THE KING’S BUSINESS
823
The MMm P@@ple See the Light By LILLIAN E. MARKS KELLY -
T N AN interesting way, this writer, a Presbyterian missionary at Ka Chek, Island of Hainan, China, tells of the dream of Dang Zit Koang that came true: Today I want to pass on the glorious news we have of the Miau people—the wan derers of the forest—who burn off the virgin forest and cultivate a crop of rice, then pass on and burn off another forest, seeking better and richer soil for each succeeding rice crop. To go back to the beginning, the Miau chief, Dang Zit Koang, was badly mauled /by a bear some ten years ago and came to the Ka Chek hospital. He manifested no special interest in the doctrine and we lost sight of him until last year, when he came to us with the story of his dream. The dream was the cause of much uneasiness to him. Their houses aré very dark inside as the thatch extends almost to the ground and there is only a small aperture that serves as a doorway. He saw in a dream the interior of his dark house lighted with a great and shining light until the very beams of the roof, in reality smut-black, radiated light. He could not get away from that dream. He came to Ka Chek and bought a Bible, He went back home and still he was not comforted. He came again. He urged that a teacher be sent to them. Mr. Byers went with him to his home, winding through thick jungles in lit tle narrow dark paths beneath the dense growth. They knew the story of The Flood. The story of The Creation was new to them. They listened as those hun gering for the Word. That was several months ago. A regular worker was sent to them in January. Dang Zit Koang and all his family, then later, all his village, believed. For more than a week we have been hear ing from wood merchants who get wood out from the interior forests that thousands of Miaus were gathering to worship God.
A Christian who had gone in there to trade came out last week to take his wife in to teach the women. A number of days later the Miau chief and several other men followed begging that more teachers be sent in as they could not manage the crowds. With these men came one of our spirit-filled colporteurs, Lee Khong Kim who had penetrated to the Loi region from the South as far as the Miau domain, and what a story he brought! Before he arrived the Miaus saw this worker coming to them in a vision. Mr. Lee knew nothing of this great gathering of Miau people. When he reached there to his great amaze ment he found a large assembly who had gathered from the extreme South—Gnai Cin and the extreme East. And why had they come? To hear the great doctrine their chief had accepted. (They brought their own rice.) The women were shy and afraid at first, keeping well in the shadow of the shrubbery. Mr. Lee, who himself had a wonderful experience on his con version, in fact so wonderful that we feared his mind might be affected at the time, preached to the vast crowd of over one thousand simple, forest children. They sat in the blazing sunshine. When the midday heat became intense, Mr. Lee suggested that they disband for awhile but' they declared that they did not feel the sun. The meet ing continued though they did understand the Hainanese but imperfectly. Many of the shy obes laughed, danced-and clapped their hands in excessive joy. Others cried out and wept and were in great agony of soul over their sins—some were prostrated with grief—many saw visions and others dreamed dreams. That the movement is from God is clearly shown by their great conviction of sin. The women took off their crude, bone bracelets and their earrings and threw them away. Afterward one of the workers picked them up and put them in a pile asking the people to reclaim them.
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