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THE KING’S BUSINESS
been permitted to minister in the changing scenes of this life. A very blessed experience was that of holding the first service, and organizing a Bible Class, with the Marshall Island men whom we mentioned in our last report, this being Chapter 2 of the story which was begun when we first met them in Los Angeles Harbpr in 1915. All sixteen men were present, each with his Bible, and hav ing been provided by the captain with the best room on the vessel. God gave great liberty in speaking and everywhere eager hearts listened to the old, old story now being told to these sixteen children of the South Sea islands. The 3rd of John was read responsively, the men reading from their Bibles in their own language. John 3:16 was chosen as the text and made as plain as possible. God moved the heart! of five men, who professed to accept Christ, so that, together with the head man and two others who already, were Christians, T HE past month we have done a great deal of work in the Bakersfield Oil Fields, and ip the vicinity of Lost Hills. After about eight months in these fields We are of the opinion that there is no work so much needed as house-to-house visita tion and personal work on the leases. Oil men and their families are not people who have, the “go-to-church” habit. It is at times impossible to get them out. This being so, the only way to do is to carry the Gospel to them. We have found all through the fields an intense effort-being put forth by the Chris tian Science cult, and it is sad to run across1 people at one time Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians, who have been led away with this error of the wicked. Every true man
half of the class are now Christians. We meet every Friday night, and not a man misses the class. The cook stops peel ing potatoes, the others washing dishes, or other work, and splendid interest is shown in the lessons. Being given John 3 :16 to memorize, all of them learned the verse by heart during the week. To hear those men sing the Gospel hymns in their own language is a great inspiration. God is working. Will you not pray that all may come to know Him, and to know more of His Word? Many passengers on vessels outward bound from San Francisco are causing us to pray 'that we may find the best way to reach them. Many hundred Chinese and Japanese are being supplied with the Scrip tures and tracts. Often one steps up and thanks us kindly for helping his country men to carry the Scriptures with them as they return to the Orient. of God should make it his business to preach a message from 2 PetAr 3:17, for the exhortation is needed today as never before. God has allowed the writer to reach five or six who had departed from the faith and become ensnared with the belief that they Would find something in Christian Science which they did not find in. the church of Christ. We have some fine Bible classes at Lost Hills and Reward, and a goodly interest is being aroused in the truth. These are the' results of personal work from house to house and on the leases. A minister said to the writer the other day: “I cannot reach the people; they will not come out to church, but you people have the right idea; carry the Gospel to them.”
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WORK IN THE OIL FIELDS
By Frank J. Shelley
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