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Fd ' ‘ ’ y : & : 2 ' J | : ' ; J ‘ A ’ i Y eS P af uote. y a ie 4 = oils ay : BUILDING ON THE ROCK uoHeIg OMsyesueaq eEMeYH For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ—I Cor. 3:11. An account of the first quarter of a century of mis- sion work done by the American Mennonite Mission, Hhamtarr. 6. rie India 1899 — 1924 Written by the missionaries. MENNONITE PUBLISHING HOUSE Scottdale, Pennsylvania The Tree Underneath which Bro. Ressler and Bro. A. D. Wenger First Lived in an Improvised Hut Copyright, 1926, by Mennonite Publishing House DEDICATION To the workers of The American Mennonite Mission both Tretian and American who have laid down their hves in the service that Christ might be made known to the people in the field of The American Mennonite Mission this volume is affectionately dedicated J. S. Shoemaker, President of the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board at the time of the merger of this Board with the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions in May, 1906, became the secretary of the consolidated Bcard which has since that time been known as the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. He held this position until 1921, when he was succeeded as secre- tary by S. C. Yoder, ‘the present incumbent, since which time he has been a member of the Executive or Mission Committee. 3ro. Shoemaker was delegated by the General Mission Board to visit the mission field of the American Mennonite Mission at Dham- tari, India. Accompanied by Bro. J. S. Hartzler, he spent six months in India, 1910-11. Chapter VI. VIL. VIIL. IX, ne Kl xi XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. CONTENTS Page lpdhamarnnnteldeywyid nooks S1ypncy eon, Serer ere ep San ony pee 9 SEC NINOS Ol Liem VV OL kit) LNC1ae.c, sens. cus pos 13 Pe eta iow ee OLCTO I Pal OU dD Caye..cert, cents 2h 18 MCL ON Ope CMG LOWanee, sues dies. ,siesee eercr stern 27 heer aya babee Maat (Elaphe ab bay wh co ea ee ha eer 4] PU eCtwe la 1S GAIGIN bviircs tamer, Mectasyeeeetccttes tea. 54 Parone eieLl OMLCLESS ene: er tes tecsescers sees ence 69 BA emevidti Toit pO melt ca Miia vet tir veers sepa 89 Age be hei ter Wal eqci via ¥en Leh uel aise ha eady in ee eA 103 TOTMEB Ure Cag ad aVsy Nl Bea ees Pepe wires Lee ren RRA oer ene 116 WM CripkaeenT OL On tC Ie CDG Snes mactees A recteene nace: -k 126 aie sedi ote licie a VV OG creat. tt scree oot cack 137 eiemeLaiie ISilem OW LISSION ALLIES wees. eaytae cess 143 TES WYS a SAK ace Brg Ae asi rian ee PSOE 2 ere rm 154 tee RADICAL GD CLOUCSIO tere sestcs facecctafeeatesctetoee 8: 174 PLU ELLLCME LE) AU ameerses eceat ct etrnree acs cc sponte ates 189 oho Wega giethalds Thole) ia Fe ppm cteese tlre res Sirti t SeaeE 193 Appendix Geo. L. Bender was appointed Secretary pro tem of the Menno- nite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board oi America in 1892 to fill the vacancy caused by the ‘death of Joseph Summers. He was elected Treasurer of the Board at the next regular meeting, January, 1893, and was associated continuously with the missionary organiza- tions of the Church, either as Secretary or Treasurer, ‘until May, 1906. He was elected General Treasurer of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Char:ties at Rittman, Ohio, at the time when the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board and the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions were merged. Brother Bender was an ardent worker in his field, and the work of the Board was very materially strengthened by his sacrificial labors. His health failing, an assistant became necessary, though he was continued in his position of General Treasurer until the time of his death, in 1921. Brother Vernon E. Reiff was -chosen his assistant in 1918, and was elected as his successor in 1921. INTRODUCTORY The Preacher hath said, “Of making many books there is no end.” No one with his eyes open can deny the truthfulness of this statement. Countless in number, incomprehensible as to the extent of subject matter, and limitless in power of character moulding are the books that are pub- lished and scattered broadcast over the world in this present age. Whether of a historical, scientific, ethical, or religious nature, books are of great value and greatly to be appreciated, provided their contents when read are helpful in storing the mind with such facts, truths, and information as will inspire the individual to truly love the Lord, and lead the reader to walk worthy of Him in every phase of life and service. As one interested in a special way in the mission activities of the Church, it affords me real joy to be permitted to call attention to the valuable contents of this volume. We believe it is the product of love en the part of our devoted missionaries in India, through which they are enabled to convey to the supporters of the work, and to the Church in general in the homeland, a bird’s-eye view of the work that has been accom- plished through the grace of God by the consecrated workers of the American Mennonite Mission in the Central Provinces of India during the past quarter century. All who are filled with the missionary spirit, and interested in the foreign mission activities of the Church, in extending the borders of Christ’s kingdom among the heathen in India and elsewhere, will certainly appre- ciate having the privilege of being in possession of this unique volume which is not only a storehouse of missionary information, but a memorial. of the twenty-fifth anniversary of our India Mission activities as well. May the same serve our beloved brotherhood as a monument marking the end of two and one half decades since the founding of the Mennonite Mission Stelonanitariet, india: Brother J. A. Ressler and Dr. W. B. Page and wile were our pioneer missionaries, commissioned by the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board, and sent forth to bring both physical and spiritual relef to 10 BUILDING ON THE ROCK multitudes in India who were hungering for both body and soul food in that dark land of heathendom. The writer of this introductory message had the privilege of being present in the special mission meeting which was held in the Mennonite church, Elkhart, Ind., November 4, 1898, when hands were officially laid upon the three aforenamed persons as they received their sacred commission. On March 24, 1899, the newly-appointed missionaries landed in India, the field of labor to which they had been officially assigned. After careful investigation and much needed preparation, work was opened November 22, 1899, in the vicinity of Dhamtari, C. P., India, by this small band of workers. The work that was founded by our missionaries at that time had a small beginning, consisting of but one mission station with only three workers at the missionary helm, but through the providence of God, and the earnest, faithful, and prayerful efforts put forth on the part of the mission forces that have from time to time been mustered into the missionary ranks during the past quarter century, the small mission twig has, steadily grown until the same has become a large well-developed evergreen tree in the branches of which hundreds of men, women and children have found refuge, and have been safely sheltered from the ravages of sin, and the satanic practices and superstitions of heathendom. Having been officially connected with the General Mission Board and its activities for the last several decades, and having been (with Bro. J. S. Hartzler) delegated by said Board over a decade ago, to visit our mission forces in India to get a view of the field and its needs at close range, and look into the nature and scope of the work as carried on by the missionaries who were then laboring for the extension of the Master’s kingdom in that land of heathendom, and after spending six months in that land of spiritual darkness, we were greatly encouraged to note the progress that had been made in the various phases of the work which had been established in that idolatrous country, and were assured by our investigations and observations of the field and its needs that the same is indeed “white already to harvest.” An itemized and systematically arranged report of the growth of the work, consisting of the number and nature of mission institutions estab- lished. the number of native workers and foreign missionaries that have been in the harness, the number of souls that have been converted and added to the Church, and the extent of the relief, medical, educational, and industrial work that has been done during the past twenty-five years, is given in this interesting volume for the benefit of all who are interested BUILDING ON THE ROCK 11 in the Lord’s work in India. In fact, the missionaries have spared no means in making this special Anniversary Report of special interest to all who have ‘the cause of Missions at heart. We sincerely hope that this Missionary Memento will be welcomed into every Mennonite home in America, and we trust that its contents will be carefully read and studied in order more fully to comprehend the nature and extent of the work already done, and impart to the reader a more complete knowledge of the possibilities and needs of the India Field, and thus be imbued and constrained through love toward Christ and His work, not only to pray earnestly for the extension of the Lord’s work in India, but, as faithful stewards, to give liberally of the means entrusted to us for the support and extension of His work in all the world. J. S. Shoemaker. ‘TR6, 4eoA npulfy ayy JO yyesiveq YI 10 “G “VY HZ6I-S-6 Pred “ATBSSIDIU VUTOJIG JIAO JL pynoys 0} Poettajot oq APU JI yey} Japs1oO ur sono; Aw yO uorssassod [[nf url Suloq }diede1 sty} UsIM oAeY J, Wostor SIq}-1Oq° “WIe]D o10Ul ou. SsABY J ‘9911 24} YPM Soseoid yt JeyYM Op AeW UOISSIPT 94, ‘aT qIS -uodsot oq [JIM J ‘osTe} posopisuod oq ]yeYys yr uo -oafqo ayeul Ja9A9 9UO AUB P[noOYS ‘suorjefqo Aue Joyo ued sjuepusdsap AUT JOU J] JaYyIaU UOTJORSUeI} sIq} UJ ‘“yuNIgG ‘Dy ‘VY ‘Juesy ‘UOISSIP, aUuOUUDTY URITIOUIY 94} JO puNnOdUIOD 9Y4} ZpIsUL SuUIpUe}s JU 0} SuIsuUO[Iq 9913 OSuPU eB (UOISSIPY 94} 0}) UOTSsas -sod 19A0 UdAIS pue (IAT Soodny) /¢ ‘sy Jo wns oy} JOJ pjos ‘a}ep s Aep-0O} uo oALY ‘Indiey 4oII}sIp ‘Tieyweyd jo jJUapiset ‘soutsey eB UOT}ednd90 Aq ‘a}sed TayeyYyD 9Y4} Jo ‘Sursureyy) jo uos ‘sulssouinsg ‘7 Idldogda (Clebsveth cate I BEGINNINGS OF THE WORK IN INDIA Byejooe. Wessler “How did the American Mennonite Mission happen to be established in India?” My dear friend, it didn’t happen. The work at Dhamtari was planned by 'the Master long before those who were privileged to be with it in the beginning were prepared to be associated with it. The rainfall of 1896 was short over a large part of India and there came as a result the famine of 1897. It “happened” that Elder George Lambert was on his trip around the world during the early months of that famine. He came home, told what he saw of suffering as a result of the famine, and awakened the sympathy of the Mennonite people. Later Elder Lambert was sent back to India to represent our people and to see that their means were properly distributed for famine relief. It was natural to realize that the souls of the poor in India were more precious than their bodies. If it was worth while to send help for the starving, was it not more important to see to their spiritual welfare? But who should go? There were no mission study classes and no volunteer bands in the Mennonite Church in those days. In many a crisis the issue hung on the question of who should go. There was no question as to whether Goliath should be slain or not, but who should go to do it? Saul had a family and a kingdom to think about and he could not go. Eliab, valiant as he was, had interests that kept him from going as a volunteer. Little David—hlessed thought for the modern missionarv—did not need to go in his own strength. ‘The people of Israel needed some one to warn them and to give them a very unwelcome message in the days of Isaiah, but even the Lord asked the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Beginning of the Call In the latter part of the year 1897 a call was issued through the Herald of Truth for volunteers to go to India and open mission work. The 14 BUILDING ON THE ROCK An Ocean Liner Mennonite [vangelizing and Benevolent Board, then the Mission Board of the Church, appointed an examining committee to determine the qualifications of those who should offer to go. Several persons wrote letters of inquiry as a result of these steps, but for a whole year no one made an unqualified offer to go. The conferences of 1898 were fraught with meaning to the mission cause in the Mennonite Church. In the Southwestern Pennsylvania Mennonite Conference, after a deeply spiritual meeting, in which the mission cause had been strongly presented, a call was made for volunteeers to pray every day that some one from that district should be sent to the foreign held. A number rose to signify their willingness thus to pray. Eleven days after the close of this conference the Mennonite Evan- gelizing and Benevolent Board met at Wakarusa, Indiana. The day following the Mennonite General Conference met at the same place. On the 4th of November the Home and Foreign Relief Commission met at Elkhart, Ind. In the intervals between these meetings special meetings were held and in these special meetings the mission spirit ran high. In the meantime the Lord was making preparations for the work He BUILDING ON THE ROCK 15 had to do. Dr. W. B. Page was at this time a practicing physician at Middlebury, Ind. Some years before, while a student, he had become a volunteer for foreign mission work. He had allowed the matter to rest, although the old resolution was not forgotten. Just before the fall conference season of 1898, Dr. Page and his family underwent a season of severe trial. The only child, a daughter, was stricken with a severe Iness and all that medical skill could devise failed to help her. When she was lying at the point of death a second child was Dorn sto; them. in the midst of these testings the missionary call again became very forcible. In talking it over with his wife, Bro. Page asked the question, then so often suggested to earnest Christians by Sheldon’s book, “What would Jesus do?” She replied with emphasis, “He would say, GO.” And so it was that on the 4th of November, 1898, Dr. Page appeared before the examining Committee and passed with the understanding that he should be sent when a minister was found to accompany him. An Important Meeting On the afternoon of November 4, 1898, a meeting was called by bro. Railway Station, Dhamtari 16 BUTDDANG ON TEHHReROCK M. S. Steiner, in the Mennonite Church at Elkhart, to consider definitely the work of selecting missionaries to open work in some foreign field. It was felt that something definite should be done and that talk shouid give way to action. Some spoke of their willingness to go, but there were hindrances which kept them at home. One spoke of his family and the debts that hung over his property. The writer had no property on which to have debts and some months before this his home had been broken up by the death of his life companion, so he felt that these “hindrances” did not apply to him. He arose to urge caution that we do not allow God’s blessings to hinder us in His work, and asked whether others who felt that their families were a hindrance in God’s work, were willing to have their hindrances removed in the way they had been from the writer. Then, continuing, he said what he had no notion of saying when he began, but seemingly urged on by an irresistible power, that, since he was not bound by family ties, he was willing to go where the Lord called, no matter where that call led, whether to remain in America and work on in an obscure place unobserved, or to go to Africa or India or to any other part of the world. Others expressed themselves as personally interested in mission work, but with more or less indefiniteness as to their own relation to it. Bro. D. H. Bender in a few earnest words urged definite action. He appealed to the members of the Board and of the Examining Committee present, saying that, since volunteers had offered themselves, the responsibility rested with those who had the appointing to do, and there was no longer any excuse for delay on the ground of having no workers to go. Lhe members of the Examining Committee held a hasty consultation and announced that at the close of the evening evangelistic service a decision would be announced. At the close of the afternoon meeting the writer went with Bro. Aaron Loucks, with whom he was at this time associated as pastor at Scottdale, Pa., to a private room, where the time until the evening meeting was spent in fasting and prayer. Very definitely the matter was committed to the Lord, the prayer was offered that the men who should make the important decision might have wisdom and grace to do the right and best thing, no matter what personal inclinations might stand in the way. Having thus disposed of the matter, they felt that the men who should decide would certainly express God’s will concerning them in this matter. Aiter the evening meeting fifteen bishops and one minister went into the council room of the church, and those who had spoken of volunteering BUILDING ON THE ROCK 17 that afternoon were called before them. A statement was asked of each of these. After hearing these statements, one after another of the bishops came and placed his hand on the shoulder of the writer, and said, “This is the man.” So it was that Dr. W. B. Page with his wife and child and J. A. Ressler came to be sent as the first foreign missionaries of the Mennonite Church in America. God’s guidance aid control were as evident in His opening of the hearts of the people in the Church at home as His later blessing on and direct control of the beginning of the work on the field. Balai Mata Temple, Dhamtari. The priest is seen standing in the inner door CTEA TT ER aur LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE . “~ ax ~ ~~ Nn xX ith PNR A aa SB Sar cae Taw TH sea aoa waarat ga fo ix Gt Ss sa ox Tears Bl a 4 WH UR err Her ore | AEA 2. 2G. ( In Hindi ) Kyonki Ishwar ne jagat ko aisa pyar kiya ki us ne apna eklautha putr diya ki jo koi us par bishwas kare so nash na hoy parantu anant jiwan pawe. Yohan 3:16. (In Roman characters) John 3:16 in Hindi. The first formidable undertaking of the foreign missionary is the study of the language, manners, and customs of the people among whom he came to work. In the case of our missionaries the language is Hindi. In the first quotation above you will note the peculiar characters of this language. The characters are called the Deva-Nagari characters, same as the original Sanskrit from which Hindi is derived. Sanskrit is one of the oldest if not the oldest of all languages. The chief language spoken in the Central Provinces is Hindi though other languages and dialects are also spoken. Urdu is spoken in some parts, Marathi is spoken in other parts, while in our own mission field, Chhattisgarhi, a dialect of Hindi, is spoken very largely. Gondi and Oriya are also spoken in parts of our field. Chhattisgarhi Dialect As already noted, Chhattisgarhi is a dialect of Hindi. It is a corrupt form of Hindi and is spoken by several millions of people. It is so different from Hindi that persons who know Hindi only are not able to converse with the people nor understand what they say. This is very annoying to the new missionary for he is usually anxious to try his Hindi on any one who is willing to listen and when he finds that he cannot understand what the people say he is discouraged. On one occasion one of our missionaries gave careful] instructions to one cf the servants in what he thought was good Hindi but the servant answered, “Sahib, I do not understand English.” Literature in Chhattisgarhi is very scant. There is a grammar BUILDING ON THE ROCK 19 written by a former school teacher of Dhamtari. Besides this book there are only three gospels translated into the dialect—Mark, Luke and John. The last was translated by one of our missionaries. There is a large admixture of Urdu spoken with Hindi in this part of India. Urdu is derived from the Persian and Arabic languages and is written in the Perso-Arabic character. It is read from right to left similar to Hebrew and has many words in common with Hebrew. Missionaries of our mission find it necessary to learn many Urdu words to add to their Hindi vocabulary. It is the language of the courts and all legal documents that are written in the vernacular are written in Urdu. Hindi is not as difficult as some of the Indian languages, such as Marathi and Tamil, for instance. . Still, most missionaries find it hard enough. [lindi grammar is not really difficult and with close application may be easily learned. Idiom is a different thing. There is a constant temptation to translate literally into Hindi from English but in most cases the translation means nothing. One of our missionaries told a coolie who had lost his temper and was giving vent to abusive language to keep his mouth shut. The next day the coolie came with a big’ cloth tied over his mouth. When he was asked what was the matter he replied that the day Berbice she }was ordered to tie ‘his .mouth- shut. . Gender also causes considerable trouble. There are two genders—masculine and feminine—and all words that do not indicate sex are divided between the two genders there being no very well defined rules to go by. There are no prepositions in the language but plenty of postpositions. The inflection of the verb is not determined in all cases by the subject but by the number and gender of the word immediately preceding the verb. Hindi has fourteen vowels and thirty-five consonants. Most of out missionaries would be satisfied with this number but in addition they have to struggle with a large number of conjunct consonants. To make matters still worse there are differences in the initial and medial and final forms of the letters, in many cases bearing only the slightest resemblance to the letter as it stands alone. Some of the letters are very difficult to pronounce. iiicmiauespectally trie of the nasal “n*, the cerebral “d’s’” and .