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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
cates them as descendants of the Sang- hais who figured prominently in his tory. They originated in Egypt and gradually migrated to West Africa. They were the Egyptians who perse cuted the Israelites. What a strange judgment of God! The people who oppressed the Israelites as slaves were themselves sold into slavery, after several generations, from their homes in West Africa to the rich plantations of the French landlords in Haiti, there to be rescued at length from the slav ery of sin by American missionaries! TTAITI won her freedom from France by revolution. Atop a high moun tain near Cap Haitien in the North sits the gigantic castle, the Citadel, built by the first king in the North, Henri Cristofe. It is big enough to hold 10,000 soldiers. From its battle ments, I could see the bay into which Christopher Columbus sailed Decem ber 6, 1492. He came for gold and glory. The missionary seeks another
big baskets of fruits and vegetables, loads of sixty to seventy-five pounds. One girl of twelve was bearing twelve heavy, empty, new baskets. All were barefooted and looked tired. In an swer to my inquiry as to the place from which these women came, I learned that they had walked from the far interior, and that many of them had come over sixty miles. All of them, like thousands of others, were on their way to the daily mar ket at the capital. The men stay home and care for the crops. TjtOR their terrific trek of five days, round trip, they earn about ten cents a day. They eat one meal a day on the road and some fruit from their baskets. Where do they sleep in those high mountains at night? By the side of the trail, beloved, in the wind and the rain. From April to October there is rain for a few hours every night. No wonder, then, that many die of tuberculosis. Who is there to care for them? Jesus cares.
utes in South Haiti. It would have taken me all day, over the worst road in the country, if I had gone by car, for that road crosses a certain stream over one hundred times. On one oc casion I made a long trip to visit my old friend, Rev. John C. Depew of West Indies Mission. For simplicity of operation, spiritual methods and sac rificial service, I cannot recommend too highly this dear missionary, his wife and missionary comrades. “Start ing from scratch”, their mission has had over 30,000 converts and has built 160 self-supporting churches in seven years. I spent four days with them less than a year ago. Easter Sunday eve ning I preached in the Aux Cayes church. About thirty wanted to be saved, and that was not unusual. I met a student who had won 700 souls to Christ the preceding year, and the total for the entire mission was over
kind of treasure, human hearts that will live for ever as a tribute to the glory of Christ. A LL missionaries in Hai- ijvCgi ti t h a t a r e really preaching the true Gospel are being blessed with re markable r e s u l t s , and there is a very happy spir it of comity among the various missions. T h i s week I received a report from our good neighbors to the North, the Unevan gelized Fields Mission. I quote from their commun ication: “What have been the results? More than fifteen thousand s o u l s have professed the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ
The missionaries care. We believe you, too, care for their souls. II/ORLD E v a n g e l i s m ' f Service has purchased a large piece of land on that main road at an alti tude of 3,500 feet. On my last trip to Haiti, I had the joy of seeing the walls going up for the first Gos pel Shelter. We plan to build others in strategic places, so that ■every night in the year the women of the trail may have a dry place to sleep. We will serve hot coffee to them on their arrival. Coffee grows in Haiti and the sugar for it, too! Then, with the aid of Gospel
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Treasures of Haiti—Child evangelism material.
as Saviour. There are over two hun dred active local preachers being con sistently trained in Christian work by means of annual workers’ conferences. Of twenty young men Bible students, sixteen are in full time service for the summer. A concentrated Training School for Christian girls has been es tablished. Over sjxty thousand treat ments have been given in the dispen saries during the past year, and all of these patients have been given a Gos pel testimony. There are nearly two hundred congregations and stations where the Gospel is preached regular ly.” All of this has been accomplished through seventeen missionaries! TOCAL travel by air in Haiti is very convenient. For five dollars, I flew over many high mountains and reached my destination in six min
ten times that for twelve months. The secret of this inspiring harvest is the Bible School. For six months, the stu dents study the Word, and then for six months, they itinerate among their people. Many of the students have five or six churches each, and some of them stay out of Bible School an extra pe riod in order to shepherd the increas ing flocks. In the days of Whitefield, New England had a divine visitation which we call “The Great Awaken ing.” Something akin to that is hap pening in Haiti at the very moment you are reading this article. /"\N a mountain ridge two hours from the capital of Haiti, I stood with some of our World Evangelization mis sionaries to enjoy the view of distant peaks. We were nearly a mile above the blue ocean and Port-au-Prince seemed to lie at our feet. I noticed scores of women, and even girls in their ’teens, trudging along the steep mountain trail. They were carrying
pictures and happy singing, the mis sionaries will conduct a Gospel serv ice every night. This is one of the greatest evangelistic opportunities in which I have ever had the joy of taking part. Undoubtedly, since Hai tians are turning to Christ in such large numbers, there will be hun dreds of conversions in these Gos pel Shelters. The president of Haiti sent one of his intimate friends to commend us for this project. By day, the Shelters will be centers for child evangelism. In the afternoon, the women, returning from the capital, will be welcomed again and taught to read in order that they may read the Word of God. About 90 percent of the Haitians are illiterate. But the main emphasis of our work is upon getting souls saved. Pray with us to this end, that from Haiti a great com pany may be won for the glory of our Lord and Saviour.
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