Letter of the Month “ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Psa. 34:3). There is much I would like to tell, but I doubt if it will all fit into the space available. March started out blue Mon day. One day, looking around the un seemly living quarters, I thought, “Peo ple in the States would not live in a place like this. It’s difficult to get decent food; they wouldn’t put their dishes into an old sink all crawling with mold; they won’t live up there without a re frigerator, and much less in the tropics —I don’t even have an icebox, or a bath room, or a comfortable chair to sit on.” My only accessories were mangy dogs, snakes in the patio, ants, spiders, bee tles and lizards in the house. Oh, how shameful is our carnality, and how of fensive it must be to our precious Lord! But He is faithful to forgive when we return to Him in humbleness . . . Just the week following, in the Wednes day night prayer meeting, one of the believers testified that the Scriptures had taught him to begin tithing—the first of the group to take this step. A few minutes later another believer gave praise to Jesus that peace had been made between him and another believer, thus ending a business quarrel that was several years old. In the same meeting two adults and one child made public profession, for the first time, of the faith they had in their hearts. The little boy was so eager he kept edging off his seat, not being able to wait for the others to sit down. God couldn’t have reproved me in a more effective way, and I found myself thinking, “How many Christians in the States would have given anything they have . . . to have had the privilege 1 have of being in this humble service and witnessing such wondrous events.” And now . . . two more believers have followed in the tithing step. But spiritual rejoicing was mingled with many tears two Sundays later when the three-year-old baby girl of the first believer was placed in a small white wooden box. Diphtheria had struck, and here there are no medicines for diphtheria. The little body was dressed and laid on the table in the liv ing room. As the news spread, neigh bors gathered in to express their sym pathy, and those of us who could spent the night with the bereaved family. You see there are no undertakers or funeral parlors here, so the corpse is kept ap proximately twenty-four hours in the home . . . We were kept awake by fre quent servings of black coffee. Off and on hymns were sung, and prayers ut tered. In the morning the mother went out into the yard to wash the little one’s clothes for the last time, while, almost underfoot the men made the little box. I thought, “How could I bear to listen to the hammers and saws, and the men discussing the construction when each movement is to put together the coffin for my baby." But there life is in the
tion for him as he will visit places in the great Northwest and Canada. Mary Lopp-Fields ’38, because of health con ditions has resigned from her work with the Kentucky Mountain Mission, Inc. Hubert and Rachel Mitchell, five years in India, are in the homeland directing the foreign program of the YFC. Their six children are a great attraction to congregations to whom they ministe«, and how they can sing! Hubert plays his accordion with greater finesse than ever. Mercy Pietsch expresses deep ap preciation for the sympathy and pray ers offered during the eighteen-year period she has been a constant sufferer from polio. From her sick-bed she has done a magnificent work for the Lord in teaching Bible classes and doing per sonal work among the hospital patients. She is a sister of Grace Pietsch-Tobel- mann, missionary to Alaska, who is still detained in the Los Angeles area because of the poor health of her hus band, George. Burton Hatch ’52, speaker at the recent class day exercises, is the new pastor of the Brethren Church at Seal Beach, Calif. Dennis Holliday ’43, of the Waynesboro, Pa., . church, re cently baptized eight persons, seven of whom were received into membership. Beverly Page ’52, of Long Beach, is among the group engaged in a summer missionary journey to Cuba. With the Lord Eugene E. Macy, B.Th. ’48, beloved husband of Ruth Wilder-Macy ’47, of Holtville, California, met instant death in an automobile accident, May 23. On an errand of mercy at the time, re sponding to a call from the hospital, his automobile collided with a truck. Eugene was pastor of the First Baptist Church, and doing a fine job there. Ruth and little Sharon Ruth are moving to the home of her parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Elmer Wilder, (26), 7700 S.E. 30th Ave., Portland, Ore. Biola friends, of whom there are many, extend deep sym pathy to the entire family in the hour of their sorrow. Eugene has not lived in vain; he and little Stephen, who went to sleep on earth to awaken in Heaven are safe, and waiting there for the loved ones who “ sorrow not as those who have no hope.” Ethel S. Low is best known for her Sunday school lessons for primary teachers in The Sunday School Times, for the past twenty years, and for note worthy contributions of stories for jun iors appearing in The King’s Business, and other religious publications. Mrs. Low had also written several books de signed for the bringing of the little ones, and the unsaved to Christ. She passed into the presence of the Lord, Saturday, May 31. Services were con ducted by Roy Kraft ’38, from Grace Baptist Church, Modesto, Calif. Dr. Low will make his home with their daugh ter, Martha, now Mrs. James Hardie, 201 Loma Vista, Modesto. To the mem bers of the family, Biola family and faculty offer condolences.
l w ? FAMILY CIRCLE
rough and one becomes stunned and al most insensitive. The father went off with some other men to dig the grave — what must his agony have been with each shovelful! But there seemed to flow a strong and even current which could have been from “ Underneath . . . the everlasting arms.” The student who is serving as our temporary pastor was called from a neighboring pueblo . . . and then she was carried to the ceme tery by four young girls . . . As she was carried out of the house the mother went to the kitchen, calm and serene because she had surrendered her child and said “ Thy will be done," so the Lord imparted to her His peace. Later . . . the father found the same comfort in complete surrender to the Saviour. Several months ago my Catholic neigh bor-lady’s baby died, and I went over to express my sympathy. The screams will be a long time fading out of my mem ory. The leaves and flower-stems that were left when the boquets were made were swept under the table as it is “ bad” to discard them. The unbelievers think that when a child dies it is trans ported to Heaven as an angel, so, in stead of having a funeral, some players come and they have dance music. Some wear false faces, and some have clown- acts. This is to celebrate the fact that the child is happy as an angel. At times the men get drunk so as to ease the strain of the all-night vigil, and they have been known to start fights, and even upset the table with the dead body on it! But people of all nations and tongues are enlightened and freed when the light of the glorious Good News shines in. March 26th saw the wedding of yours truly to Charles Chacon. This will doubtless come as a surprise to some of you. We know we have a great privilege to work together in the Master’s service and we covet your prayers. This is my new address. Mrs. Jane Chacon (nee Buskins ’48) Aptdo. 31, Turrialba, Costa Rica, Central America BIOLA Flashes Dr. Leo C. Lapp for the past several years dean of Rockmont College will be missed from his place on the faculty. A speaking tour is in process of forma
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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