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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
April 1926
Dr. Frank A. Keller Superintendent
! Our Bible Institute in Hunan Province, China
The Hunan Bible In.tltnte (the China Department of the Blble inetltute of l^ s AngeleO the home Institute,— training native Chinese young men and women for Christian worn, ana active evangelistic work among the unsaved. , . h._ t chlnal ha8 three departments: The work (which is recognized by the different evangelical missions as one of the best in China) g ... -*■ - « —• s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . . . . . . — > . . < have resulted from the work done among the thousands of pilgrims. S L m iw 'o n
tion. On the whole they seem to be a quiet, peace-loving people. Though the expression, of course, of the individual faces is extremely varied and many sad sights meet our eyes. We see few with a happy, cheerful expression. We are speaking of the non-Christians. They have not that Joy and hope which we have in Christ. The heart goes out especially to the women— their lot is exceedingly hard and unlovely. What a difference when we step inside the B. I. Com pound! There are about one hundred and twenty-five bright Christian men and women. Their faces, keen and happy, are such a contrast to those of the non-Christians. The buildings are well built and equipped. Here instead of dirt we find cleanliness, and instead of a hopeless outlook we find the joy of hope in Christ. The day after we arrived the students gave us a reception welcoming us into their midst. On walking into the room one could not but feel the earnest, spiritual atmosphere which was so constantly felt at B. I. Though only a word here and there was understood yet the spirit of the meeting and the fellowship with these radiant young Christians could not but be a blessing. It does one’s heart good to hear the whole-hearted singing and testimonies. To the Christian friends who read these few lines let us say this work and these students are worthy of your prayers. The education of Christian young men and women for the Lord’s service is one of the very best and most logical methods of bringing the.Gospel of Christ to this needy people. Many *of our own graduates are organized into evangel istic bands with the express purpose of reaching those who have never heard. Every home is visited and the Gospel given in one form or another before the men leave the district in which they are working. An interesting phase of the work has opened up in the city among the military. A newly converted officer asked for meetings to be held for his soldiers. Dean Hsiao recently gave a brief account of the gratifying results already evident in this work, telling of the interest shown by the men, their attentive attitude, and. keenness in learn ing the hymns. The contrast is so great in this \and between those who have a hopeless religion and those who can say “ Christ in us the hope of glory," that it cannot be realized by mere reading or hearsay. Christianity changes the entire course of their lives and outlook on life. “ Shall we whose souls are lighted With wisdom from on high— Shall we to men benighted, The lamp of life deny?"
HE following interesting account of her Introduc tion to the Hunan Bible Institute and Its work, is sent by Mrs. Hugh H. Foucar, formerly Miss Elizabeth Neely, a graduate of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, class of 1925; On December 9th we bid farewell to Los Angeles and on the following Saturday set sail for China and the Hunan Bible Institute, there to Join the B. I. family across the sea. The voyage was a very rough one, especially after .leaving Honolulu where we found ourselves In the midst of a hur ricane. However, the Lord in His goodness piloted us safely over the rough waters to our desired haven, Shanghai. The first, duty of the newcomer is to get his various per sonal effects through the customs, which seems to be a com bination bargain counter and country fair. After accomp lishing this task we walked over to the China Inland Mission Home. A striking contrast was this quiet place to the noise and dirt of the street outside. We were indeed grateful for the rest and Christian fellowship that it offered in the midst of the surrounding strangeness. We spent a few days here and again started on our Jour ney to Changsha. We travelled by boat from Shanghai to Hankow, but due to the shallowness of the river beyond it was necessary to finish the Journey overland. While the train was not standing still, which it did a large part of the time, we enjoyed the bumps and jolts as we were rushed over the landscape at the speed of about ten miles an hour! At 3 p. m. on January 15th, after nearly six weeks of travel, we arrived at our final destination, Changsha. Our welcome was truly a warm one. Instead of feeling a stranger in a strange land, we felt as though we had returned home. All of the B. I. family met us at the train and escorted us to the Hunan Bible Institute Compound. A few days after arrival a reception was given welcoming us to Changsha, at which we had the pleasure of meeting a number of the foreign community. A person may have others tell of China, he may read of it, but he must see it to realize the great need of this land. Perhaps it would be possible to give some idea of it and a few first impressions of our mission. The one thought which occurs to the mind of a newcomer constantly is the extreme contrast between Christianity and Heathenism. As we pass down the street, dirt and poverty are apparent on all sides. A clean street is the exception.. The streets are narrow and winding and the majority of shops and homes are small and dirty. That which most appeals to the Christian’s heart is the people themselves, perhaps because the missionary has come purposely to bring light to those who have not heard the message of salva
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