heeded and we do not expect much trouble in establishing our claim. Next morning we proceeded to North Native Hospitality We can heartily endorse all that has Ambrym, and after securely anchoring been said in favour of this property. It is the vessel in a nice little cove proceeded One thing that seems to come into the centrally located within easy distance of to visit the native villages. Just four heart with the acceptance of the gospel is ports of call by oversea steamers. It has years ago in company with Brother the •grace of being "given to hospitality." also the advantage of being near to two Nicholson we were prospecting for a site After service on Sabbath at the Limbul doctors. But one of the most essential in this very district, but at that time we station on North Ambrym, we seated features is the fine hurricane-proof an- had no adherents there. Today we have ourselves for a rest on a log in a nice chorage, considered to be one of the best not only a large number of believers, but shady place, and were very soon the re- in the group. we also have one of the finest interests in cipients of many kinds of native food, Subsequent to our general meeting, we all of our South Sea Island field. We including a piece of laplap, or the cooked made another visit to this training school were met and warmly welcomed by large grated yam, also breadfruit and nuts site and assisted Pastor James in com- bodies of natives, some of them just about roasted on the coals, some fresh mangoes, mencing clearing operations. Before we to sever their connection with heathenism. bananas, pineapples, etc. Tastes may left he had erected a small house with Men with scarcely any clothing and differ, but the writer thinks it hard to iron roof for the native assistants and was women still wearing the grass skirts, lined find an equal to the mango among either proceeding to occupy the small island just the roadside to shake hands. They took tropical or temperate fruits. It being opposite. Already this new enterprise us to see relics of their heathen worship Christmas Day we thought of the many who has become the centre of interest in our which were fast going into decay. And were indulging in what they considered work in the group, and we trust that it all this interest is really being cared for a royal feast of all sorts of expensive and has a very fruitful future before it. b y a few only partly trained native laboriously prepared dishes, while we workers with an occasional visit from the from the simple native fare had all we A Visit to Ambrym white worker. could eat of a very delicious assortment of nature's best : a meal for which we Arriving at the Baiap station at 4.30 A Famous Chief would not exchange the so-called best p.m. December 23, we were greeted by a Christmas dinner. fine lot of well-dressed natives shouting The next day, being Sabbath, we spent " Sail-Ho " and waving us a welcome in a central village in the Limbul district. Tithes and Offerings from every point of vantage. Brother The old chief Malsagavul met and wel- Taylor was easily seen moving round comed us. It would seem as though he Giving to assist the mission work was a among them. But where was Sister has waited many long years for the mis- new thing to many of these natives only Taylor? Was she, like many of these sion. Fifty years ago he was taken by a short time ago. But there is no scepti- good sisters, making preparations to serve Bishop Patteson to New Zealand, but cism in the native mind, and having the visitors, or was she detained at home returned to his own island and took up accepted the gospel and the Scriptures by sickness ? These were the thoughts with the heathen worship again. He has they accept it in its entirety. They soon passing through our minds. However, a dozen ivory armlets, emblems of the learn that the principle of the gospel is to the general happiness expressed by the hundreds of pigs he has sacrificed. He give, and that regularly or systematically. people on the foreshore would lead us to has been created chief five times because Some soon commence to recognise this conclude that if she were ill, it was not of his zeal in heathen sacrifices.

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