“t’s”’ and all the aspirates. The soft “r’ gives most missionaries a lot of trouble. Failure to pronounce these and other letters correctly gives a very bad sound to the missionary’s conversation and public speaking and though the polite Indians do not laugh in his presence, bad pronunciation forms the occasion for many a mirthful hour when the missionary is not present. One redeeming feature in the study of Hindi is the fact that it is phonetic 99 99 20 BUILDING ON THE-ROCK which makes it possible to pronounce almost any word without any outside help. } Language study in India is usually different from the study of languages in a college at home. There are two language schools here but they are conducted in the hills and thus far away from us. The usual method is to employ an Indian teacher who, for a consideration of ten or fifteen dollars a month, is willing to allow the missionary to dig out of him all he can. This teacher is supposed to correct the pupil’s pronunciation and help him in the meaning of words and idioms for the pupil must begin at the beginning just as a six year old child when he first goes to school. This method is a distinct advantage over studying the language in schools, for the vernacular is spoken all around him even in another dialect and his aim is to learn to speak to the people around him and understand what the people are saying to him. Also he is very anxious to speak the Word of Life in public service at the earliest opportunity. By reading, by trying to speak, by hearing the language, his eyes and ears and mouth make rapid adjustments to the strange sounds as a reward for his patient, persistent efforts. | For the purpose of guiding our missionaries in their study of the language a special course of study has been prepared. The original course was one of two years. It was later revised and enlarged to a four vears’ course which appears below. Course of Study for Missionaries. First Year First lessons in Hindi (Dann). How to speak Hindustani (Rogers). Hindi First and Second Books. (C. P. Government and Christian Literature Society.) John and Acts and Line Upon Line—Hind1. Orient Reader No. 1 Translation from English to Hindi. Dictation exercises. Second Year Hindi Prose Composition (Dann). For reference Greaves’ Hindi Grammar. Hindi Vhird, BookY (CPs Government and Ge aogm Matthew, Mark, Luke, -Line Upon Line; Pt) 1 iieana Dharam Tula—Hindi. ; Orient Reader No. 2 English to Hindi. Third Year Greaves’ Grammar Fourth, Book. (CP Gove and) Guba oocietws: Romans to Revelation and Sat Mat Nirupan Orient Reader No. 3 English to Hindi. Mark and Luke in Chhattisgarhi. Chhattisgarhi dictation from an Indian. BUILDING ON THE ROCK 21 Fourth Year Urdu Grammar. Hindustani Idiom (Hooper). Pag Mina the Ooi Gearts le & IT Ge PY Gove and’ Cal. SOCa: Kellogg’s Hindi Grammar for reference. Gospels and Acts in Roman Urdu—Mizan ud Din in Urdu. Orient Reader No. 4 English to Hindi. This course was in use by the Mission for a number of vears when various missions of the Hindi and Urdu speaking areas of India Laie to adopt one general course for all Hindi speaking workers and one for all Urdu speaking workers. The proposal received favorable se ene by nearly all missions working in these areas and a course was adopted which, having been revised from time to time, is now the prescribed course of study for a large number of missionaries working among many millions of people. Representatives from the various missions constitute a Joint Examining Board and this Board is responsible for the courses of study and for holding semi-annual oral and written examinations in convenient centers. This Board meets once every four years to consider any matters that will make for efficiency in the language. The course of study has been adopted by our mission whose missionaries have been taking the examinations according to it since 1912. We print the course below: First Course in Hindi. Pm VEL Oli ttimd iheglITC ta lt, so) ied note ts soe etal etal (150 marks) This is a qualifying examination. Candidates failing in this are not permitted to take the written examinations. iy AMER 0, SS PO ee ie p be. ene Nitra marca ee ey aR (100) faiemioictation. (alk of which 10 are for penmanship). (b}) Reading and translation on easy unseen passages of 150 words. RON CT a eet Me Pt gem Pate he oc 3! wake oe h dapat her eee (300) (a) Translation from Hindi into English (150) (i) Central Provinces Hindi Readers I, II and III omitting poetry (50). (ii) Gospel of St. John (50). Coverall Bharat Partell (25). (iv) 20 couplets from Dharam Tula (25). (b) Grammar (50). Greaves’ Hindi Grammar. (c) Translation from English to Hindi (100). As in Dann’s First Lessons in Hindi and McMillan’s King Reader. Total 550 marks. Second Course in Hind. oes mameennione kk Officials and Gentry of the Municipality of Dhamtari BUILDING ON THE ROCK 23 (b) Reading and translation of “unseen’’ passage of 150 words (50). (c) Address or sermon of ten minutes duration (100). (Gi WAVER TE ae ac DNRC Ey se Bile ge a ga an a (450) (a) Translation from Hindi to English Cl50); (i) Psalms 1-40, Acts, James, 20 selected bhajans (50). (ii) Satya Harish Chandra Natak (50). (iii) Shakuntala (50). (b) Grammar—Greaves’ and Kellogg’s (100). 4c) Translation from English to Hindi (100). as in McMillan’s King Reader No. IV. (d) Original composition (100). An essay of not less than three hundred words on a subject given at the time of the examination. Total 700 marks. Third Course in Hindi. (a) Address or sermon of 15 minutes duration (100). (b) Conversation (100). Ba UR iter) ren ee A eh satis ds 4am ap ace tstyt y+ b> radeiede reste spade (500) (a) ‘Translation from Hindi to English (200). (i) Mudr Rakshas (50). (ii) Ramayan—All of Sundarkhand (50). (iii) Shad Darshan Darpan (50). (iv) Unseen passages from current newspapers and periodicals (50). (b) Grammar (100). The subject matter of Kellogg’s Grammar pps. 28-80. The elements of prosody as far as required for the analysis or ordinary metre. The subject matter of Hooper’s Hindustani Language. (c) Translation of English into Hindi (100). About 200 words from Pennell’s “Things seen in Northern India.” About 200 words from an “unseen” passage. (d) Original composition (100). An essay or sermon of not less than 400 words on a subject given at the time of the examination. Total 700 marks. The advantages of such an Examining Board are many. They provide a stronger course of study than would ordinarily be provided by the ‘individual mission and remove very largely the personal element in conducting the examinations. Besides, those who successfully pass the examinations are provided with certificates and these count for a certain number of credits if missionaries wish to continue school work during furlough periods. Although we as a mission have adopted this course of study yet we, as are all missions, are free to omit any portions of the course 24 BUILDING ON THE ROCK we would not consider best for our own mission. All our missionaries are required to take this course of study unless specially excused by the Mission. Language Problems Some people advocate that missionaries study the Hindi language before coming on the field for then they will be able to take up work at once upon arrival on the field. New missionaries are always eager to begin work upon arrival on the field. All of us can testify to the fact that we were disappointed that we were not able to begin work at once and thus help the overworked missionaries. It would be very difficult to get proper facilities to study Hindi in America even if it were desirable to begin the study before coming ‘on the field. But it is not desirable, for the mere study of the language is not the only thing the new missionary needs. It is also essential for him to know the manners and customs and social habits of the people among whom he works so that he may know how to conduct himself among them. This takes time and while he is learning the language he has ample time to study the people, which in turn gives him valuable suggestions as to how to approach them when he is able to converse with them. It is, however, a good thing if candidates for the foreign field while in the course of their preparation for the field take thorough courses in phonetics for this will be a great help to them when they begin. the study of Hindi. “How long does it take to master the language?” is a question frequently asked of the returned missionary. If by mastering the language is meant being able to use it perfectly then we must answer that it takes a lijetime. But if by mastering the language is meant getting a working knowledge of it then our answer must vary with the individual studying it, for some people learn a language more easily than others. Ordinarily a missionary may understand much and be able to talk considerable after six months of hard work. Some missionaries preach within a year after arrival. Others take more time, but one may safely say that the average missionary is able to feel at home in the language after about five vears on the field. Curious mistakes are often made by the beginner. One of our missionaries asked another if the people worship the white sister. He received the reply that they may do so in America but not so in India. What he wanted to ask was if the people worship the white ox. The difference was between “bahin” and “bail.” One missionary wanted to tell the Indians that a certain missionary is expected to land in Bombay BUILDING: ON». THE ‘ROCK 29 next week. Instead she said he would land in the next incarnation. One missionary announced hymn No. 107% intending to announce 167. An- other missionary asked Rajakhan, “Did you ever see any mules?” The occasion of the question was the coming along the road of a number of donkeys. Rajakhan replied, “No, what is that?’ The missionary replied, “Why, it is a long-eared man. We have very large ones in our country.” The reply was not very intelligible to Rajakhan because the missionary used the word “purush” (man) when he should have used the word “pashu” (animal). Because of the use of the wrong Hindi word one missionary in his sermon had men instead of birds flying in the air. But mistakes are not all made by the missionaries studying Hindi for similar mistakes are made by Indians learning English. They delight in flowery language as the following letter written by the Hindu headmaster of one of our schools in the early days of the mission will show: La The Manager M. S. (Mission School) Dhamtari Sir, Most humbly and respectfully I beg to take the liberty of applying to your honor with a sanguine hope for a situation of 40 sq. yds. near the Mission compound, as it 1s spacious with open air. The lodge where I put up now has a worn thatch eaten away by the white ants with a very bad latrine and surrounded on the west with high tamarind trees kissing the skies. The air is blown out from the house and I am smothered. Besides the roof is very low and so I am scorched to death. The lodge is full of holes and infested with rats which are worse than cannibals. They dance on the breast, cut the hair, mustaches and every part of the precious body. On the eastern side of the house the pathway is quite close to it, the dust being puffed off by the wind, flies to my mouth and more to stuff my invaluable body. Thus your honor can see that my body, each nerve and cell, stuffed with the terrible dust. Many more grievances there are to be put forth before your honor which make a work of tragedy. So much will suffice to your wonder that I am hale and hearty and trying to compete others who have more advantages than me. But I promise your honor to look healthier and prettier than at present when I will have a small pyramid of bamboos 26 BUILDING ON THE ROCK two or three stories high with a cooking house, a latrine and a drawing room and a chimney of tin to let out smoke near the mission compound. I beg to remain Sir Yours obediently Signed C6 8 6 4e 6) € eee ee 6 Ce ee Se) 6h ee acm aa an fey wae Har aa aH A TAA fareat gare alc san saat saa TEI grat tg & qe B wel aia Te fa Hatt aa tal Sif an ara eet | eau are ze eH a Tas aqcat & Teg s ale sa Stata HAT AAT at qr tat |aaet ax aa ara se ase asx a f& aa aia ama X fa araeat , macy adi Fl sae ATAT A AT AA faat fe 3 Saat am EN afi cH Wy HI RAAT aA TeaT a gata fi AMT WH eat TAF HAS TH sara eka ac rar gard iy A Kat “ake Ht cara tat ALTA ame TaIIAT ga IX Soaqtg Et HA anigean ae Za TAR aqeat A ag As Hi aeat ait” WET G29, acai aa Feat aa ar ai Ta ar oi} glo saa ala at arat 2 fe fea sar qrit ¥1 af sarca areat @ fe mT AUNT Ga AAC AAA Aat t/ got at ama KL | ate a Aaa Ae & qftga & at ait ara et Tt aia at geatar at aet ate amay | gat aaa ga qt Add As ql watla Z GEA TP GE Ne Lid OCCUPYING THE FIELD The first missionaries of the American Mennonite Mission came to India under the auspices of the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board—now the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities—having been appointed at Elkhart, Indiana, November 4th, 1898, and landed at Bombay, March 24th, 1899. They were Bro. Jacob Andrews Ressler and Bro. (Dr.) and Sister William B. Page. Their aspirations were modest when on this date they landed with $1,000.00 with which to found a mission. The task before them was a responsible one but God was in their travels and researches and He led them to a field, perhaps the most needy and at the same time the most accessible in all India. The place to which the Lord led them was Dhamtari in the Central Provinces at which place they arrived and began work November 22, 1899 The entry into Dhamtari can not be described as a triumphant entry in the usual meaning of that term. There was no previous preparation though they had seen the place when travelling through. There was no hlowing of trumpets, no procession,:no reception committee, not even a house in which to live. This first trip was made on a bullock cart all the way from Rai- pur, forty-eight miles north. They unhitched their bullocks and began to make camp on the west side of Dhamtari under a large mango tree at the edge of a large man- go grove. An open field lay Hindu Temple, Dhamtari 28 BUILDING ON ‘THE ROCK Dhomtari City Pop /3,ccoe n Map o§ MISSION PROPERTY SUN DARGANG Dhamtari BUILDING ON THE ROCK 29 between their camp and the town of Dhamtari. November is a beautiful month in India and camping outdoors under the shade of a friendly mango tree is not really a bad experience but it can not be done for an indefinite length of time so Bro. Ressler soon made arrangements for the erection of a hut of bamboo matting. The hut was small and inconvenient but it served as the first dwelling place of the founders of the Mission, which they occupied until more permanent quarters were provided. Bro. A. D. Wenger was at this time making a trip around the world and by a happy coincidence he was in India at the time and was with Bro. Ressler on this trip to Dhamtari sharing the rude hut for several months. For over a year after the arrival of the first missionaries at Dhamtar1 their energies were fully occupied in relieving the physical suffering caused by famine. At one time 9000 persons were on Government works in charge of the Mission and later some 20,000 persons in thirty-eight villages were fed Government rations under the direction of the missionary in charge. After the famine was over and Government help ceased it was felt that caring for adults was a task beyond the province of the Mission but many children found a shelter within the protecting walls of the institution where the name of Jesus is known and the Gospel is taught. As soon as possible after arrival at Dhamtari, negotiations were begun to acquire land on which to build very necessary buildings, which were to become the home of the American Mennonite Mission. The open field west of Dhamtari seemed an ideal site and after much investigation and many delays a permanent lease was obtained from the malguzar of Dhamtari for nine acres of land, part of which was reserved for gardening purposes. The annual rental agreed upon was seventeen dollars. There was a big well on this plot called the Sundarganj well and Sundarganj became the name of the property now in the possession of the Mission. Sundarganj means “beautiful treasure” and we have always greatly prized this valuable plot of ground. Building operations were soon started and in a compara- tively short time orphanage buildings, a hospital building, and two bungalows were built. Bro. Ressler had his eye on the large mango grove of seventeen acres containing five hundred trees, the place where he made his first camp. As soon as he could manage to do so he approached the Government regarding this grove and finally the Government agreed to let the Mission have a permanent lease on it charging thirteen dollars a year to pay for the loss to the Government of the mangoes. This formed an excellent play- ground for the large orphanage. 30 BUILDING ON THE ROCK The Field When the first missionaries arrived there were two missions established in Raipur, forty-eight miles to the north of Dhamtari, one mission in Raj Nangaon, forty miles to the west, and one in Jagdalpur, one hundred thirty-six miles to the south. Mission work was also carried on by a mission to the southeast some one hundred fifty miles away. Somewhere between these points lay the prospective field of our Mission, and in due course of time the final boundaries were determined. The boundaries between our field and that of the neighboring missions were determined by mutual arrangements’ of our mission andthe mission concerned. In order to become better acquainted with the conditions of our field, a Survey Committee was appointed to investigate such matters as extent, population, classes of people, number of Govern- ment village schools, and suitable locations for prospective mission stations. The present delineations of our field may readily be seen by examining the map of our Mission Field, specially prepared for this volume. Another map, also prepared for this report, shows our mission field in its relation to other missions bordering on ours. As constituted at present the Field is about eighty miles from east to west and about fifty-two’ miles from north to south, making a total of four thousand one hundred Workers’ Bungalow in Connection with the Girls’ Orphanage, Balodgahan BUILDING ON THE ROCK 31 Medical Station and Government Macadam Road, Dhamtari-Raipur sixty square miles. According to the census of 1921 the population of this part of India averaged one hundred forty-five per square mile. At this rate our Mission Field contains 603,200 souls. It will be instructive as well as interesting to compare the density of population of our Mission Field with other parts of India and with India as a whole as well as with several other countries. The Province of Bengal has a population of five hundred per square mile while the Gangetic valley boasts of eight hundred. India as a whole has a population of over two hundred per square mile Compared with these figures it may be noted that the United States has a population of thirty-five per square mile, Canada five, and the Argentine, our South America Mission Field, seven per square mile. Although we occupy one of the least densely populated districts of India it 1s still more than four times as densely populated as the United States and more than twenty times as much as our South America Mission Field. How the Type of Mission Work was Determined Our first missionaries came to India with no preconceived notions of ae BUILDINGION DHETROCK the line of work to be undertaken more than that they came to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of India and to endeavor to lead them to the feet of Christ. Arriving as they did at the close of the famine of 1897 followed by another and more severe one in 1900 the nature of the work to be done immediately was at once determined. At the close of the terrible famine of 1900 they found on their hands two large orphanages, both ot them at Sundarganj. The missionaries had no choice in the matter for the orphans must be clothed and fed and educated and trained to work and given religious instruction. Their health must be looked after and before they realized it the missionaries were engaged in Orphanage work, in Evangelistic and Educational work, in Industrial and Medical work. This is a big program to accept with no voice in the choosing of it! No new department of Mission work has since been started for none seemed necessary ! How the Mission Work Expanded To continue two large orphanages—one for boys and one for girls— in close proximity to each other was out of the question and so the missionaries began to pray for a new station for the girls. The little group of missionaries assembled for daily worship in the sitting room of one of the bungalows were greatly burdened with the necessity of a new station. One of them read the 46th Psalm and it seemed that the Lord revealed to them His approval of their great desire, for the conviction came upon all of them after rising from prayer that the new station was a fact. In due time a check arrived from the homeland to be used specially for the girls, followed by another for a similar purpose. The faith of the little group was greatly strengthened for soon enough money was received to purchase fitty acres of land at Rudri, four miles southeast of Sundarganj, and to erect the necessary buildings to accommodate the girls, and a bungalow for the missionaries who were to be in charge of them. The girls were removed to the new station in 1903. There were now two main stations. The difficulties and inconveniences in opening a new station are many and varied. There are first innumerable delays and disappointments involved in purchasing land. And of course there are no buildings on the spot for the missionary builder and his wife in which to live while over- seeing the building work. So temporary huts are provided and shifts are made from the first hut to some partly finished room and finally to the completed building. Such was the case with Bro. and Sister M. C. Lapp when they moved to Rudri with the girls, With the exception of a few years, the girls lived in their new quarters BUILDING ON THE ROCK 33: at Rudri until 1912, when the Government purchased all our property there, with the exception of twenty-five acres of farm land for staff quarters in connection with the great project of an irrigation dam and canal. With great reluctance and regret we gave up the property, receiving from the Government the sum of $9,200.00. The need of a plan to help the growing Christian boys and girls to some permanent occupation soon became apparent. This need was greatly emphasized when in 1905 the first young people from our orphanages were united in marriage. Agriculture is the leading occupation of the majority of India’s people and so it was only natural that we thought of farming as the chief occupation for a large number of our young people. With this in view, efforts were made to purchase a village, or Indian land unit, for this purpose. After much investigation such a village was bought and the choice fell on Balodgahan, seven miles from Dhamtari, paying to the owner the sum of $2,700.00. The missionaries who located at Balodgahan had a hard time of it. They first lived in the mud hut used by the former malguzar but the roof leaked badly and the mud floor got so soft that the table and chair legs sank into it. The thatch roof could not easily be cleaned and there being no ceiling the dirt kept falling into the food on the table. It was right Balodgahan Village Bungalow 34 BUILDING ON THE ROCK in the middle of the town and so there was no privacy whatever. Then another mud hut was built outside of the village which served as a dwelling place until the missionaries could occupy one completed room of the still unfinished bungalow. When Rudri was sold it became necessary to find a place for the girls so it was decided to locate them at Balodgahan, the transfer being made in 1912. In order to accommodate them orphanage buildings had to be erected and also a bungalow for the missionaries in charge. The next station to be opened was Sankra, about eighteen miles from Dhamtari. This station