Baptismal Scene
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Examining A Candidate for Baptism
and in the providence of God, were able to reach America safely. For six years these Christians were without a foreign missionary, but the native workers car ried on. Today eight of the original churches are still functioning and giv ing as never before. Three of the smaller churches broke because of lack of work ers and unfaithfulness. Once the people here were poor, but now, according to Dyak standards, they are prosperous and neighboring tribes come from far and near to buy, barter, or trade something for the rice of the Christians which the heathen often lack. I have written about self-support and to this realm under God we have at tained, but now comes the bigger step of building the Church into a self-gov erning organization. The foundation is laid, now comes the structure. It is here we must walk softly for we have not traveled this road before. We dare not lean on our own understanding; mis takes are usually the result when we do. The native workers seem very happy. They now receive a certain amount of cash per month, plus all the rice that they, their wives and children, can eat. Besides this, the Dyak church members bring eggs, vegetables, chickens, fruit, etc., to them. There is always money in the treasury, and we use any surplus for expenses in reaching new tribes. God always honors His Word and obedient hearts. His Word was our only pattern, our specifications; this Word accepted by warm-hearted, trusting Dyaks made the recording of this narrative possible. Pray for the Church of Christ in Borneo. P. S. by author, April, 1952: Two of the thirteen churches are now in the territory of other societies labor ing in West Borneo, so we still have eleven. Besides this, there are eight self- supporting grammar schools for many hundreds now know how to read and write. There is a fine Bible School with sixty-five students, being taught by Mr. and Mrs. Schisler, Miss Kemp and Miss Marsh. Pray for all these and for the more than 1,000 Dyak Christians. Yes, pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He may send more laborers into His harvest. *Mr. Mouw, who attended the Bible In stitute for a time, has labored in Borneo with his devoted wife for nearly twenty years under the C. & M. A. Mission. Page Seventeen
Would it? I almost flew through the shake rcof and up to the clouds. My two “ doubting Thomases” gave me side glances and I scarcely dared to look at them. These people’s hearts were still warm; they had only a few months be fore learned for the first time of a God who loves, who gave His Son. They were still in their first love, a love pure, trust ing, believing. We journeyed from longhouse to long- house where there were Christians. Our message was the same, and praise God, so was the response. We returned home and in a few weeks the “new moon” ar rived, and so did some Dyaks. One morn ing we awakened to find them on our front porch; some had traveled two days. Some dozen chickens were tied to the railings; there was a high pile of cucumbers, many eggs in a basket and two or three rattan carrying-bags full of rice. With a slight wave of the hand, pointing to all which was on the floor, the three men simply stated, “Ini tuhan Allah punja (This is God’s portion. We trust it will be all right; we’ll be start ing back today).” I could hardly see my way around on the porch—cucum- ers, eggs, chickens, rice, fruit, vege tables, precious food to these Dyak Christians. Each month it was so: our front porch groaned under the weight of squash, cucumbers, potato roots, rice and chickens. Our hearts rejoiced, but trouble came as well. The Dutch administrator called me to his ofiice, seventy-eight miles away. He was angry and said, “ I understand you are taxing the Dyaks ten per cent. This is unlawful: only one can tax and that is the government. I command you to cease teaching this at once.” I re spectfully replied:: “ It is true we teach the people to tithe and give ten per cent of their produce, but it is not compulsory. It is given freely and of their own voli tion. It is not for me, but is for the sup port of their own Christian work.” Tak ing my New Testament from my shirt pocket, I held it up and said, “ I have never mixed in politics nor do I intend to. I came here to teach God’s Word. In this Word, as you very well know, tithing is taught. I would not tell you how to run the government; please do not tell me how to teach the Word of God.” Soon I found myself on the gravel path walking toward my little one-cylin der motor boat. I never heard from the official again, nor did he make any trou- APRI L, 1 9 5 2
ble. Each month God’s “ portion” came. We sold the produce, chickens and eggs to Chinese merchants and bought nails with part of the proceeds. Then we started to erect churches, a story tob long to tell here. God looked on as they brought their gifts of thanksgiving and love. Ten long months, and then came har vest—and what a harvest! More rice than they had ever seen before; the jests had not bothered and they gath ered their precious, life-giving grain. One large church, Bethel, had been built. There were 1,315 members. On the outside by the side of the path was a big crate. People pulled a latch with one hand and shoved a chicken into the crate with the other. At the top of the steps was a large box, three and a half feet high, two feet wide and eighteen inches deep, with a small hole in the top. In this was poured their precious tenth of rice. Mothers would lift their children as they put their cupful into the bin as well. Close by stood the basket to re ceive the eggs and a little farther on was the empty five-pound butter can with a slit in the top for the few coins someone might have. Such is offering time in a Dyak church in West Borneo. Not long after this the people began to come to church in nice clothes. It happened almost overnight. The enter prising Chinese businessmen took advan tage of the “miracle” harvest and began telling the Dyaks, “ It isn’t good to go to church without clothes, nor to visit Tuan dan Njonja, clad as you are. You must wear clothes.” This advice worked, not only because of the Chinese, but because the Dyaks had secretly been ashamed of their near-nakedness. Soft bark is too hot in this tropical climate if worn above the waist; besides, it scratches and irritates and will not stand frequent washings. Now the Christians had extra rice, legal tender in the jungle, and it was traded for clothing. We had always hesitated to tell these people to wear clothing, first, because they were too poor to buy; secondly, we did not want them to think that a change of garb made Christians of them. We were glad to see them in their new attire, but happier because they did not try to imitate our mode of dress, but adhered to the native attire. Today, thirteen years after this story began, the war has come and gone. We fled in 1942 after the Japanese came
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