was opened purely for evangelistic work. Enough land was borght for the bungalow and necessary outbuildings, and work on the buildings began in real earnest. Building work began at the time of the visit of Brother Shoemaker and Brother Hartzler. Brother Hartzler had experience in brickmaking and the method he had learned was an improvement over the one used in India so he spent a great deal of time helping the Indian brickmaker improve his methods and increase his output and incidentally his daily income. The missionary, supervising the building work, lived in a tent for which there was very little if any shade and it was bad in the hot season but the work went on until room was provided in the new bungalow. Sorrow early came over the missionary family at Sankra and it was not long until two small graves marked the places where two missionary children were laid to rest. Medical work was conducted from the very beginning but it received a temporary set-back when it became necessary for Dr. and Sister Page to go to America on account of the Doctor’s health. The first hospital building was located in cramped surroundings and the building was utilized for other purposes. The beginnings of a new General Hospital were made on a plot of ground near the railway station about one and a half miles from Sundarganj. The land was purchased in 1912 and suitable buildings were at once started. The medical work received a new impetus when a missionary doctor arrived in 1910. For a number of years the missionaries felt that work should by all means be opened in the Sihawa district. Several missionary tours were made through that district and the conditions seemed favorable to open an evangelistic station. Several investigation trips were made to survey the district and finally it was decided to purchase land and open another evangelistic station. This was done in 1916, when land was purchased in a village called Ghatula, about forty miles from Dhamtari. Soon after the BUILDING ON THE ROCK 35 Rudri Station (Sold to Government) purchasing of the land it was also decided to locate the Bible Training school at Ghatula and buildings were planned accordingly. Last, in the list of new stations to be opened, was Mahodi twenty-five miles from Dhamtari. This was opened in 1920, though land had been pur- chased in 1918. This is a purely evangelistic station and was built under difficult circumstances. Only the bungalow and necessary outbuildings have been erected, there being no institution located there. Besides these six main stations the mission maintains primary schools and evangelistic sub-stations at the following places named in the order of their establishing: Bhatgaon, Maradeo, Bijnapuri, Chikli, Bagtarai, Gopalpuri, Seodi, Gatasili, Nawgaon, Tengna and Kaspur. ‘Two stations, Mogragahan and Potiadi, are maintained by the India Mennonite Conference through a regularly appointed Home Mission Committee. Schools were conducted for a time at each of Chamar Para in Dhamtari, Shankarda and Arjuni, but these had to be abandoned. All these places may easily be located on the map of the Mission Field. or some time it was thought advisable to secure a place at some cooler station where the missionaries might spend part of the hot season not so difficult of access from Dhamtari. After considerable planning Igatpuri was chosen. Igatpuri is located on the Western Ghauts about 36 BUILDING-ON THE ROCK seventy-eight miles from Bombay entailing a trip of nearly seven hundred miles from Dhamtari. As soon as proper arrangements could be made a Rest House for missionaries was erected. This was in 1910. For a number of years the bungalow was used by our missionaries but as our children grew up to school age and as there was no school for European children at Igatpuri the missionaries sent their children to schools in Darjeeling and Naini Tal. What opportunities the missionaries had of getting away irom the plains in the hot season they naturally spent in those hill stations where their children attended school. Thus it came about that the rest home at Igatpuri no longer served its original purpose and as soon as a purchaser was found it was sold. The final transfer of this property was made in November, 1924, when the Methodist Church bought it for nearly $2,700.00. Building Operations It is not possible to do much work without some buildings in which to live or in which to carry on the necessary institutional work. So houses must be built and as a rule the missionaries are responsible for the building work. If the mission buildings could speak what interesting stories they could tell! There are few experiences more trying to the missionary, whether old or young, than this phase of mission work. At home the architect and contractor, the lumber and brick yards, the hard- ware stores and motor trucks are within easy call of the telephone. Not so in India where we live. The missionary must be his own contractor and architect. He must see to the moulding and burning of the brick. He burns his lime from limestone gathered from the fields. He supervises the carpenters who make the doors and windows, according to specifica- tions made by himself. The timber for these as well as for the roof he may order through a timber merchant direct from the jungle but he must order in time or the timber he gets is green and not fit for use in a good building. And when the building operations finally begin, the work moves along in a surprisingly slow manner. A good bricklayer can lay up about a hundred cubic feet of brick wall a day. For this he needs the helpsora lot of coolies who hand him the brick, pour the water, place the mortar on the right spot and hand him his tools. Even at this rate one could get along but there are many delays. Some one may have neglected to report that the lime and sand are all used up and so the work is held up. The brick may have turned out badly and the work stops until a new kiln can be moulded and burned. The timber merchant may not have brought the BUILDING ON THE ROCK 4¥4 timber from the jungle when he promised and the building stands for months without a roof. Perhaps just when the finishing touches were to be put on one end of the building so the carpenters may begin on the roof there is a three day Hindu holiday and the work stops with a jar. It may be, too, that the missionary had to be away on some other urgent business for a few days and when he returned he found to his dismay in spite of the slowness of the work a surprisingly large amount of wall built during his absence that had to be torn down and built over. “Dismiss the masons and get others who will do the work properly,” you say, but we have already employed the best to be had so there is no help in that direction. But in spite of the delays and disappointments the building is finally completed and we are amazed at the amount of time and money and material that went into that building. Yes, and the heartaches and dis- appointments and loss of temper. And how we regretted that harsh statement and that hasty word when there was a little chance to reflect. We would rather do real mission work than put up buildings but these have to be provided in order that real mission work may become possible and permanent. Giving to missions, therefore, does not only mean the feeding and clothing of the poor or providing the means to carry on evangelistic or educational or medical work. It is true that much of the money sent by the church at home is thus spent and no material returns are expected. But money spent for buildings represents some more or less permanent tangible mater- ial stuff which can be estima- ted in dollars and cents. In the list below some idea may be formed of the value of the property in India owned by the church at home. Mission Rest Home, Igatpuri 38 PROPERTIES BELONGING TO THE AMERICAN Station Sundarganj Medical Station Balodgahan Sankra Ghatula Mahodi BUILDING ON THE ROCK MENNONITE MISSION Description of Property Estimated Value Totals North Bungalow South Bungalow English School house & Equip. English School Hostel & Equip. Head Master’s house Boys’ Orphanage, Segregation Ward & Equip. Carpenter shop & Equip. Middle school & Equip. Church building ceachen sahouse Equipment & Outbuildings Land Bungalow European ward Dispensary and wards Nurses’ Home Equipment & outbuildings ‘Land Farm Bungalow Farm Farm buildings & cattle & Equip. Widows’ home and work rooms Boys’ schoolhcuse Workers’ houses Orphanage bungalow Orphanage Buildings & Equip. Middle school Teachers’ home Church Bungalow Equipment & outbuildings School house Church Land Bungalow Dispensary and nurses’ home Equipment & outbuildings School house Bible school & Equip. Land Bungalow Equipment & outbuildings $2,650 5,300 5,800 4,650 650 7,600 2,000 3,650 8,000 350 1,350 2,000 4,050 1,500 1,700 750 900 500 3,600 6,650 ro 2,500 300 1,050 4,000 8,800 3,750 2,000 8,000 4,000 1,200 500 5,000 300 4,000 1,000 1,500 250 3,850 200 4,000 1,000 $ 44,000 10,000 44,000 11,000 10,800 BUILDING:‘ON THE ROCK 39 Dispensary 300 Land 200 5,500 Schools Village schools & Equip. 2,800 2,800 $128,100 Unoccupied Territory It is unfortunate that the Mission has to acknowledge after twenty-five years of effort, that there is territory within its borders unoccupied by any mission forces, but such is actually the case. A thickly settled country in the northwest part of the field and easily accessible has had only occasional work done and is almost virgin soil. For a short while mission- aries and Indian workers were located at Gariaband in the Bendra Nawagarh state but owing to objections made by the state authorities the work had to be discontinued. Representation has since been made in the form of personal interviews for permission to reenter the state which has been heard sympathetically but up to the last moment no favorable reply has heen received. No workers have yet been located in Kanker, a native state south of Dhamtari, because repeated requests for permission to enter have been shelved by the authorities. But the last interview with the prime minister gave us sufficient encouragement to permit us to rent a house or pitch our tent within the state, but when this great opportunity came we were not prepared with sufficient workers for no one could be spared. We have been patiently waiting for reinforcements from the homeland so that we may enter this open door but none have come. ‘The church at home is responsible. Kanker and Bendra-Nawagarh are each large enough to occupy fuily the time of two missionary families in purely evangelistic work. There is another portion in the southwestern part of our field which is at present unoccupied. A missionary family should be located there. At least one more family should be located in the Sihawa field southeast of Ghatula. A. missionary family should be located in Dhamtari in addition to those already there to do evangelistic work only, which work has been sadly neglected because of the pressing and urgent demands on the missionaries’ time and strength through the work already established. The number of missionaries on the field after twenty-five years of effort is twenty-two. Dividing the population of the field by the number of missionaries on the field gives a parish of over twenty-seven thousand souls for each missionary. Or add to the number of missionaries the present force of Indian workers—sixty—it will still leave nearly seven thousand five hundred souls for each worker. Considering the fact that 40 BUILDING ON THE/(ROCK the twenty-two missionaries on the field are responsible for twelve distinct institutions, most of them of considerable size, besides six village schools, there is not much wonder that there are still thousands of people in our own mission field who have never heard of Jesus Christ! A Banana Grove GEA PTE RLV: ORGANIZING THE CHURCH The first Christians of the community were those who had come from other missions and were employed in various kinds of work. Some later became communicant members of the Church and others again returned to their own communities when their services in our Mission were no longer required. Early Converts There were no converts received into the Church during the famine of 1900. The same p.inciple was adhered to in the main during later periods of distress. Those who desired baptism afterward were carefully taught and received into Church membership. Even then a few “rice” Christians crept in as an inevitable result. During the latter part of 1900, eighteen girls, a number of boys, and a few others were received into the Church. By the end of 1902 after three years of missionary effort there had been established a Church of three hundred twen- ty members 1in- cluding ninety- five le piers. This shows quite a_ rapid growth within a comparative- ly short time. The earnest- ness of many may be illus- ewckn cts tes Wen ayo an their own test- imonies. Gar- jan Bai, who Brother Nathaniel, Son and Grandson 42 BUILDING ON THE ROCK later became a real mother to the girls in the orphanage, was conducting a little meeting with the girls one evening in 1902. Not knowing that two of the missionaries had crept up to the lattice fence and were listening, she said to the hearers: “Do you remember the time of the famine when we begged from shop to shop in Dhamtari and other places and received only a little all day? And how we used to cook our handful of rice in our little earthen vessels? Do you remember how the people used to curse us and beat us and drive us away when we went to beg? Do you remember how we went hopelessly along the road, sick and footsore, eating leaves of trees, and picking up a few grains of rice here and there? And how we had scarcely a rag for clothing?” As a murmur of “Yes, yes, we remember,” went round the group she said with pathetic emphasis: “Ves, I remember too,” and added, “Now think of the change! Were we have warm clothing and plenty of good food and we eat it freshly cooked. We know where we have a nice soft place to sleep at night. No more wandering about to find a place and then have to lie down under a tree till morning unable to sleep on account of the cold. What has brought about all this change?” Holding up her New Testament she said, “It is what this Book has taught that has given us all these good things. It all comes from Jesus Christ. Now, should you not thank Him and obey Him?” On a Christmas day of a later year (1904) in a meeting with the lepers one of them in a testimony told how Jesus had suffered for him before he had known any- thing “sof “obi. He said that many had; **beeny simere living skeletons with ugly pus oozing out of their sores. Some had no place to sleep except un- der _ssome: Bitrer: How, ditte tiene their condition now! They have Church Conference Assembled BUILDING ON THE ROCK 43 good clean food to eat, and clean water to drink and bathe in, and all are fat and happy. “What,” he asked, “has brought about this change? Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ?” There was a readiness on the part of all the early converts to accept without question the teachings of the Word which they received and their grateful hearts were overflowing with thankfulness to God and _ their benefactors who had saved them from a miserable physical death and from deep spiritual darkness. Shepherding the Growing Flock For a number of years after the work was begun it was felt that Church administration should remain in the hands of the missionaries. There had not yet developed within the Christian community a conscience sufficient for self-government. Neither were they sufficiently schooled in the principles of the Gospel. They had to be “fed with milk” and carefully led in the ways of righteousness. The standards of the people from among whom they had come were so different, and the social and religious ideals so base that growing in grace after their conversion was a matter of better understanding, and living step by step each Christian principle and precept. They had gradually to experience the actual working of the Faith and the fulfillment of the promises for them. They were faithfully taught by the missionaries from the beginning in the fundamentals of the Christian faith and the distinctive Mennonite doctrines. They knew so little of the Bible and had to be taught over and over again the fact that Christianity is a life as well as a belief and worship. It was not difficult for them to understand the significance of the communion and feetwashing, of wearing the devotional covering, of observing Christmas, Easter, and other holy days, of church attendance, etc.; but they did not realize the value of justice, mercy, faith, and heart service. It certainly took faithful, patient, persistent teaching to establish any kind of a balanced condition among our Indian brotherhood. To quote on the general condition of the Church from the Mission report of E10: “We long to see the day when our people will become stronger spiritually, At present there is a-sreat need of the majority of them being fed with ‘milk. They are not able to understand the deeper things of God. The most of them want to do the right thing, but because of the influence under which they were brought up and the deceitful things which they had been taught, it is very hard for them to understand that 44 BUILDING ONS THE ROCK it is sin for them to live contrary to the teachings of God so long as it ts not known to their leader. When their sins become known and it is proved that they are living in sin before God it is not usually hard to persuade them to make a confession before the Church. There are a few brethren and sisters who have a fair knowledge of right and wrong and seem to be very anxious to walk uprightly before God and man.” Organization and the Church Conference Every opportunity was taken advantage of by the missionaries to drill those of our Indian brethren, who proved themselves most,’ faithful to ithe’ Church, in” cher “polity and) itneewaysieang means of administration and discipline. According to the 1910 Mission report definite steps were taken to have three Indian brethren chosen in each congregation who could cooperate with the missionary pastor in settling difficulties between members and in helping to establish more firmly the unity of the different congregations. Three brethren of each congregation served in the capacity of deacon and often were able to make adjustments without even the pastor’s knowledge. In this same year we had the pleasure of having with us the brethren j.-o. Shoemaker and)" 5. Eartzlen, who, »with= tie brethren vie C mae and P. A. Friesen, formed a committee to draw up rules and discipline to be ratified by the Church conference which was to be called the first ‘Tuesday of January, 1912. All missionaries, all ordained officers, and two delegates from each congregation were given the right to vote on all auestions which were to be brought up for consideration. Where the congregation exceeded fifty members it was entitled to an additional delegate and so on for every ad- ditional fifty or fraction thereof. Unfortunately our visiting brethren could not stay in India to attend the first confer- ence, for which they had helped to lay plans. The first con- ference marked The Beginning of a Christian Community BULLE DINGZON CH BROCK 45 a new era in the history of the Church. It was held in the Bethel meeting house of our Balodgahan station. The membership of each congregation was informed that a conference, called in Hindi “Kanfar- ens,’ would be called at the time set. But the members did not know how to vote for delegates without a great deal of instruction. A private, per- sonal vote was taken in most of the congregations. Tally was kept by the ministering brethren who repair- ed to the council room. We were of the opinion that there were a few who would not be able to give an opinion because of their ignorance. One poor convert who had come from the shepherd caste was illiterate and seemed in some respects to be weakminded. His eyes were dim. When he came into the room to give his vote he hesitated for a little while but gave his vote for such as were unmistakably the best qualified to represent the congregation. This is A Heathen God to be Superseded also true of others whose intelligence we greatly questioned. The membership of the Church at this time (1912) numbering over four hundred eighty, the lay delegation in conference equalled that of the missionaries. Conference assembled, the conference sermon was preached, and the Constitution and Discipline was presented for ratification. In discussing the details it was soon noticed that the Indian brethren were inclined to insist on greater rigidness in regard to some matters of discipline than were provided for in the Constitution. But after there had been only a few minor changes made the document was ratified as a whole and the next step was to have it ratified by each individual congregation. In the discussion of the other questions which were presented some members had to be limited in speech or they would have taken up all the time and not given oppcrtunity for others who really had something to say. The 46 BUILDING ON THE ROCK Indian members of conference had to be drilled somewhat in parliamentary rules. When one question was discussed it was moved that we table the question for the present. The then acting Indian Secretary brother asked. which table the question should be placed upon to the amusement of al’ PIescut, The Church conference has become an annual occurrence. The number of Indian delegates has increased considerably, so much so, that they outnumber the missionaries but we are confident by this time that Conference administration is safe in their hands. For they have demon- strated many times that they are willing to yield to better judgment in all things and be governed by the teachings of the Word of God and by those whose experience and consecrated judgment have rendered them worthy of their respect. As a rule all questions brought for discussion are ably discussed and weighed from all sides before being placed in the hands of the resolutions committee. Neither are they slow to suggest any changes which should be made in the resolutions which are presented for decision by the committee. The conference work means much toward strengthening the Church and helping the Indian brethren and sisters to realize that they are a part of the Church and are recognized as such. All have the opportunity of discussing various questions that come up in assembled conference. We are glad to note the prayerful interest the delegates take in the various activities of the conference. A few of the characteristic questions which have been discussed anc decided upon at different times are as follows: 1. What can we do to better the spiritual condition of the Church? Resolved, that we try to indoctrinate the people of the various congregations and urge that family wor- ship be carried on in all Chris- tian homes. We should be good examples of holy living ourselves and strive to create a hunger after righteousness. Homes of Evangelists BUILDING ON THE ROCK 47 Co Shwe ee or A Mohammedan Mosque in Dhamtari 2. How should we provide for the poor of the Church? Resolved, that in all the congregations the brethren devote much time to prayer that the Holy Spirit may direct as to who should be ordained to the office of Deacon. Note. Discussion of the Scriptural manner of providing for the poor resulted in the above resolution to ordain deacons. 3. What Christian holidays should the Church observe? Resolved, that we observe Christmas, New Year, Good Friday, Pentecost, and Thanksgiving day. All to be kept as whole holidays. Note. In a recent conference suggestions were given as to the manner of observing the days. 4. What plan can we as a Church carry out by which the Kingdom of Christ may be made known to more souls about us? Resolved, that in order that the Church may do some definite work a brother be chosen by the ministerial meeting and that he be set apart as a colporteur or evangelist and that his living and work be arranged for 48 BUILDING ON THE ROCK by the ministerial meeting. (See separate discussion on Home Mission work.) 5. What punishment shall be given to a church-member who defames his neighbors with abusive language by calling them witches, etc.? Resolved, that we urge the different congregations to be more ready to expel such members from the Church or to punish those who persist in defaming others according to section C. Page 12 of the Discipline which in part reads as follows: “Adhering to witchcraft or falsely blaming another of being a witch or wizard shall be considered grave faults and such persons shall be dealt with as offenders by the Church.” 6. If an officer of the Church be expelled, will his office be given him when he is again received into membership? Resolved, that if an officer is expelled because of sin he shall not be given his office when reuniting with the Church but after sufficient time of pure and consecrated Christian living he may again be chosen for the office by his congregation which may be ratified by Conference. If he is expelled the second time his office shall never again be given him. 7. Shall we have a Sunday School Conference? A resolution was passed favoring and a committee was appointed. 8. How get rid of)tébacco in the Church? Resolved, that we consider that tobacco defiles the body and does it: positive harm. According to I Cor. 3:17 we ought not to make use of any unclean thing. Any member of the Church who after having beer fully taught and warned still persists in the’ use of tobacco shall be considered according to the discipline of Conference as an offender in the Church and shall be dealt with by the Church Committee of the congregation of which he is a member. Church Activities Sunday schools were regularly conducted from the beginning of the Mission. According to one of the conference questions definite steps were taken to organize a Sunday School Conference. This was in the Church Conference of Jan. 6th, 1914, and Sunday School Conference has been held annually ever since. Great interest is taken in all the questions brought up for discussion and the attendance is larger than at the regular Church Conference. The former are held on Sunday while the latter are held on a set day of the week. Later the Young People’s Meetings were established and as far as possible put under the leadership of the Indian brethren and _ sisters. They formed the majority of all committees and had their share of BUILDING ON THE ROCK 49 decisions in the choice of subjects and have always taken a keen interest in open discussions. Both brethren and sisters are permitted to express themselves. The weekly prayer-meetings have been a regular feature of Church activity. They have always meant much to the Christian community. In some of the communities where the congregations are large several cottage prayer-meetings are held on the same evening of the week. Where the congregations are small they meet either in the central worshipping place or in the homes of the members. There have been times when such Sankra Church meetings ran far into the night and when the spirit of prayer took hold of all who attended. Teachers’ meetings are held regularly. At different times special 3ible classes were conducted for those who felt the need of Bible study. On several occasions classes of converts were called together to study carefully the essentials of the Christian faith, after they had been otherwise instructed and received into the Church. One cannot give too much Bible teaching to these first generation converts. The Annual Bible Conference has been a recognized activity of the Church since 1915. The Church Conference annually appoints a committee to arrange for it. Previous to this time as far back as 1907 the Mission had regularly arranged for special meetings for deepening the spiritual 50 BUILDING ON THE ROCK life of the *Church.:. They proved a* great blessing each year. Here tie differen, congregations came together to study the Word as it applies to their relations to God and man, to receive inspiration and encouragement, anu to go hack to their stations with a feeling that to live and work for the Lord is worthwhile. As far as possible able teachers and speakers were chosen to have charge of the different meetings which were generally something as follows: Prayer-meeting at sunrise; general meeting at 8:30 A. M.; noon intermission from 10:30 to 2:00 P. M.; sectional meetings of different groups including children, young men, young women, older men, older women, and lepers if they were present; at 3:00 P. M. a general mecting; at 6:00 P. M. a half hour of special prayer service followed bv an evangelistic service. In 1910 during such an evening prayer servic the spirit of intercession seemed to be present in a special manner. The leader read a short passage of Scripture and all knelt in prayer. A number were ready to lead in prayer and the time was too short for those who desired to respond in turn. After singing a verse of song the leader told the congregation that we should not quench the Spirit but that as many as felt led might pray. At once every voice went up in simultaneous prayer. Jhere was no disorder for God was in the midst. Prayer finished, many confessed their sins and others were reconciled to each other. We have never seen quite the same demonstration since, yet who were we that we could withstand God? Ordinations The first great need along this line was for deacons who could help in caring for the poor and serve as councilors with the people in time of difficulty. At first the brotherhood did not think there were brethren who were qualified for this responsible work. But steps were taken according to the Church Constitution. For several weeks previous in the regular services the matter was brought to the notice of the several congregations. The pastors explained what the qualifications of a deacon should be. When the votes were cast they showed that the matter had been given very careful and prayerful consideration. The members considered neither former caste nor position but chose those who were exemplary in their lives and able for the work. We have every reason to believe that God honored their choice for with few exceptions our deacon brethren have proved themselves worthy of the confidence of the Church. Up to the present time the Church has not felt that the time for ordaining ministers has come. The subject is being seriously considered BUILDING ON THE ROCK 51 and while we missionaries are of the opinion that fellow ministers could and should be ordained from among our Indian brethren yet we are patiently waiting and praying that the Spirit may have His way with the Church in this matter. Perhaps those whom we think well qualified for the work would not be God’s choice. In His good time we know He will bring it to pass. We, however, feel that the time is very near and the question which lies before us is, When they are ordained will the Church demand their whole time and fully support them or will she consider them as religious leaders, one of their number, and expect. them to make at least part of their own living? An Indian ministry will also imply an Indian bishopric at some future time. May God grant that this may also be brought about. We are hoping and praying for that also. Home Mission Work For at least three or four years before 1916 regular Thanksgiving services were held and special collections in money and _ produce were taken. The people prepared for the offering by saving up for weeks ahead. The Church was asked what should be done with the money and Conference finally decided to place it in the hands of a special committee whose duty it should be to establish a Home Mission station. The collections taken at Thanksgiving should be placed in a Home Mission fund. In 1916 a house in the village of Mogragahan was secured and Bro. Agnu and his wife, Ganga, became the first Home Missionaries of the India Mennonite Church. They labored faithfully among the people of the surrounding villages. After several years they were transferred to another evangelistic station and Bro. Mohan and wife took their places and have labored there every year since. The result has been that a number of people have become Christians through their instrumentality. But after they had accepted Christ they found it hard to make a living among the village people and were compelled to move to other parts but the efforts of the workers were not in vain and we still hope to establish a congregation in that village. Funds accumulated and Conference in 1922 decided to open another Home Mission station and purchase sufficient land in connection with it to support a worker and his family in order to enable him to labor free from any further financial help by the Conference. During the year 1924 the land was purchased and with it a good house and compound in the village of Potiadi about five miles west of Dhamtari. At the present time the Committee are in search of a suitable couple to locate in this station. 52 BUILDING ON THE ROCK We praise the Lord for His leadings in this matter and believe He will lead the Church to greater activity along this line. It will be of interest to the reader to know that the Church in India has given for Home Mission work both in Thanksgiving offerings and in special collections a total of nearly one thousand five hundred and twelve dollars. We consider the village Sunday schools a phase of the Home Mission work of the Church since they are organized and conducted entirely by the Indian brotherhood. In each congregation the membership, both men and women, is divided into groups of workers who at stated times go to the surrounding villages and bring Gospel messages to the people. They use either the Sunday school lessons or printed Bible lessons such as are printed in the Hindi language. The 1923 report shows that the six congregations of the Mission were conducting fifty-two village Sunday schools. All these except those conducted in the sub-evangelistic stations of the Mission were under the auspices of the Indian Church. The Home Mission work has intensified the interest of the Church in evangelizing the people of India. -It has also» Shown us” the futurer possibilities. of the’ @hurch:; “We try. to» encourage sthemainwever, way to strive to reach the people of every class and bring them to Christ. This has developed another Home Mission activity which although it is not taken over by the Conference yet every Christian is enlisted in this service. It is what is known as the Evangelistic Campaign. A few weeks each year are set apart for the purpose of intense evangelism among the people of the villages. Special prayer and Bible study precede these special efforts and groups of workers are formed according to their ability. The purpose of the work is to bring as many people as possible to a definite decision to accept Christ. It is also a means of deepening the spiritual life of the Church and of awakening her to the needs of the non-Christian people around. It also brings the Gospel before the people in a definite way. A Self-supporting Church From the very beginning of our mission work the Church was taught to give for the Lord’s work. The children of the orphanages and the lepers gladly cut their meals or daily gave a certain portion of their uncooked food in order that some worthy cause might be supported. They thus helped to support the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Tract and book Society and contributed help for flood sufferers in China, famine sufferers in other areas of India, and for the work of the Church of which they were members. After our young men and women married and BUILDING ON THE ROCK 53 established homes of their own they regularly contributed to the Sunday collections and submitted to systematic “taxation” for keeping up the graveyards and regular Church expenses. Thanksgiving day was under- stood from the beginning to be a day of. giving. Tithing has been held up as the Bible standard of systematic giving. ‘Therefore the Church has been gradually brought to the place where she realizes her financial obligations to support activities for establishing and promoting the Cause of Christ. All hymn-books, Sunday school lesson-helps, Bibles and other Christian books found in our Christian homes were bought by them. The cost of lamps for the churches and oil to burn in them, the support of the caretakers of the church buildings, the expenses relative to the upkeep of the graveyards, and the cost of the implements for digging graves, etc., were all met by the Church. In this the Church has been self-supporting. The brotherhood gave liberally according te their means toward the erection of houses of worship. Our Conference records show that the Church has given in collections for maintenance about one thousand six hundred and fifty dollars. Beside this a considerable amount was donated by our Indian brotherhood for charitable work by way of supporting poor in institutions, etc. While it must be remembered that the missionaries also gave their share in these collections which was proportionatel’ larger than our Indian brethren were able to give yet we believe most of them have done what they could. We believe that a greater day is dawning for the Church in India. We pray that by the grace of God she may initiate and support greater activities in the future than she has done in the past. We pray for and are expecting a strong body of Christ in this dark land. A House at the Hills, Darjeeling CHAPTER, DIRECT EVANGELISM The underlying purpose of every department of the Mission is evangelistic. One who has been in the country a number of years and has had the privilege of working in different departments of the Mission and is able to take a view of the whole situation soon perceives that they compose a great whole, the underlying purpose of which is to make Christ known to dying souls and lead them to His feet. They represent a veritable bee-hive of busy workers all concerned with their respective duties yet each having an important part in evangelistic activity. The daily Bible teaching in all our schools, Bible reading in the Leper Asylum, the prayer and preaching hour in the medical dispensaries, and the morning devotion with workmen and servants are all effective means of evangelism. Years of Preparation for Direct Evangelism The efforts of our pioneer missionaries to prepare the orphans for evangelism are highly praise- worthy. They carefully and patiently organ- ized them into classes for Bi- bile, psa diys. They had vis- ions of what these boys and girls should be- come. But they must often have asked them- selves the ques- tion, “Can any Christian Workers’ Family in Ghatula District BUILDING ON THE ROCK = Sankra Evangelistic Station good thing come out of these Chattisgarhis?’ Many of them were ignorant, others dull, and still others irrespon- sible. It would take years of careful discipline and whole- some, persistent teaching to prepare them even in a small way. Could these same pio- neer brethren and sisters be on the field now and have the privilege of again associating with those whom they so faithfully taught they would feel more than repaid for their painstaking efforts. Beside teaching they also used them wherever possible to evangelize their own peo- ple. The missionaries often visited the home villages of the boys and girls with whom they would hold meetings with the villagers, thus giving them a taste of the work and a vis- ion of the great opportunities they would have in the future when they would carry the Message to their own people. These boys and girls heartily testified to what God had done for them. This served as a means of practical train- ing and gave the young peop'e a contact which would be of service to them in future years. As time and opportunity afforded the missionaries aiso visited the villages from which famine sufferers came. They were always accorded a glad welcome. They would take 56 BUILDING ON THE ROCK with them some of the Indian Christians who gladly witnessed for Christ. Many times when they would enter a village someone would come run- ning and ask them to be his guest during their stay. In this way he would try to pay back in part the kindness which was shown him in the famine kitchen or in the medical dispensary. This confidence soon bore fruit in requests for village schools and religious teachers. It increased the re- sponsibilities of the missionaries and led to more definite work of preparing evangelists and Bible women for the great task before them. The Indian Workers Our “Indian, “workers” are. ‘classed vas evaneelists =) Gani women. They preach and teach the Gospel in the bazaars, streets of the villages, in the homes and schools. They also sell the Scriptures and Christian literature, and distribute tracts. It has been found better to sell all literature except tracts at a small cost rather than give it free of charge as it gives it a value and is better cared for by the people» |The price they pay dces not nearly cover the cost of printing. Better a few bought at a small cost and often read than more given free, only to be torn to bits and’ scattered by the roadside. One of our most active high-caste Christians was converted through reading a New Testament which was placed in his hands by one of our Indian brethren. The Bible women are married and care for their own homes. They visit heathen women in the towns and villages and teach them the Word of lile. They, also, as opportunity affords, teach them to sew, to read and write, and other things which will be useful to them. In this way they gain entrance into many homes. The Bible women also have the privilege of being exemplary home-makers. The non-Christian people about them see the difference between the Christian families and their own and are more willing to listen to their teaching. Most of the workers have come from the orphanages. They were reared under missionary supervision and given Christian training from childhood and had a fair knowledge of the Scriptures before being taken on in the work. A very few have come from other denominations and have made our Church their choice. A few have come from among our village converts and have by their conduct and qualifications, proved them- selves worthy. It is more difficult to free such as they from their former superstitions. Most of the workers’ have also received training in some other kind of work and would be able to make a living if left to their own resources. A few are serving as evangelists at a real sacrifice and we appreciate the spirit they manifest. RINIVYH “JOoyrs FIq1g sees aN PO EOL EO LL ELS SLO LEE EE AEROS 58 Mig SBUILDING‘ON. THE ROCK Work of the Main Stations Because of their faith we hold our first colporteurs in grateful memory. One afterward became a leper and died in the leper home. Another who is still living is well advanced in years and can tell us some interesting experiences of his work. Others have gone to their eternal reward. Dhamtari was the only main station for a number of the first years of the Mission. Next was Rudri; then Balodgahan; three native states to open main station but up to the present time we have three native states to open main stations but to the present time we have not been successful in opening permanent work. We are still hopeful that they may become a reality. The evangelistic work differs somewhat in nature according to the location. In Dhamtari a little bookshop was maintained for several years in which phenyle, a disinfectant, was sold and the worker gave out tracts and sold books and Scripture portions. In this way he did a great deal of good. The evangelists during most of the years visited the Dhamtari and other village market places, met the trains as they came and went, preached in the hospital to the patients, Sister Burkhard and Bible Women (1910) BUILDING ON THE ROCK 59 and visited the surrounding villages giving the Word of Life to the people. The Bible women visited the zenanas where women were kept in seclusion. They also visited the homes of the common people and wherever opportunity afforded sang Christian hymns, read the Word, and prayed with the people. Our Bible women were happy when the missionary sisters could accompany them. During the twenty-five years several of our missionary sisters were able to devote a large part of their time to this work. They and the Bible women generally received a warm welcome into the homes of the people. If they were not welcomed it was generally due to prejudice born of ignorance. The evangelistic work of the other main stations was carried on among the people of the surrounding villages. The large gatherings of people at the bazaar places and especially at morais, that is, when the god of the place is reinstated in the worship of the people, afforded good oppo.tunities for preaching. The workers found their work most fruitful when they could follow up their public service by seeking out inquirers and quietly talking to them about Christ and His power to save. During the quiet evening hours they often had opportunities of leading a soul into the Kingdom. Both they and the Bible women have been faithfully serving the Lord according to their capacity and slowly but surely planting the Gospel seed in the hearts of the people. In 1903 over two hundred thirty-eight portions of Scripture and one New Testament were sold to non-Christians. During the twenty-five years the sales have steadily increased. In a big two-day bazaar a missionary and four Indian workers sold four hundred books in two days. People have come of themselves and asked for certain Christian books or for Scriptures. A Mohammedan came into the office of one of the missionaries living in Sundarganj and asked for an Urdu copy of the Bible. Not having one on hand at the time he showed him one written in the Roman characters. The Mohammedan reverently took the book in both hands, raised it to his lips and kissed it. He then said, “I have great reverence for this book and for Jesus of whom it teaches.’ Another, a Hindu, sent to the missionary of another station for a copy of the Psalms, writing in good English, “I consider the Psalms the most beautiful religious teaching we have in the world.” Another Indian who is a leader among his people who are known as Kabir Panthis has bought a copy of most of the different books our evangelists take for sale. He seems to be an earnest seeker after the Truth and we have come to know that he teaches what he reads to his people. Through the seed thus sown from the main stations the surrounding people have come to understand in part the 60 BUILDING ON THE ROCK Message but the fetters of caste are holding them back, else doubtless many more would openly confess their Savior. The Sub-evangelistic Stations In nearly every instance, the real test of the Christian worker and his wife comes when they are called upon to move to an outstation where they must live alone among the heathen people and regularly visit surrounding homes, villages, and market-places, and daily dispense the Bread of Life to an ignorant, superstitious heathen people. Such workers are generally put on their own honor. Each month the men come to the main station for their allowances and bring with them the monthly report of both themselves and their wives, if they are Bible women. They have a list of the surrounding villages of their subdistrict and have in a general way their work outlined for them by their missionary manager. The home life of the worker in the substation means much to the work. The family is generally stronger, healthier, cleaner, more intelligent, better behaved, more refined, and more exemplary in many ways. But they) must. ssulter many inconvenien- ces because of the prejudice of the peo- ple. They may not be allowed to take water from the vil- lage well. The vil- lage barber will not shave the men. They will often be snub- bed by the village people whom _ they are seeking to win to Christ. But they patiently suffer it all. While some of them are prone to become discouraged we thank God for Sister Lapp and Her Bible Women (1924) BUILDING ON THE ROCK 61 those who manifest Christian fortitude and faithfully plod on in their work in spite of the many hindrances which are thrown in their way. They need our closer companionship. As is stated in the discussion of the medical work, the workers in the substations are allowed to keep in stock simple remedies with which to treat common ailments of the village people. This adds a great deai to their influence. One of our substations was visited by a Government Sub-Assistant Surgeon who is very much in sympathy with mission work and who also is a Christian. He afterward said to the manager, “Your worker in ~- station is quite a little doctor. He has some very good remedies there and has a good influence among the people.” oa oe oe ihe i | Village Sunday School, Balodgahan One hardship which our outstation workers have to undergo is to have to put their children in the boarding schools of the Mission and have them away from them a great part of the time. They have better school and other advantages but are deprived of their home life. But they willingly make the sacrifice and also pay according to their financial ability for the training of their children. 62 BUILDING ON THE ROCK The outstations are Bijnapuri, Gopalpuri, Bagtarai, Bhatgaon, in the Dhamtari district; Chikli in the Balodgahan district; Nawagaon and Tengua in the Sankra district; Seodi in the Mahodi district; and Gatasilli and Kaspur in the Ghatula district. A few of the above outstations such as Gariaband and Mahodi, were later either closed as in the case of the former or became main mission stations, as in the case of the latter. Touring Each year special efforts have been put forth to reach outlying villages which have not been regularly visited by the workers. The people as a rule are more receptive in these villages and listen with interest to the messages they hear. Because of their illiteracy we use pictures very largely to illustrate what we teach them. The large Sunday school pictures are used very generally throughout the Mission. The small cards are also distributed among the children. We find them very helpful in the Sunday school as well as the district work. We cannot thank our friends enough for the many cards and pictures they send us each year. Even more of them will be greatly appreciated. Each station has an equipment of tents and camp furniture. At touring time, which is during the cool season as a rule, the tents and furniture are repaired, folded up, loaded into carts together with the necessary food and other provisions for a week or more of camping and the carts are ordered to the camping place. The missionaries and workers plan the visits to the villages surrounding the camp in order to visit several duriny the day and also spend the evening at some central place where by lantern light messages are given to the people. A goodly supply of literature is taken and offered for sale at each meeting held. Oftentimes tours are made to villages where missionaries have never been. Sometimes we come to places where the Indians have never seen the face of a white ‘man. On one such occasion when entering a village the people became frightened and all ran away and hid in the bushes. It was only by patient, persistent effort that they could be induced to return to the little group ‘of visitors. After they knew the real object of- the visit they became friendly and asked that their visitors come back again and tell them the ‘Gospel story. If only we could make such visits more frequently. If the tours last over several weeks, camp is broken several times and the ‘tents are set in several central places. As we tour thus our hearts burn within us for the people whom we visit. They are in gross ignorance regarding the Way of Life. They are receptive. Some of them acknowledge that the religion we represent gives them more than what om et BUILDING ON THE ROCK 63. Mahodi Evangelistic Station they have. But what. can we do by visiting such places but onee a year? ..We can only pray that God may in His own -way through the Holy Spirit make the message clear to them. The Bible Normal During the first years of regular evangelistic work the missionaries did what they could to give the workers Bi- ble knowledge. Later it was deemed advisable to place in the workers’ hands helpful books and assign certain Scripture portions for them to read during the year. For several weeks during this time the workers were gathered to- gether for the purpose of re- viewing what they had read. Examinations were then giv- en and new assignments made for the following year. These annual normals have been held for the last sixteen or seventeen years. At first both school teachers and_~ other wo.kers were enrolled in the Normal but during the last yea.s, sepaiate normals have been held for them in order to give them work better adapt- ed to their separate needs. The workers are divided into three classes according to mentality and years of serv- ice. Those who pass the best 64 | BUILDING ON THE ROCK grades are promoted from the lowest to the highest class year by year. The result is that those of the lowest classes show less ability and if they fail regularly in their examinations they are liable to be excused from the work unless they possess other qualifications which justify their being retained. Each year grade cards are filled out which show the quality of work done in Normal, their faithfulness and ability in general, and their spiritual standing. These serve as a criterion for the future. The fol- lowing is a sample of their grade cards. CHRISTIAN WORKER’S GRADE CARD Naimer Of AVOTK eI Glee etait tay CN Sake ces Ge eee Date iy c7.. Satta anne aieee SS EALIOT spyagehed 5) ce seal See ering fa Sno ae Classification (Advanced, Middle, or Primary) 1. Work. PresentwAllowances () sG> ©) 3-year eeter ce ce: Ability Basis eotwLOQ i a wey aay Application Oe er Pa aes ee 1s a Voluntary Effort ee aN raat eee Totalteog ie 2. Character. Spirituality eg Vice IER Ps cene te Me ih Freedom from bad habits nl oe a ieetas, Dazsteta 2 aoa Readiness: to carry. out instructions: 6 py mee ee otal Sane 3. Normal Subjects ‘ “ec ‘ Et aie thal Lesa hae tee atone WARE Regs Soiane: Pee ere Aree Ths aS ost iee ig SW ae oe St Mea nets. abs eel are Potala eee 6 0 eke so) 8° OF 010.0: 0-6) -o 0, Uéim 4) o (07 a) Orme n le) 2) 6's 0 10'G 6 Grandso6tal a =e Note. The missionary in charge of workers fills in the grades in sections 1 and 2. Section 3 is filled by those in charge of the Normal. The workers in order to secure a passing grade which would make them eligible to promotion must secure a minimum number of 140 marks in any one section and a grand total of not less than 450 marks. This e¢ard after it is filled out is @signed@by the Secretary gore ene Evangelistic Committee and handed to the manager of the worker whose name appears on the card. [t will also be of interest at this juncture to add a few general rules which apply to the evangelists and Bible women. ; i. They shall devote a number of hours a day for five days a week to the service. At times of special effort they shall devote all the time possible. BUILDING ON THE ROCK 65 2. If workers are not able to attend Normal because of sickness, or some other valid reason, arrangements can be made to give them their examinations in their stations. 3. The workers shall be granted two weeks’ vacation each year, the time to be arranged for with their respective managers. 4+. No workers can personally engage in any private enterprise while in service as a worker. Should any one have private interests he must care for them through hired agents or other members of the family. Workers at Balodgahan Note.—Some own land and other property. We encourage them to invest their savings, but not to the hurt of the work in which they are engaged. 5. All workers are required to refrain from the use of drugs, tobacco, liquor, or harmful practices of any kind which will hinder their influence as Christians. The Bible Training School The need of such an institution as the Bible Training School lay on the hearts of some of the missionaries for some time previous to the actual 66 BUILDING ON, THE’ ROCK opening in 1908. Among the first students were a blind man, one who was half blind, and another who was lame; but it was a beginning. None of them were well educated but they were willing to apply themselves. The courses of study at first covered periods of nine months each year tor three years. They included Bible and Church History, courses in Old and New Testament Study, Scripture Memory Work, Methods of Christian Work, Comparative Religions, Singing, etc. From the beginning they were required to do practical work whenever possible during the school year. The teaching staff was small and the missionaries who had charge also had other duties which took a part of their time. It meant training future possible teachers as well as Fae future workers. After shifting about a great deal, Ghatula was finally chosen as the per- manent home for the Bible School. It is now housed in a suitable building and although the attend- ance has never been more than twenty- seven any one year, yet during the years since 1908, ninety- six Indian young men and women have attended for longer or shorter periods. A few were able to take only very elementary work and many of them are not* at present employed as workers but we be- lieve they have been Hindu God Worshiped by the People, Hindu Temple, Dhamtari BUILDING ON THE ROCK 67 helped spiritually and will carry the influence of the school with them in their lives and labors. At the present time the courses of study cover a period of four years of six months each which provide six months’ study and six months’ work in some station or substation. This same method is followed by some other missions and has been found very satisfactory. We praise God for the building for which brethren in the homeland have so liberally donated. We believe God will bless the school to the future good of the evangelistic work of our field. “My Presence Shall Go With Thee.” Detailed statistics regarding the evangelistic work can not be given. Suffice it to say that there were no evan- Pelstsq@olem bible women in 1899, Twelve years after- ward thirty-four men and women were giving their time to the work. It is with feelings -thaty we gratefully remember the services of those who have been call- ccedrOnte tine «to eternity. We men- tioned Bro. Barsan who became a leper and succumbed to the dread _ disease. Bro. Yohan con- tracted tuberculosis and passed away as a result, after years of faithful and fruit- ful service. Patras, his brother, was tak- en in the same way. He, too, was an Workers at Mahodi 63 BUILDING ON THE ROCK earnest and effective winner of soufs. Elizabeth, who came to us from another mission as a leper became an inmate of the Leper Home and was very earnest in her endeavors to teach the Gospel to the other poor stricken inmates. She died happy in her Savior. Sister Sevti was a faithful Bible woman and wite of our deacon, Brother Parsadi. She was suddenly taken by death after only a short Iness. Sister Chherkin was another. Spinal meningitis was the direct cause. She had served her Master faithfully for a number of years. We cannot understand why nearly all of these and man, other faithful ones had to be taken in the prime of life. We could name many more who have been called to what seem to us untimely graves. We would not forget the living both older and younger who have dedicated their lives to the Cause of Christ and are seeking to bring the Gospel to their fellow countrymen. God has saved them by His grace and He will not leave them without reward. They are worthy of your interest, hearty support, and prayers. Some day they, with us, will come before the Throne bringing their sheaves with them and they too will hear the welcome plaudit, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast ‘been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the soy ot thy Lord.” | An Abandoned Hindu Temple Gi AgeT TR VT CARING FOR THE HOMELESS The Boys’ and Girls’ Orphanages, the Widows’ Homes, the Old Men’s Promer themitiohiocuool, Llostel, and school Kitchens) are: classed” as Charitable Institutions. | An institution at any time is a poor substitute for a.good home. A Christian institution in this country is much better than the homes from which their inmates have come. Many of them have not had sufficient to eat and to wear and besides this they knew nothing of Christianity and its teachings. As a result of our Mission having opened work at the beginning of a severe famine much of our work has been with institutions. The Orphanages were started even before the close of the famine. A home for the children was one of the first buildings to be erected. When building was begun only one hundred children were planned for, but before the end of the first year there were one hundred eighty children to care for which made it necessary for the building to be enlarged very soon after being completed. The building was so constructed that the east half of it faced south and the west half faced north. The boys were accommodated in the west half of the building and the girls in the east half. At first they had to eat, sleep and have their school all in the same rooms which caused much confusion and delay in the work of the day. The children also could not all be in school at the same time. Half of them worked in the morning and the other half went to school and in the afternoon they changed about. This plan of part of them working while the others were in school was kept up for a number of years due to the fact that sufficient teachers were not available for the size of staff required. The children in the higher classes helped to teach those in the lower classes. Helpers who could be depended upon to supervise work outside of school also were very difficult to obtain which made the work very hard for the missionaries in those first years. When famine work closed and funds no longer came for that purpose a stable means of support for the orphans had to be provided. It was determined that fifteen dollars would support one child for a year. So the Board was notified and a plea made to the people at home to support 70 BUILDING ON THE ROCK individual orphans. This met with a hearty response and the needed support for the children was secured. The sum required at the present time for support is about double the above amount. Planning for the Girls’ Orphanage It was soon seen that in order to do the best possible for the children the boys and girls could not both be accommodated on the same grounds. The situation was explained to the Board and Church and a plea made for funds to build a Girls’ Orphanage which meant the opening of a new station. There was a hearty response, which resulted in the opening of Rudri station. The girls moved to their new home on May 28, 1903. At that time there were two hundred seventeen in the Girls’ Orphanage and two hundred eighty in the Boys’ Orphanage. Before this time some of the children had to sleep in the verandas of the bungalows and wherever they could find shelter in the rainy season, for they were so overcrowded in their living quarters. The removal of the girls to the new station did not even give room enough for the boys to be comfortably housed in the first buildings. After the school house was built many of the boys slept in it. A line of houses originally built for servants’ quarters furnished a place later on for a number of them to live. Ail the Orphanage buildings were very near the bungalows where the missionaries lived, which in many respects was very objectionable. It brought the children’s playground right to the doors of two bungalows as the first building was between them. For many years it was thought that the Orphanage should be removed elsewhere and finally after it had been there twenty years it was accomplished. A new building was erected in the west side of the same compound in which the boys are now living. This is very satisfactory. Much of the old building is now being used for other purposes, part of it for Sunday school and prayer meeting rooms, part of it for a garage and part for work rooms. In 1906 it was thought best, for various reasons, to interchange the Boys’ and Girls’ Orphanages. In May the boys moved to Rudri and the girls to Dhamtari. In June, 1910, they were returned to their former buildings. With the exception of those four years the boys have always been at Dhamtari. Rudri Sold The girls lived at Rudri until 1912 when the Government acquired ‘the Mission property there for Headquarters for canal construction which required it to be closed as a Mission station. Much time was spent in BULLE DING ONG THE eROCK 71 looking for a location for the Girls’ Orphanage. No suitable place could be found and as moving the Orphanage by a certain time was imperative, it was finally decided to locate it at Balodgahan. Plans for building were made at once but as there was insufficient time to build before the girls had to be moved the cattle stables belonging to the farm were cleaned out, a few changes were made, and the girls moved into them. A small building Was put up in one corner of the compound where the missionary in charge could live near them. The girls lived in this place from May, 1912, to june, 1913, when they moved to their permanent quarters. The new buildings were planned for sixty girls only, as the number in the Orphanage was rapidly decreasing and it seemed then that in a few years all that would be required were accommodations for a small boarding of Christian girls attending school. In 1918, after the influenza epidemic, it was seen that the orphanage should be enlarged. The epidemic being closely followed by two famines made it very necessary to have more room. The money for this purpose was. generously contributed by friends in Pennsylvania. The compound was enlarged to twice its original size and a new kitchen, dining room, dormitory and hospital were added. The new buildings were ready to occupy in November, 1921. Many ot the children were large when they came into the Orphanages in 1900 and 1901. By 1906 a number of them were married. There were also many deaths in the early years of the Orphanages, due to the physical condition of many of the children when they came in. A number of them also left on their own accord after they had been in the Orphanages for some time. Many more boys than girls left because they became more restless and also were better able to take care of themselves outside than the girls were. From the above causes the number in the Orphanages gradually became less. At the beginning of 1918 these institutions had fewer inmates than at any time in their history, there being only about sixty girls and thirty boys and about half in each case were children of Christians going to school from the Orphanages. After that the numbers began increasing which kept on until in 1922 there were two hundred forty-eight girls, the highest number ever in the Orphanage. There were two hundred seventy-five boys in 1921 which was the highest number of boys since 1903 when there were five above this number. At present there are one hundred ninety-four in the Girls’ Orphanage which includes about seventy girls from Christian homes who are attending school from the Orphanage. There are one hundred seventy-three boys in the Orphanage including a number of boys from Christian homes who are attending the Orphanage School. (Still Standing) ission Idings of the Mi t Bui Irs d one of the F 1 an t Dhamtar ing a 1 Orphanage Build igina The Or BUILDING ON THE ROCK 73 Many hoys have been transferred from the Orphanage to the High School Hostel which is a boarding house for pupils who attend the English School. It is also classed as one of our Charitable Institutions because of the boys being transferred there from the Orphanage, and because other Christian boys live there who are unable to pay the entire cost of their SubpOL i nete are thirty-cix.Christian:boys.in the ‘fostel: Industrial Work Industrial work for the boys always has been a problem. It is very necessary for them to learn a trade or profession by which they can make a living when they marry and leave the Orphanage. A few went to school until they became teachers in our own or Government schools. Carpentry including cabinet making, gardening, sewing, rope making and weaving, all have been taught at different times with more or less success. Industrial work is difficult because it is not easy to get good teachers for the different industries. It also is very expensive as new pupils are coming in almost constantly and each one spoils a certain amount of material in learning his work. Besides this a thing produced must have a market and must sell at a profit if the work must support itself. Several boys were sent away to learn wheel-wrighting and blacksmithing. Several were sent to the Government Experimental Farm to learn better methods of farming, two have gone to medical school, and one went to learn tailoring under better teachers than he would have had at Dhamtari. At the end oi twenty-five years bovs from our Orphanages are found in various trades and professions. Among them are farmers, carpenters, stone masons, blacksmiths, cooks, mechanics, coolies, evangelists, teachers, doctors and tailors. While they had the disadvantage of starting out without the help of thrifty parents some of them are today found in good circumstances though the majority of them are financially poor. The girls are taught various occupations more with the view of their being able to do the work required of them in their own homes when they marry and leave the Institution than with the view of it being a source of direct income. A girl in this country can never go away from home to earn her own livelihood unless it be as a teacher or in some profession and she be in a place where she has protection and close supervision as in a wotman’s institution of some kind. Several of the girls took normal training, two took nurses’ training; others attempted it and failed. A number took the Bible course in our own Bible School. Many of the women in this country must work to supplement their husbands’ income. What they will be able to do so often depends on what their husband’s 74 BUILDING“ON YPHE (ROCK work is. Girls from our Orphanage can be found in such occupation as teaching, nursing, taking care of children, Bible Women’s work, matrons’ work, doing housework for the missionaries and others and many of them do ordinary coolie work. A few are home-makers only. Widows’ Home The need for a home for widows and deserted wives had long been felt by the missionaries. As early as 1900 the Annual Report contained this statement, “We need such a home and it will be opened as the Lord opens the way.’’ A woman with two children came in 1911 and asked to be taken care of. She was given a place to live with employment and her children were sent to the Orphanages. In 1912 a few more dependent women came to live in Balodgahan and the missionaries also provided them a place to live and something to do. As time passed a few more came. It was first mentioned in the Annual Report of 1916 and in 1917 there were twelve women in the Home and eleven others had been in it before that time. Until then the Home was only partly supported from Mission Funds but a plea was then made and support obtained for carrying on the work of the Widows’ Home. At the close of 1917 there were nineteen women in the Home. In the beginning the women lived in a few huts near the Mission bungalow which had been vacated by some of the Christian people who went into better quarters. Later a few more huts were added as they were needed. About 1918 money was received from America to build a Home for the women but before the buildings were finished the number in the Home had increased t o more than fill them and the old quarters. POmMCis -OnmsEt ic women remain- ed in the old buildings that were almost ready to fall down until the hot season of 1924 when new mud buildings Wiciieseractca: Boys Washing Their Teeth BUILDING ON THE ROCK 75 The missionary in charge gave much supervision to the work and the women themselves did all the work except the wood work and putting on the roof. Digging the earth, carrying it from the field, carrying water from the village tank, with which to mix the earth into mortar, and laying up the mud walls, is laborious work but the women did it all and now have comfortable houses to live in. Five cottages were built each of which accommodates eight women. Work sheds also were built largely with the labor of the women. There is a well inside the women’s compound. The compound wall was also built by the women. Each woman has her own cooking arrangements. A grain store on a small scale is kept for their benefit where at stated times they can get their Corner of Girls’ Orphanage, Balodgahan provisions. Vegetable sellers are invited to bring in their produce to sell to them on bazaar days. Each woman is given a stipulated weekly allowance of money with which to support herself. She receives this in return for some labor done. The women must be kept busy and feel that they are earning the money they receive or discipline can not be maintained in the Home. The women who are unable to work have provision made for their living but all who are able are required to work. Since the beginning of the Home two hundred and two women have been admitted, twenty-six have remarried, fifteen died, fourteen left of their own accord, preferring their old life to the support and protection they have 76 BUILDING (ON .THE ROCK in the Home. A number of the women have been in the Home the second or third time. One wornan was twice married from the Home and twice widowed and returned. At the close of 1924 there were one hundred fifteen women in the Home. There are forty-three children, nearly all of them being widows’ children excepting a few who are orphan babies whose mothers died, and they are being taken care of in the Home. Nearly all the boys of the Widows are in the Orphanage at Dhamtari. The total number is one hundred fifty-eight. All the women now in the Home, except two, have been baptized and have united with the Church. The Widows’ Home affords good evangelistic opportunities. Many of the women’s relatives and friends come to visit them, some from far away villages, carrying back with them the story of how the women are being cared for and of their having become respectable people. Missionaries or others going on tour through the villages often meet the friends of the women which readily provides an opening into the homes and hearts of the people. They can teach Christ to those who otherwise might not be ready to hear them. At several of our Mission stations, as a result of the last famine, a number of women and children were left homeless. An attempt was made to keep them in their respective stations. There were a few at Mahodi but because the station had to be left for one year with no missionaries located there, the women and children were all removed to the Widows’ Home and to the Orphanages. There are also a number at Sankra. At the close of 1924 there were eighteen women and a number of children at that place. Some of the older boys and girls have been sent to the Boys’ and Girls’ Orphanages. The women at Sankra also live in mud huts. Most of the women are elderly women. All except two are real widows. These two were deserted by their husbands. All of the Sankra women, too, have united with the Church. Men’s Home For a number of vears a few old and disabled men had been cared for by the Mission. Because there was no other place for them they were allowed to live in the Boys’ Orphanage. During famine time the number increased. ‘hey then were separated from the Orphanage and a separate place provided. After famine was over and they became able to take care of themselves they were dismissed one by one until all had been sent away who could possibly take care of themselves. There are still thirteen in the Home. It has always been the policy of the Mission not to admit more into this Home as it always has been most difficult to arrange for their BUILDING -ONUTHE "ROCK 77 support. True they are not very promis- ing but the Missionaries have been un- able to turn them away when it appears as though starvation only could be the result. ‘They are all men who are either o!d, physically disabled or mentally weak and this country does not provide for the support of such persons. So they are kept on with the hope that God will in some way provide for them through the kindness of His people. Station Schools As more poor people came into the Church and the Orphanages filled up it was necessary for some arrangements to be made so that the children of poor Garjan Bai. Gone to Her Reward Christians could be sent to school and the congested conditions in the Orphan- ages be relieved. The parents in many cases are unable to support their chil- dren and send them to school so they must either receive help or remain illit- erate. To give money into the hands of the parents would be a futile way of try- ing to help the children as many of them might not use it for the purpose for which it was intended. Therefore it was decided to open school kitchens in con- nection with schools at the stations where missionaries live. The children were to receive one or two warm meals a day as the need might be. It is not always easy to determine who should Matron of the Widows’ Home 78 BUILDING ON THE ROCK have one or two meals or no help as it can not be exactly known in all cases what the income of the parents is. The plan was first tried out at Sankra in 1922 and proved to be quite satisfactory. The next year it was begun in connection with the Girls’ School at Dhamtari and later for the Boys’ School at Balodgahan. At the latter place there also are a few girls included. At the close of 1924 there were ninety-nine children receiving help in the three kitchens. They are all required to do some useful work supervised by their teachers the hours they are out of school. How long the school kitchens will be continued can only be answered by how great the need will be and whether the means will be forthcoming for supporting them. We must provide a way whereby the children can be educated in order to forestall an illiterate Church in the future. At the present time our Christian community is largely composed of those who came into the Church through the work of our Charitable Institutions in the past and the influence they have had on others. Our evangelists, Bible women, our deacons, all except one, and nearly all of our Sunday school workers came from the Orphanages. Great possibilities for the future of the Mennonite Church in India lie in the children, at present growing up in our Institutions, and unless the means and missionaries will be forthcoming from the home base, to take advantage of these possibilities, much will be lost in carrying forward the work already begun. In connection with this short history of our Charitable Institutions we wish to give a few life sketches of some who have passed through them, which we trust will be as interesting to those who read this book as they have been to those who have come in contact with them. Life Sketches Among those who sought refuge from starvation in the famine of 1899-1900 was a widow named Ramoti Dai. Her husband had already died and she was left with two little boys. Everything she owned had been turned in for food, and what next? She made her way towards Dhamtari. It was a slow process, she being so weak that she could hardly put one foot before the other. On the way, at a large bazaar, her oldest son was lost in the throng of people. Thinking he might be with some relatives the exhausted mother paid little attention to this matter for a few days. When she could not trace his whereabouts she became so discouraged that she tried in various ways to end her life. Once she took a rope to hang herself and her remaining son but did not succeed. Another time she tried’ to throw her son into the river and then drown herself but in this she too failed. Again she was lying beside the road for the night and she says, “A BUILDING.ON, THE ROCK 79 tiger came sniffing around and almost buried us in the sand which he threw up with his paws but he did not even find us good eating and went his way.” At last she reached the famine kitchen where the Brethren Ressler and Page took her in and ministered to her needs. She was in such a bad physical condition that the Indian helpers at the famine camp did not want to touch her. They were ready to let her die. After getting food and medical aid she revived and was a great help in caring for the sick in the hospital but her little boy died. The older one had not been found and to her he was dead—that is the way the Indian expresses it. After the famine Ramoti Dai was taken into the Girls’ Orphanage where she was like a mother to the girls for a number of years. Those who were in the Orphanage then still respect her very highly. When Irene Lehman was born Ramoti Dai was chosen to help take care of her. She was “ayah” (child nurse) for all the Lehman children, helping their mother who was engaged in her mission work. After she began working for the Lehman family steps were taken to find her long lost son. After some searching, traces of him were found and he was brought to his mother. Nine or ten years had elapsed and the little boy had grown to be a man, was married and the father of children. This meeting shall never be forgotten. Truly tears of real joy were shed. There could be no doubt that they were mother and son for the resemblance was very great. The son and his wife are now Christians. Relatives come to see them. One of her brothers also came and is a Christian. She must now be in the seventies and is still working and enjoying her Christian life. One of the most interesting characters that ever passed through the Orphanage was Garjan Bai. We speak of her almost with reverence. She had her human weaknesses but in spite of them she was a noble character. She came into the Orphanage the first day of February, 1900, and was entered on the register as being eleven years old. Her physical condition at that time was very bad. She had sores and needed much care and attention to nurse her back to health and strength. It was not long until she showed the rare ability which she possessed. She early became a leader among the girls and a great help to those who had charge of them. She often related in after years how she with a few other girls studied until late at night in order to have their lessons for school the next day, when according to the prevailing rules, they should have been sleeping. After finishing the work in the primary department of the Mission School she went to Jubalpur and attended Normal School for two years. She then returned to the Mission and taught for about four years. She had (IC6T) cSvucyd-g spar Girls’ Orphanage (1924) 82 BUILDING ON THE ROCK scrofulous swellings on her neck from which she suffered a great deal while she was teaching. Besides teaching she always had numerous other duties in the Orphanage, such as matron’s work, helping to look after the store room and dining room and she was always most faithful in performing her duties. There was some work in which she was very clumsy, such as knitting, sewing and crocheting. But when she made up her mind to learn something it was as good as accomplished for she was most persistent in her efforts to learn. In 1910 she was relieved from teaching and took the position of Matron of the Orphanage which she filled until the time of her death in 1918, though she taught some again the last few years of her life. Garjan Bai came from the oil maker caste. Her mother was a leper, though this fact is not generally known. According to her account of her home life and training she had parents who were as strict as one ever finds among Hindu villagers. She said, “I was never allowed to play outside of our own compound with other children in the evening after dark.” In other ways, also, she was taught to be upright and honest. Her Christian life to her was a great joy and she spent many hours in prayer. Often when it almost seemed as though she should be at other duties, when she was inquired for, the girls would answer, “Bai is praying.” In the influenza epidemic on the 9th of November, 1918, she laid down her life in this world a victim of the disease. How terribly she was missed among the girls where she was like a mother especially to the little ones! She is still missed in the work. Her pleasant smile and hearty welcome await us on the other side. Another beautiful character was Asra Bai. Her mother died when she was a baby. Her sister-in-law took care of her and fed her with goat’s milk and thus she survived as very few little children in this country ever do under such circumstances. Just when her father died is not known to us but her brothers kept her until the famine of 1899-1900 broke out. When they no longer could support her she found her way to the famine camp and from there she came into the Orphanage. In those days she was called Thanwarin but years after when she had learned many things about Christianity she disliked her old name as the meaning of it was not a nice one and wanted to change it. She herself chose the name Asra which means Hope. In this part of the country Bai applies to all women who have some prestige among the people. She was a girl who was very much respected among the people so was always called “Asra Bai.” ; After she finished the Primary School in connection with the Orphanage she went away to Normal School and returning she taught for BUILDING ON THE ROCK 83 several years. [For some time she studied English and with tutoring by some of the woman missionaries she finally passed her fourth class English examination. This she did while she was teaching. In 1913 she went to take the Nurses’ Training Course in the Woman’s Hospital in Ludhiana, Panjab, in north India. She was there for three years before she returned to the Mission to take up work in connection with the Medical Dispensary at Balodgahan. She was there for only a few months and then was transferred to Dhamtari in the latter part of 1916 when Dr. Cooprider came to India, and was connected with the medical work at Dhamtari until her death in November, 1924. She was married in August, 1921. She had very poor health much of the time during the last few years of her life and could not devote much of her time to the medical work but when she could work she aiways could be depended upon to do her work faithfully. She and Garjan Bai were fast friends and she missed Garjan Bai very greatly when Garjan was called away. Asra Bai, perhaps, has never had an equal as a go-between for the missionaries and the Indian people. She seemed to have a special gift in understanding the motives of both and helping them to understand each other. She was a woman loved by many. After her death we heard her name many times in and about the city of Dhamtari and she was always highly spoken of. There are many Hindus and Christians alike to whom she had ministered in sickness. At the present time there is no one to take her place. Birjha is a girl who came into the Orphanage in September, 1916. She had come to the Dispensary at Dhamtari where Dr. Esch treated her for a bad sore she had on her head due to being struck with a heavy stick by her step-mother who was very unkind to her. She remained at Dhamtari for a few days and was then sent to the Orphanage at Balodgahan. She said her people did not want her and had sent her away. A man was sent to her village to investigate and found that her story was correct. She had a sore on her head and through neglect it became full of worms which would outcaste her family if she were allowed to remain in her home. In order to get back into caste the father would have to feed all his caste people and pay whatever penalty they should see fit to impose on him. Rather than suffer this they sent the girl away. Birjha was supposed to be about ten years old when she came to the Orphanage. When here about a year she asked for baptism and wanted to unite with the Church. She has always been faithful. Her start in school was late. She is not extraordinarily bright but she finished the Primary School, has worked one vear outside of school, hecause helpers were too few, and is now in the Middle School (1061) eseueydigQ shog er ee oe Boys’ Orphanage (1924) 86 BUILDING ON THE ROCK and doing well. We believe that she is going to be a good, substantial Christian woman. Shanti was brought to the Orphanage by the police when she was about a day and a half old. At birth her mother had tried to kill her and, thinking her to be dead, she threw her outside the village near the road and covered her body with thorns. The child revived and with its cries attracted the attention of some one who was passing. The police were notified who took charge of the child and investigated the case. The mother was tried and sent to prison where she died some months later. Nothing is known of the child’s father. The little girl was brought to the Orphanage where she was taken care of. Shanti is a tather dull ‘girl and has never accomplished much in her school work but she has certainly needed the sympathy of Christian people if a child ever has. She is now fifteen years old and still goes to school. Kuwarwati came to the Orphanage during the last famine in 1921. She was married when a little girl although she never lived with her husband. Her parents had died and the grandmother kept her, her little sister, and brother. When the famine came she could no longer provide tor them all and sent Kuwarwati to the house of her father-in-law asking them to take care of her. They kept her for a while but when they thought that they also would be scarce in food they sent her back to her grandmother. She returned her to them several times but at last they refused to keep her at all. She with her sister, brother, and grandmother then came to the New Boys’ Orphanage, Dhamtari BUILDING ON THE ROCK Our Blind Boys at Work 87 famine camp at Ba- lodgahan where the erandmother died from the awful starvation she had endured and the children were all taken into the Orphan- ages, @ illess methane ca year after the famine was over and good crops were again in sight the father-in-law of Kuwarwati came to the Orphanage inquir- ing for his daughter- in-law. He could not be turned away with- out a hearing as the girl legally belonged to his household. She was called and he had an interview with her. He told her that he had come to take her to his home. She said to him, “Under no circumstances will I ever return to your house. When I was in need you turned me out, now that I have been brought back from the grave and am in good health and strength you Cattle Stables at Balodgahan Where the Orphanage Girls Lived for Some Time 88 BUILDING, ON THE ROCK come for me but I will not go with you.” The man was told that she could do as she wished about going. He was also asked if the girl had been disobedient while in his home and he replied, “She was always a good girl.” He left and gave no further trouble but went away sad because it means a big expense for a man to have his son married and now he was facing it for the second time with the same boy. The word came at almost the close of 1924 that the boy to whom she was married had died, which releases her and she will be free to marry a Christian young man when the opportunity comes. Kuwarwati has done well in school considering the very late start she had. She is now about fourteen years old. She united with the Church not long after she came into the Orphanage. She is good in hand work .and very clever with the needle. An Orange Tree, Balodgahan CAP TSO Ly THE MINISTRY OF HEALING The main causes of physical suffering in India are ignorance superstition, wrong teaching of family priests, poverty, and hereditary disease. Most of the villages of the country have their houses huddled together without proper air space between, without ventilation, with cattle sheds either built against the huts or near them, without proper systems of drainage or sanitation, and with the families crowded together in closed rooms to sleep or keep warm in cool weather. During the rainy season mud and slush abound. There are plenty of pools in which mosquitoes breed. The Indians of our Mission area are generally careful to cook their food thoroughly but do not know the first principles of cleanliness in its preparing and serving. To quote Dr. Florence Friesen who was called upon to visit a patient in a distant village where the meal had been prepared at the order of the wealthy proprietor: “We were again asked to be seated outside the compound until the meal was ready. There we saw a man who had marks of sin and disease on his body washing a few dishes where we had seen servants washing their feet when we waited there before. After he had washed the dishes he pulled out the end of his dhoti (lower garment) and dried them carefull’. Then the tonga-walla (ox-driver) took the cloth from his neck that he had used to Wipe away the perspiration on the way out and wiped the dishes again, and, to make sure they were clean, wiped them the third time with the end of his turban that had been hanging down his back. Finally it was announced that the meal was ready and the servant led the way to the fine large bungalow. We were guided through it and out on the rear varanda. There was a small table for me and one in another ccrner for the nurse and we were seated with our faces to the wall. There were these same dishes we saw before. Could we eat? We had to or offend. This time when we asked God’s blessing on the meal we also asked to be saved from seen danger and from unseen dangers that daily surround us.” Native Life Most of the houses of the village people are built of mud. Even though they may be of bricks and plastered on the outside with lime and 90 BUILDING ON THE ROCK have a good outward appearance the floors are generally of mud and are cleaned (?) the same way as the village huts, with a preparation of cow-dung and water. The food is cooked in a little corner of a room on a small fire-place and the smoke escapes through a side window if there is any. The whole house becomes filled with this smoke and eyes become irritated as a result. Such eyes become a prey to flies and gnats and become infected. The clothing are generally washed in some pool in which the people bathe themselves. In some such pools they bathe their cattle too. Any microbes that flourish in such water will settle on the clothing resulting in itch, other skin infections, and various, internal diseases. Sores from cuts and bruises become infected not only from contact with uncleanness but from the very treatment they receive. Ashes, mud, cow-dung, and many other unnamable ingredients are made into poultices and applied. Most loathsome sores are the result. Children are not properly cared for, resulting in disease, permanent injuries, blindness, etc. It is quite common for the mother or aunt or grandmother to heat a sickle and apply the point to different places on the infant’s abdomen in order to cure it of some disorder. Most of the children have their little abdomens all spotted from such burns. It is not only supposed to drive out the heat inside but also to drive away any evil spirit which may be persecuting the child. In prolonged cases of crying the medicine man is called and he may recommend applying a hot iron to the soft part of the child’s head in order to drive away the insistent evil spirit. If the spirit persists too strongly the child will die. Aiter the treatment it generally dies. Thousands of people are attacked every year by poisonous reptiles and ravenous beasts. A mad jackal entered our Girls’ Orphanage in 1906 and bit two of the orphan girls and later Bro. M. C. Lapp when he came out to see what the commotion was about. They went to Kasauli for treat- ment and all recovered. A terribly mangled patient was brought to our Rudri dispensary. He had been attacked by a bear. One of our missionaries treated a patient who had been mangled by a panther. Septic poisoning set in and the poor sufferer succumbed. While out on tour one of our missionaries met a man who had his lower lip completely bitten away by a bear. We are often called out to treat cases of snake bite. The patients will recover if taken in time and properly treated. Neglect, especially of women, is the cause of much suffering ‘and death. One missionary was called to a village to treat what he understood to be a child. When he arrived he found it to be a calf. There was a leywieyq ‘uone1g [edIpeyyT we OZ BUILDING ON THE ROCK woman lying ill in the same house but the missionary was not called to see her. He left the calf however and cared for the poor mother. Midwives who are trained according to Indian superstition cause untold suffering not only at the time of child-birth by maltreating the poor mother but too often by causing septic poisoning which leaves both mother and child victims of some dread disease for life. Our Mission district is, perhaps, more free from cholera and plague than scme, but we have had a few outbreaks in and around Dhamtari. ‘Twice the Boys’ Orphanage had to be moved because of plague and the missionaries living in Sundarganj were obliged to take every precaution against contracting it. Sometimes treachery and intrigue, especially among the rich and ruling classes, play a large part in the sickness and removal by death of some. The king of Kanker fell ill from typhoid-pneumonia. As soon as it was known his near relatives began to come and offer their services. This does not sound unusual, does it? No, but the underlying motive led them to do everything in their power that the throne might fall to one of their choice in the nearest possible future. The poor patient knew this and in order to be on the safe side telegraphed for medical help from our Mission. Dr. Esch not being available at the time Bro. M. C. Lapp went to him and took full charge of all his meals and drinking water ordering such diet as was suited to the patient’s needs. Relatives were allowed only such courtesies as would leave him on the safe side. They had sent for the most competent priests and medicine men to administer to his needs and they were ready to show him every kindness (?). But their help was not needed and in twelve days th-ough the careful nursing of Bro. Lapp and the skilled advice of the Civil Surgeon of Jagdalpur he recovered. He liberally rewarded his benefactors for their services. They had saved his life. Do you wonder then that there is great mortality in India? Do you wonder that the cry of the time is for more medical missionaries who will become to India not only apostles of healing and surgery, but of sanitation, cleanliness, and of was and means of improving the general living conditions of the people of India? We are glad to report that the mortality in the Indian Christian community has been considerably reduced. Government has done the best it could and in every place has a system of inspection in vogue but must content itself with such officers as can be had. A one-time sanitary inspector of Dhamtari came to the Mission compound to look around. When he introduced himself to the missionary he said, “I am the thanitary inthpector and have come to have a look around the plathe.” He looked around and compared the living rooms in the BUILDING ON THE ROCK 93 Orphanage with the amount of air space each boy should have and over- looked all the points which he should have noted regarding drainage, sanitation, etc. He himself had been reared in surroundings that would not bear too close inspection. Government Hospitals and Dispensaries It is the lack of dispensaries and hospitals which has called for the establishing of Mission hospitals and dispensaries throughout the land. Government can only go as fast as public sentiment will permit. They Medical Dispensary, Sankra have been careful however to give their servants medical attention by establishing Government dispensaries in every centre in which police headquarters are located. One Government hospital is located in Raipur. The dispensaries which are located in Dhamtari, Sihawa, Kanker, and Gariaband are in charge of assistant medical officers who have had their training in one of the Government medical schools located in Nagpur, Calcutta, Madras, Allahabad, Lahore, etc. They are put on a salary and all medicine is given to the common people free of charge. All dispensaries weyweyq ‘[eywdsoyy uoissi~ oy} ur sAq Ue UO BSuNneIedO ibe AGA RT EES BULIEDIN GIONS TEEUROCK 95 are regularly inspected by the head medical officer who resides in Raipur. He tries to correct any irregularities which may have arisen. We have had occasion to call assistant surgeons to our aid and found them fairly efficient in their work. They have proved capable in both their diagnosis and treatment. We have also called the Civil Surgeon from Raipur in cases of illness when our own doctors were not available or when they wished to consult. The scarcity of Government physicians and private prac- titioners has led to establishing the Mission Hospital and Dispensary. In our Mission there are in all five medical dispensaries located at each of the stations, Dhamtari, Balodgahan, Sankra, Ghatula, and Mahodi. As far as possible they are kept under the general supervision of our medical missionaries located at the respective stations. In most of our outstations the workers are allowed to carry in stock simple remedies to meet the needs of the village people who come to them. Every missionary is looked upon by the Indian people as capable of giving medical assistance and the people often refuse to go to the trained Government assistant surgeons if there is any possibility of receiving help from us. Some of the untrained missionaries have been called upon to operate on and care for difficult cases because of the distance from Dhamtari, or in the absence of our doctors, because the patients insisted upon the missionaries doing the work. Dr. W. B. Page opened the first Mission medical dispensary which was ever opened in Dhamtari. He started work in a shed near which a building was later erected tor the purpose. Sheds were erected for the many famine people who needed medical attention. Hundreds of people were cared for in this way. Not only were grown people cared for but children and babies were kept alive by the vigilant and painstaking efforts of the missionaries. Unless they carefully watched their feeding the mothers were liable to drink the child’s milk and let the infant go hungry. They, in many cases, would feed the children opium to keep them quiet. After the medical dispensary was built a few rooms were reserved for in-patients. After Dr. Page’s return to America there was no Mission doctor until the arrival of Dr. Esch in 1910. The Dhamtari Mission dispensary was left (for some years) in the charge of Muhammed Yakub a Mohammedan assistant surgeon who faithfully served the cause. Previous to this other assistants were hired by the Mission, some of whom were Christians. Some were efficient and faithful while others were found unprincipled and unworthy of the confidence of the Mission. The Mission also spent considerable money for the training of young men from this area for medical work. At the present time one young man is in training in 96 BUILDING ON. THE ROCK Nagpur. It is hoped that he will become a faithful assistant in this service. He is a son of one of our faithful evangelists who a number of years ago was taken from us by death. Tne first building which was used as a hospital and dispensary became too small to meet the requirements and another site was chosen which is over a mile north of Sundarganj near the railway station. A bungalow was built and a small hospital and a ward for a few in-patients was erected. At the present time there is a good building for European patients, and the foundation for a larger and better hospital is dug and plans are laid for more and larger wards for in-patients. With the coming of Dr. Florence Friesen, nee Cooprider, in 1916.and Dr. Troyer in 1923, the work has become better supplied with medical missionaries. Yet they cannot cover the field. There are parts of our mission area which stand greatly in need of a medical missionary to care for the physical needs of the people. We are glad for those in -tite homeland who contemplate taking medical training with the view of giving their lives 'to the cause in India. May God call-more to this nobleyseryice: In ,all during the twenty-five years four doctors. and three trained nurses have come from the homeland and served the cause in India. One doctor was furloughed home because of ill health, one nurse was removed by death and the remaining doctors and nurses are at present on the field. Two Indian nurses, Asra Bai and Sonai Bai, received their training in a mission training hospital at Ludhiana and served the Cause for a number of years. Sonat Bai is still serving. in the Mission but in 1924 Asra Bai was taken away by death. Both have been efficient and faithful in their work. Increased patronage on the part of the Indian people makes a large hospital and dispensary with full equipment necessary. The poor must be given rooms free of charge while the wealthier patrons willingly pay for better accommodation. We believe the plans for enlarging the medical station so as to meet the needs of all concerned are practicable and should be carried out at the earliest possible date. Moreover, as more medical missionaries arrive on the field and are located in different sections of the mission area it will also become imperative that they have better quarters in which to serve the people who come to them for help. While a central hospital and wards are necessary yet this cannot meet the needs oi the outlying districts from which so many patients cannot receive help except from the near Mission stations. Sankra at present is in need of better quarters. A doctor is stationed there. We are praying that doctors will Medical Dispensary, Ghatula come who can serve in still other stations of the Mission. The following record of the dispensaries shows the magnitude of the Medical Mission work: 1900 1901 1907 1909 1916 1920 1924 No. Hospitals 1 1 1 Z iz No. Dispensaries 1 1 5 3 + 4. 5 No. Doctors & Ass’t Surgeons 1 | ] l ] 2 3 No. Nurses and Compounders 1 Jo 3 3 4 4 No. Out-patients 3009 2000 12500 13000 19900 20517 No. In-patients 41 Cee Goel 20 el 62eee 220 2345 The lepers have not been taken into account in the above survey since they are treated in a separate chapter. Medicine and the Gospel Message In a recent number of the Journal of Medical Missions in India, we Headeitoinetne pen of E»F.+Neve, M. D., F--R: GC. S.: “We should aim at nothing less than imparting Christian instruction to all out-patients and in-patients. This may necessitate two or three addresses to out-patients as there are usually fresh arrivals after the first roomiul has been disposed of. In the wards, in a large hospital the difficulty is admittedly great. If helpers are few and there are many wards it may be impossible to visit each ward every day. But that should be 98 BUILDING ON THE ROCK our ideal. It is important to endeavor to build up an evangelistic staff in order to utilize to the utmost extent our opportunities............ Alutrue Christian members of the hospital staff should be encouraged to regard it as part of their duty to join in the work of witnessing—the doctors and nursing sisters themselves setting the example and working according to some plan.” It is generally conceded that through medical Mission work a great influence can be exerted over the people. The relief from physical suffering is an important means of impressing them and of helping them to become more ready to listen to the Gospel message. The nature of the treatment and the cures which have been effected have led many a soul readily to read or listen to messages from the Gospel of Christ, the Great Healer of the people. It will be of interest here to relate some of the incidents which have occurred in the experiences of those who had to do with medical work in the Mission. While one of our missionaries was touring in the district he came to a village in which a former patient lived. Soon the man came running and showed the scar on his body where an operation had been performed which saved his life. He said to the missionary, “You saved my life and now I want you to be my own guest during your stay here.” Fle also called the village people into a meeting and told them to be attentive to the message as the religion of these people was worth learning. A father and son came to one of our station dispensaries. The son had a frightful sore on his head. The sore was treated until it healed and the father became a Christian as a result of the teaching he had received. One morning a man brought his wife to our Dhamtari hospital. She had suffered great pain because of disorder. She thought she had a snake in her stomach. She could feel it. It was killing her. The doctor upon careful examination found that it was the pulsation of the abdominal aorta which became distended because of other trouble. Medicine was eiven her and her true condition was explained, dispelling her fears, and aiso some of the superstitious ideas she and her friends had entertained. She went away happy and was soon restored to full health and strength. We feel confident that the Gospel will find a warm place in her heart. One woman came so weak that she could not walk and had such terrible sores that it was almost impossible for those who treated her to coms near to her. She soon gained in strength from the good food and treatment she received and also became a believer in. Christ. We also have several other women and children who came to us for treatment and food who are BUILDING ON THE ROCK 99 a valuable asset to the Mission. A man needed treatment for appendicitis. The doctor carefully treated him until he was strong enough for the operation. He finally returned to his home sooner than he had orders from the doctor but he recovered much to his own and his friends’ satisfaction. A poor woman came to the Dhamtari hospital with such a bad rupture that a part of the intestines had protruded, becoming perforated through partial decomposition. She recovered (miraculously, it seems to us) after a skillful operation by the doctors and returned to her home a normal woman. A large number of successful operations have been performed on cataracts and other affections of the eyes. It is pathetic to see the joy of those whose sight has been restored to them. During the time that our first medical missionary was in India he Medical Dispensary, Balodgahan had hundreds of cases which were the result of famine conditions. This soon spread the fame of the Mission medical work and widened the field of service, the influence of which is felt even fo this day. When Dr. Esch and his fellow medical missionaries came on the field the Mission planned to give them as much time as_ possible for language study. But missionaries became ill and needed their skilled attention. Needy cases came on which they should operate and it was so easy to take an hour or so of their time in this needy work. Dr. Esch said, “When we first came to India and were located at Balodgahan, Bro. M. C. Lapp had quite 100 BUILDING ON THE ROCK a medical practice. We had the arrangement that for one-hour every morning, after the morning language lesson, I would go out and help him with the cases about which he wished advice, and in the meantime get an insight into the problem of medical practice in India.” One day a man came with a badly festered foot and the only remedy was to amputate the leg above the knee. Dr. Esch was the surgeon, Bro. Lapp the anesthetist, Sister Lapp the nurse, Bro. J. S. Hartzler the first assistant, and Bro. Shoemaker the observer. The operation was performed in the little dispensary room at Balodgahan. The patient was removed to a room in the village and by being carefully nursed he recovered from what was considered a very doubtful case. A few days after we were living in Dhamtari this same man came walking into the dispensary with an improvised artificial leg, apparently well and happy. He had a little discharge from the stump of his leg and upon examination it was found that one of the silk threads was overlooked when the stitches were taken out. It soon healed completely and the man told the doctor thatshewmidts. come to his village about ten miles away and preach and sing to the people and give medicine. | ) A consumptive living in the village of Kaneri not far from Balodgahan was being treated by Bro. Lapp. Dr. Esch was called in for advice and the man was told that he shoyld set his house in order as he had not long to live in this world. The missionaries prayed with him and he declared his faith in Christ and promised that his life would be given to Hime ere would bring about his recovery. The prayer was answered in his seemingly almost entire recovery. But he kept putting off his former promise. He had done away with many of his former heathen customs but finally because of exposure at a large heathen mela, which is held annually at Rajim, a large religious centre on the Mahanadi river, he contracted a severe cold. and his old trouble returned in “ar more (severe (ott mpeee confessed that he had sinned against light and in this condition he died. Great Opportunities Thus we have in the experience of the missionaries cases which show the opportunity for impressing the Message on the hearts of the people. We can truthfully say that the opportunities are taken advantage of in the dispensaries, in the sick wards, in the villages where the people live who have been treated. There are cases of conversion as a direct result of the medical Mission work. But the result cannot actually be shown. Many a patient comes and goes who receives help, hears the Word, and goes back to his or her village and little is heard from them. Yet the seed BULL DUINGLON PEE IROCK 101 has been sown and in God’s own time it will bear fruit for Him. Not only are the people served who come for help. The doctors, nurses, and others are often called out to villages where the sick lie too helpless to be brought to them. It may be a poor helpless mother, or a man who has met with a frightful accident, or someone who was struck suddenly ill from some ravaging disease. The missionaries generally run a great risk in treating such people for they, too often, are almost beyond relief and many times have some disease which, if the doctor or nurse is not careful he or she might contract from the patient. Every care has to be exercised in the treatment of the sick. But much to the credit of those who care for them they shirk no duty, but brave every danger in seeking to save life, and at the same time bring a soul out of darkness into light. They must travel in carts, on horseback, through rain and shine, suffer cold as well as intense heat, in order to carry out their Mission to the suffering. Dr. Esch was called to the home of a village owner of Nipani a village about fifteen miles from Dhamtari. They had sent a pony for him to ride which got him there in due time. The doctor asked for a cart in which to return home after he had eaten his supper and cared for the patient and other sick which were brought to him. The evening meal was greatly enjoyed after such a long ride on a pony. The host told him that there was an elephant in the village on which he could return if he wished to do so. The driver of the elephant told him that the beast would take him in to Dhamtari in about two hours. With a few misgivings the doctor assented to taking the elephant. The saddle consisted of a large pad and several blankets securely roped on. It seemed like sitting on the top of a haystack. He could neither sit or lie with comfort and it was a cold night. They had not travelled long until he could see that it would take more than two hours to get in to Dhamtari. It took five and one half hours to get in, and the doctor had to dismount a number of times and walk to keep warm and limber up. He afterward preferred a buffalo cart with straw if nothing better was available. We cannot refrain from telling you the story of little Banwasa. MO qUOI “ANY Ly [neg pue UISIIL YT 99UIAO] WT pue ° : s “qostT I V ‘d_ + (pasea.ap) usjazy pue ‘ereqieg -UvUTINeY sIs[q pue -n *f :dde’y Auuey pur -° ‘OOL) = MOM IIPPIAL = “yosty Ped ‘4193ua MA AIBW Fale eupyy, pur TOIT 3S9ULy pue “gf yINy {poor AIP f.anyqyiy pue ToyonuG eupy pue ydiey fyunig BAY put ‘d ty -ofeqeuuy puev I9A017, UAIYJeM pur “Cy ‘) “Iq ‘dde’yT stoy -19][821G euuy -URUTYNeYy [[ossny “MOM APT “ISI 07 39] wosy Surpeay Sale Iisyy pue eipuy ur S3IIBUOISSIT INO 186 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 15, 1893. She was graduated from college in 1917 and was engaged in teaching. In June, 1918, she was married to Bro. E. E. Miller. Bro. and Sister Miller received their appointment to go to India in 1918 but on account of the war they were unable to sail until 1921, arriving in India in May of 1921. The parents of Bro. and Sister Miller are both living. They have one child, Thelma Marie, born in India. 35. JOHN HERBERT WARYE was born in West Liberty, Ohio, October 19, 1890. He graduated from college in 1917 and for some years was engaged in teaching school and in the Near East Relief. He was married in 1921 to Sister Nellie Yoder. 36. NELLIE YODER WARYE was born in West Liberty, Ohio, May 16, 1895. She was graduated from high school and took several terms of college work and taught school four years. In 1921 she was married to Bro. J. H. Warve and with him was appointed to go to India. They arrived in India in 1921. Bro. .and Sister Warye had well begun their first term of service when on account of Sister Warye’s delicate health they were obliged to return to America in 1924. They have one child, Herbert Benjamin, born in India. The parents of both Bro. and Sister Warye are living. 37, DR. GEORGE D:. TROYER “was: born “in =Kokomowsindia February 26, 1890. He was married in 1914 to Sister Kathryn Summer. He completed his medical training and served two years as an interne when he, having accepted a call to go to India as a medical missionary with his wife, sailed for India. 38. KATHRYN SUMMER TROYER was born in Peru, Indiana, September 30, 1893, and was married to Bro. G. D. Troyer, July 12, 1914. Bro. and Sister Troyer were appointed to go to India as medical missionaries and arrived on the field December 21, 1923. They have three children, Byron Nortell, Dana Orion, and Mary Annabelle, all born in America. The following is taken from the India Mission News for February, 1925: “Tn all there have been thirty-eight missionaries in the India Mission of which twenty-two are on the field to-day. Of the sixteen who have left the work, four were removed by death; one went home to educate her children and eleven were compelled to leave on :account of health reasons. Of those who had to go home for reasons of hea!th all except two went BUILDING ON THE ROCK 187 during their first term of service. From among those whose health failed none were single missionaries. “The shortest term of service of any missionary was sixteen months, while the longest term is twenty-three years. This makes the average: length of service of all India missionaries nine years. Eight of the personnel, however, served less than two years while eighteen of the missionaries have already completed fifteen and one-half years each. “Practically all of the missionaries have had some special training in preparation for their work. Twelve completed their college work, four took medical degrees and four finished their courses in nurse’s training. “Out of the twenty-five years there were seven years which brought us no new recruits.” Darjeeling—a view of the everlasting snows «Korba /} f (Disci pl esof¥C hrist Mission) @ Bilaspur I (Gen. Conf. Men. Mission) ie Champa om t eae cane ta ae eee * Jagda) @.---" (Method tet M ise) on) B pop, YN is Scale: 1 inch.= 16 miles Our Mission Field bounded by —---—--- —) as related to fields of neighboring missions. Dotted lines Cichaaetees ) indicate motorable - roads. jer: CHAP GER XV. DATES AND DATA FOUNDING OF THE MISSION 1899 Opening of Stations Name First Occupants Sundarganj J. A. Ressler and W. B. & Alice Page Rudri* M. C. & Sarah Lapp Balodgahan M.-C. & Sarahelkapp Sankra P. A. & Helena Friesen Medical Station C.D. & Mina: Esch Ghatula G. J. & Esther Lapp and Fannie Hershey Mahodi J. N. & Elsie Kaufman Shantipur (Leper Asylum) Ca Do .cerMinaaiisch *Sold to Government in 1911. Opening of Charitable Institutions Institution Place Boys’ Orphanage Sundarganj Girls’ Orphanage Sundarganj Girls’ Orphanage moved to Rudri Girls’ Orphanage moved to Balodgahan Leper Asylum Dhamtari Leper Asylum moved to Shantipur Widows’ Home . Balodgahan English School Hostel Sundarganj Old Men’s Home Sundarganj Widows’ Home Sankra School Kitchen Sankra School Kitchen Sundarganj School Kitchen Balodgahan Opening of Evangelistic Outstations Name Missionary Bhatgaon GJ... Lapp Bijnapuri M. C. Lehman Giriaband* P.. A. Friesen Maradeo JoN ee Kautiman Mahodi GaN anes ibaa Chikli Me Geelong Gopalpuri Ars Geo runk Bagtarai J, N. Kaufman Gatasilli G, J. Lapp Seodi Gea lapp Nawagaon P. A. Friesen Tengna P. A. Friesen Kaspur Gj aLapp *Work closed in 1913 due to owner refusing land. Mogragahan Home Mission opened in Potiadi Home Mission land purchased in Year 1899 1902 1906 1911 1914 1916 1922 1924 Year 1899 1899 1902 1912 1900 1924 1912 1918 1919 1920 1922 1923 1923 Year 1908 1909 1909 1912 1914 1914 1914 1914 1914 1915 1918 1919 1923 1917 1924 190 BUILDINGYON FHE ROCK School Boys’ Primary Opening of Schools Place Sundarganj Boys’ Primary recognized as Middle School in Girls’ Primary Girls’ Primary moved to Rudri Girls’ Primary moved to Sundarganj Balodgahan Girls’ Primarv recognized as Middle School English School Sundarganj English School recognized as High School Primary* Village Primary** Village Primaryy Village Primary Village Primary moved to Village Primary Village Primary Girls’ Primary77{ Village Primary Village Primary Village Primary Village Primary Village Primary Bible Training School Carpentry School *Closed in 1906. **Closed in 1912. +Closed in 1910. Dhamtari (Chamar Section) Shankarda Arjuni Rudri Maradeo Bhatgaon Balodgahan Sundarganj Gopalpuri Bagtarai Ghatula Sankra Kaspur Rudri Sundarganj ++Closed in 1915 and reopened in 1923. Name Jacob Burkhard M. C. Lehman (oe) Esch Sukhlal Elisha* Kuwarman Parsadi Mukut P. A. Friesen Sadhram Peter Haidar ASG. Brunk Budhbal Carp misch *Office taken away in 1918. Annual Conferences and Normals First Held Bible Conference Christian Workers’ Normal Church Conference Sunday School Conference School Teachers’ Normal Ordinations Office Minister Minister Minister Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon Bishop Deacon Deacon Deacon Minister Deacon Bishop Sundarganj Sundarganj Balodgahan Sundarganj Sundarganj Apion Feb. 5, Apt: Nov. 20, Nov. 22, July 24, Jansece March, Mar. 9, Year 1906 1903 1900 1902 1912 1906 1901 1912 1902 1903 1908 1903 1912 1908 1906 1910 1913 1915 1916 1921 1923 1903 1910: Year 1901 1911 1911 1913 1913 1913 1913 1916 1916 1916 1916 1921 1972 1923 1924 1906 1911 1912 1915 1922 BUILDING ON -fTHE ROCK 191 Missionaries | Year of | |Returned|Invalided| Name Arrival | Furlough| Home | Home |Deceased BE ROY JSS Eg SO a ae POOF fom IOS on me LONG: agen ie ros Ie CGN oy TE pn ig boo) WRN PW EROS! UE hee. Latte L900 Mae ee See PUICCRI Ave ue a, ee eis ste earn T3002) eee fe EL QOOR ee Mewes ne WES MES UTICA ARR one cies a onto TOO eae Wests cons cil ere eta 1906 ey PAST HAG ae A hc ti Sean e wicts ee 1900 1907—08 | Eo) Ce eee a en oe eee GAO Me ae ek See Urey coe cee | 1901 TOUS —=OO Hae citraig eul ne Ge tee | ee eB adele LOL LO eee Ne a de 1923 SEE PTADY a Ley 08 weeds teen oe ae gg ar ak (O01 111 90708 ee eee ral cae eRe li ee py tee Jak. PLOT/. LON es dee Wier ols. Reelek oe Pee OT WCLICII erie yivocks a Uxln ce Bee LOS tt acre, 1904 | in eee | Bhar Betiiaaretweiler sy Saree. or soe TOO Zura or: ee Resear Srl TO04 45 Rae ethoe Mata we ceslete hee fev Wolets cre ce eS 1003 aaa ne IC ait ws 1O0SEe eens PSV CUETIC Ce Ac Sota scitd tees oe a ee 1905 1910—11| 1918 : nae Sees | Geerrck es LUT Nei RONG PLE Sorc A A eet ee 1905 UOT = 12 ee ae h ete me ce ote PLOIS=220 |r ero ee Set ete eee ARE SUSE TC BT: a igo ee 1905 9141 74 vo Oe Nate, che aa hoe ere es cele feo BETTS 0s Ee Mare iin sear POOS Rg 1912--913)| a. noaeeet iene ee icteric ee ees ora oats 17-21 a eaer Pt PCE CTERI SAND matic ee ert hie ace vt ects « | 1905 1912-13.) pa epee 1917 Perm ee ONIN AT ON eae wees Coir oe sacs TO0G me Ot S— ihe cee | PPE Sita “| Peed See y= Toray rasa EO2 324.1 Ere Lett Oo nah een eid eID AT) earn goo she cure chee recta 1906 OMG Sirk, oe tata | tab teele alike eee oes Arty tye EO ZS etZ Aa slr recs tecatee [eae co ond Bil Een ates IEP TICSCT Wott choc lns «eve fees 1907 ea ed bos ani WE anette. de 6 Oe 1922 2S n* Snook Loko v cok aia Bielenamerriccetige: (ot cater tes eee eek LOO 7 aALO PAE 1S Vee oa oe] eure ees 1921 PON AM ACCEL steer sh rrr ues ten sn, LOGS AAO LO——2 TiN ae conve Att eeee ee eo Mote atos AG = brink GI3t. mee Lea ORR Pee bra prone Whe Shah degt ct > Ss REV AB yey hed cu aa oh) een ia aa LOO Sah OFA THE wg Peay | er te geteeee em ieee ae Married to J. N. Kaufman 1909 | Dee ete te pec eeoh arte er pane ra nnd Belkcge i 2 MLR CUME es ies oe OS oak ee es 1910 OL POL bears et b Asante ea het a ANT ged a Ie Oe a eae eee eg 1910 LOU AR —2 1h wh, its, oe cen ey ete tees PLUS ee LIT art. sh are td we We ite «ees 10 12 LO LOFT er ee cer. tle ae tems bee octets ea ee C1 CLSNe Vat ot ti, Wes Sielas nels cos oe 1913 NOD LS A ead BE. | in net yr Lee wore ge ea eielmt Or) Gap Delo, © ee ae Renae ete pistes edad feet oral [helene oe tne “LL GESTS I a a pe iby nie rele 191 5iea eee 1919 ee ireaence 2 breton OTE. TT FSP Gk TS as Pine ato ee ee LOLS er ee 1910 Pa renee ein hare ges Micrencem Cooprider... biases cs veh Fes 1916 £9 22-23 Wm scare erarencts Meenas. etaeticta se Married to P. A. Friesen 1922 | eee ty ae ie cll aaa aeaies Petre co We cela eee, Ome MALIN CKCT). 02.5 6%. ciclo lew skees oats « LOZ ORE rc ss sicclucaic ee Mee ee ene tees whe Pea KOT Oy aSelatciaie. eto c aac o8olert OZ Ly ae WR ee cots (Nate che see | Pea tastes Ree fe nk) a MEE EO wos LAs wel SiS ese cles sad NFPA des ae Sadek, Pa eee a eae Gy © 82 at ee EPR el Ree RAS VETO eT 8S. At ce les ce cad cae PREVA YORE a cree Pina en AM eh ee 7 Ee Cae VES), SAND Se a ne TOD Re cece Geet Genes otara erate ca lee, ubetere Pep HCL © eee sik ee FN BR as HR LO? Tap ameter Aimer Clas. be ome, sion Seite tba BOE VOR 80 ucts etch s wines bale sO 1927 ee here ee O23? [ee aoe chee Scetd gee Ber C oat ae) rece e le ciate aie ee LOZ a Stent seen nes ie eae LOZ 3 ea eee ee i OR SD ore Ae aren ea LOZ SUP IS eee et ee ON Ph ORI Cn eh ROU IM LTOVErD nt ke as Wve bas eens Pate O23 Alc e ere cinder Wok ene ee ne ee oy 192 Name Ruth Ressler Esther Burkhard Samuel Burkhard Anna Burkhard Russel Kaufman Paul Kaufman Kathryn Ruth Kaufman Lois Lapp Pauline Lapp Missionaries’ Children Place of Birth Igatpuri, India Calcutta. India Dhaimtari, CeP., “india Nagpur, India Naini Tal, India Dhaintarite Gal base ina Naini Tal, India Igatpuri, India Buasoure, Gare eindia (Died at Balodgahan, Dec. 20, 1913) Harriet. Lapp Irene Lehman Carolyn Lehman Waldo Lehman Peter Friesen Mary Friesen Calcutta india Bilaspur. Oat eal fidia Ihamitare 1G er ei ndia Dhamtari> Gaebanindia MtPelake 3Minites) Uses. Mteiake,SMinn 2U. 3: (Died at Sankra, Nov. 15, 1911) Ida Friesen Rosa _ Friesen Igatpuri, India Dhamtarig Geel. wl ndia (Miedwat. ankra, | Aug: od LOO) Willie Friesen John Friesen Edward Friesen Paul Arthur Friesen Grace Elizabeth Friesen David Esch Sarah Esch Mary Ellen Esch Nellie May Esch Barbara Alice Esch Helen Rowena Esch Ruth Shank John Shank Darjeeling, India Sankro peels Lidia Spankra, sabe el naia BUILDING ONDE E* ROCK ne Bethel ey Kansas aU 50. Dhtamtari-(Gasl.india Igatpuri, India DhamtarreyG@ee al adia Dhamtari*a, Geb. el ndia Newton, Kansas, U. S. Dhamtariatowst winaia ham tities War eee lLodia Dhanitarti acon india Jagdalpur, 4s.) india (Died in Calcutta, July 26, 1917) Ernest Edward Smucker Arthur Allan Smucker Thelma Marie Miller Herbert Benjamin Warye Byron Nortell Troyer Dana Orion Troyer Mary Annabelle Troyer Dedication of Churches Leper Asylum Balodgahan Sundarganj Sankra Leper Asylum Sankra New Goshensalndss UsiSsc As Dhamtan Cra nadia Dhamtari ates &. einidia Pachmarhi, India Cicero, whl loge, PAY ehicagvOmliiaetrboeeA. Giiicagorsiie Ueto Ac 1905 Famine 1912 Cholera 1914. Small Pox 1913 Bubonic Plague 1917. Cholera 1924 Plague Famine Influenza Famine Cholera ia Date of Birth June 5, 1906 Jan, sol aIO0Z Dec. 16, 1903 Sept. 1, 1906 Apt. *2oe0 1910 Oct 350915 May 22, 1922 O€Ets 32052 1907, Nov. 13, 1909 Marto la g1e 15 Jan: 23; 41910 Novi 24, 1912 Oct 3) F916 Augeezoe 1902 Mayo 5a905 Sept. 8, 1908 Nov. 16, 1910 May 8, 1913 Novis3s0)71915 Oct. 10, 1919 Sept. 10, 1923 Nov. 28, 1924 MaveZivalyit Nov. 8.8912 Nov. 24, 1915 Aug. 28, 1918 Mar. Sy slont Sept: 28, 1923 Feb. 25, 1916 May 30, 1917 June 3, 1919 Nov. ‘27, 1923 July a5; 924 Sept. 22, 1923 July 8, 1918 July 12, 1920 Dec. 14,. 1921 Famines and Epidemics 1900 1900 1902 1907 1907 1917 1918 1918 1920—21 1921 CHAE SE RY 2GV'L A FORWARD LOOK Having noted in the preceding chapters conditions as they exist in the Mission Field, the work our Mission has, by God’s grace, been able to accomplish, the influence of Christianity upon the non-Christians of our Field, and a description of our Mission work as carried on from day to day, it will be a matter of interest and a source of great inspiration to take a look into the future :and see what our India Mission may reasonably be expected to accomplish. Future events can not be definitely predicted but some idea of what can be expected to take place may be had by an investigation of the past and present and noting the tendencies which have characterized our mission work and the general direction in which we have been travelling. But for such an investigation the brief span of twenty-five years is too short to give us the real direction so we will find it profitable to make a brief review of mission work in general. It is a known fact that Christianity is increasing in India very rapidly—that the rate of increase is becoming higher every decade. The millions in India are becoming accustomed to A Forward Look 194 BUILDING ON: THE ROCK the work and influence of Christianity. Hindus in all sections are acknowledging the superior force of Christianity. The lower castes are being won to Christ and these by careful teaching and training are superseding the Brahmins, filling positions of influence which have been held without challenge by the Brahmins for centuries. It is needless to discuss the great effect this has on Hinduism. The low caste people, just referred to, are coming to Christ literally by the hundreds of thousands. Not only are the low caste people turning to Christ. People, who are ina position to know, :affirm that there is a very widespread movement among educated people to worship Christ. There are thousands of these people who worship Christ in secret and the confident prediction is that, in the not distant future, these same people will simultaneously express them- selves openly and publicly confess Christ. What a wonderful day that will be for the Christian Church in India! The very thought thrills one’s heart! The leader of a group :antagonistic to Christianity—-a Hindu—has publicly stated, “The brightest star in the diadem of Christ is India and He shall have it.’ “Mahatma” Gandhi, that indefatigable religious A Typical Jungle Village BUILDING ON THE ROCK 195 Two Hopefuls confined to the missionary force at work in India but came also from the rapidly increasing native forces who are assuming positions of lead- ership. This native force with more mature experience has been able to compel a greater respect on the part of the non-Christians. Let us now trace these tenden- cies in our own Mission. A _ grad- ual, healthy, if slow, growth and de- velopment can be traced in our India Mission since its beginning. The Church is becoming older, more ma- and political leader of India, reads the Christian Bible every day though he himself is a Hindu. These state- ments are given to indicate the tre- mendous influence exerted by Chris- tianity upon the people and suggest to us an encouraging phase of devel- opment. This progress has been It has been gradual. It has come because of hard, persistent, Christian effort for many years. Be- regular. sides, it is general and is spreading out into fields hitherto untouched. This hard, persistent effort was not They Need Your Support 196 BUILDING ONI\THEO ROCK ture and more experienced. The Church already numbers many Christians whose parents have been Christians in our own Mission before them. Besides these, there are nearly eight hundred children—orphanage boys and girls and children of our Christian people—who are potential members of: the .MWennonitre Church and this num- ber is’ increasing ~ as our actual membership increases. A most en- couraging beginning has already been made among the village peo- ple, a considerable number having been baptized among them. Many of our Christian people have Hindu rel- atives who are con- stantly coming in con- tact with the Christian people and many have already been won for Christ. We are watch- ing with keen interest movements among cer- tain castes toward Christianity and while we do Snot sexpectars “mass movement” as is experienced in some parts of India where as many as forty thou- sand people are bap- tized every year; yet Street Scene in Dhamtari we believe that when an open break has been made on the part of these castes towards Chris- tianity in our own Mission Field it will have the most far-reaching results. Another matter that bodes well for the future is the increased feeling of individual responsibility on the part of our Indian church leaders. Not only do they realize that their non-Christian fellow countrymen are unsaved BUILDING ON THE ROCK 197 outside of Christ but they believe it is their duty, even more than the duty of the foreign missionary, to give them the true Gospel. Then, too, since the inconsistent lives of the weaker members of the Church reflect on the whole Church they feel the responsibility of more carefully and effectively disciplining the Church in accordance with the standards of the whole Gospel. In taking a forward look we are not overlooking the fact that only a comparatively small portion of our own Mission Field has as yet been influenced by the Gospel. A study of the map of our Mission Field will help the reader to understand this. The Bendra-Nawagarh State in the The Court, Dhamtari. Three educated and influential Indians northeastern part of our Field has no resident missionary or Indian workers. The whole of Kanker State is without any workers. In the southwestern part of our Field is a native state without any Christian workers. Even our present stations are undermanned and hundreds of villages within easy reach of our stations hear the Gospel only occasionally from our Indian Christian workers while it is an unusual thing for most of the missionaries 198 BUILDING ON THE ROCK to get time to go into these villages to preach the Good News. Obviously, in order to take full advantage of the many opportunities that come to us continually we must have an adequate force of workers both missionary and native. This may be possible through faith and prayer :and comes as a challenge to both the Mission and the Church at home. We are facing the future with great hopes. This does not keep us blind to the grave problems confronting us. Satan has been trying to make inroads and has too often been successful. While we are happy to state that modern tendencies towards liberalism in the Christian belief are absent both in our missionary as well as in our Indian Christian ranks we are aware that there are those among other churches in India who discredit the orthodox view of Christian faith and doctrine and the issue may have to be met by the India Mennonite Church. We believe that when the time comes the Mennonite Church in India will be able to meet the issue for she has been instructed these twenty-five years in the “all things” of God’s Word as believed and practiced by the Mennonite Church. With a communicant membership of over eleven hundred Christians and a Christian community of nearly two thousand, and with seven organized congregations, at the end of the first quarter of a century of Mission work, with God’s help and blessing, what may we not expect in the next twenty-five years? We appeal to the Church at home to continue stead- fastly in prayer for the work that God has so marvelously begun in India. The Lake, Naini-Tal ee aaa Ajda vabad \ INDIA’S CALL Jers J. A. RESSLER $4 ee Nee 4 zi ee et a =e = ass 3 SS eae ene Cass eer aa Zz— Y 1. In your homes of comfort by your fireside bright, Do you think of the poor and dis-tressed ? 2. Don’t you know that heathen are as dear to God, As the souls of the friends you hold near ? 3. From the plains of In-dia comes a mes sage sad, “ We are perlshing, hope-less and lost; 4, “But ’'m old and helpless and I can- not go,” Then let oth-ers you love take your place; 5. Won’t you come then, brethren, and prepare to fight ‘Neath His banner with Truth’s mighty sword? idee oa ee Hebe Sere, Pei fe nl kins 2 ao ae ee = ae Y Those whom sin has banished from the Gos-pel light, And in bondage and darkness oppressed? And you've heard Him calling, ’twas the voice of God, Having ears, will you not let them hear? Will the call not wakeus in our homes so glad, To en-gage in the toil of the cross? From a_ call so pleading andcommand to go, Will you still, can youstill turn your face? Come and join our numbers,see the foe in sight, Won’t you join as we sing thus the word? #. 9. i Be eS ae et ot dors 2) 0. 2° ‘eC )\s ean oH +88 — -8 pp ps —g 5 1 8 — pp 0 9 0 — a a e 1-2. Will you leave your kindred and your homes so dear,Will you count all the world only —_ loss? 3-4, We will leave our kindred and our homes so dear, We will count all the world on-ly __ loss, 5. We haveleft our kindred and our homes so dear, We have counted the world on-ly _ loss, ss or a a See Air ea. Cees he ee =a ae, ries ‘ S| SAG Fines Ee ae ee eee ee eas N eee ee See ee reece ev cee Tae iE efor Nt eee eee o_o e Se SS See ts miper a rat) ns] For the love of Je- sus to those millions drear, Willyou car-ry the word of the cross? For the love of Je-sus to those millions drear We will car-ry the word of the cross. For the love of Je-sus to those millions drear We are bearing the word of the cross. fede ot Ses Pe ea ee 2 9 @ 2 + = ee ee ee ee ee SS oA A el RS LP GP SMS As MLE PG ET EMIS Fae Sin cae oY a ene G2 ipa (sel ne “ly eae nN beat ve BW7530 .D5B9 Building on the Rock... rinceton Theological Seminary— i 1 1012 00018 7676 ren eR CRUD ee ee te ee PPT Pee