July 1932
T h e K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
321
MISSIONARY PAGE . . . B y J ohn A. H ubbard
A Life Multiplied Tenfold T h e following item , appearing in the Watchman-Examiner, is challenging enough to w arrant reprinting many times. “ The English Baptist Missionary So ciety is telling a story that sounds like a romance. Several years ago a candidate for missionary service presented himself, but was rejected because o f health condi tions. He thereupon went into business at home, with the sacred resolve that all the profits he might make should go to fill his place on the foreign field. Regularly, year after year, he has sent in his remit tance accordingly. Every year the amount has been larger, until the amount just re ceived reached £3,500, equal at normal rates o f exchange to more than $17,000 in our money. Thus it comes about that the man who, for physical reasons, could not go to the foreign field, and who therefore might well have considered himself ex empt from the missionary obligation, is paying the cost of supporting ten mission aries on the field ; that is, by his money, he is multiplying himself tenfold. This is surely such a going ‘into all the world’ as must gratify the Lord. Possibly there is a hint in the story for some one who may read it.” Work in the Islands of the Sea "IT n th e fall of 1920, James Wilson came JL to the Bible Institute from New Zea land. After taking three years’ work here, he returned home, and later went to the British Solomon Islands. A t present, he is working on the southwest coast of Makira Island, under the South Sea Evangelical Mission. He and his w ife are the first resi dent missionaries on that coast. The only work done there, up to the time o f their going, was limited to occasional visits o f the mission ship, “ Evangel.” Last fall, while on an itinerary among the villages and the “bush schools,” Mr. Wilson had a thrilling experience and a narrow escape from death, which we will let him descrcibe in his own words. “ The visitation was cut short by the earthquake of October 4. I had visited all the bush schools and was working along the coast to the end o f my district, hav ing just four more villages to visit. I had reached a village on the coast and was ready for meetings there on the Sunday. The village was about 250 yards back from the beach and on a level piece o f ground. Then, following a severe earthquake, a tidal wave came into the village and swept every house away. There were about twelve houses in the place, but after the sea had subsided, all one could see o f them was some heaps of leaves, sticks, and posts —the remains o f what would be taken for about three houses. “ I was in a house by myself when the quake came. Having just arisen, I was sitting on the side o f my bush-bed when the house began to rock. I took little no
tice of it at first, for we have tremors fairly frequently on San Christoval, but as the shaking continued and became more violent, I thought I had better get out o f the house, so I slipped on my rubber shoes. Before this, I had heard the roar of the sea, but thought it was only the swell, breaking on the beach as usual. As I went outside, I heard the roar much closer and
my coolie. Then I set out with a few peo ple to walk over three hills to Ananiwei, a distance o f about eight miles. Here I wait ed for the arrival o f the ‘Evangel.’ I was indeed glad to see the friends on the ship again, and it was a great comfort to have my sores properly dressed. “W e would ask you to pray that the W ord given on this trip may be greatly used to help the people. God has been speaking to them, not only through His Word, but also through sickness. There has been an epidemic of influenza in the villages, and already a number of old peo ple have died. Then the earthquake and the tidal wave have added to the troubles, and many o f the people are living in fear, not knowing what is going to befall them. The quakes have continued for six weeks, the tremors being not so violent, but we are kept in a state o f suspense, for we do not know what lies ahead. However, our hearts are kept in peace as we look up, and we are conscious o f our Father’s care. Pray that our people may be driven to God by these happenings in the Islands.” Gems from the Missionary Rally iving is a n empty thing without work. Work is the throb o f living. W ork may become the main thing, and living and testimony secondary. That is the subtlest temptation o f the missionary. —J. E. M allis . A confessing Christian is a propagating Christian. God gave everything, you give every thing; with the two everythings God can move the world. It is just as impossible to be a Christian and not a missionary as it is to be a mis sionary and not a Christian. —L. L. L egters . I f you sever missions from the Bible, it will bleed to death. Missions originated in the heart o f God. Jesus Christ was the first missionary. Extensity depends upon intensity. Would we go farther out in missionary expres sion, then we must go deeper down in spir itual experience. Objecting to authority, and following “ the truth as I see it,” is often unre generate pugnacity. There is often a passiveness o f willing ness to become a missionary instead of a will to do His will. W e need to put less stress upon the me chanics o f missions and pay more atten tion to the dynamics. Let us not be so keen to be up to date as to be back to date —back to Calvary. When a church has a fresh effusion, there always follows a fresh zeal for soul winning. A genuine spiritual revival in variably leads to renewed missionary ef fort. True missionary zeal can spring only from true, deep spiritual life. —R. H. G lover .
south sea islanders more loudly, so I ran for it, but was too late; the sea was just coming into the other end o f the village. I had only reached the fence when I was overtaken by the wave as it carried the houses before it. I was knocked down and carried on among scrub, young coconuts, and other trees, big logs, and houses. The water went over my head, and after being carried some distance, I was pinned down by posts and rubbish so that I could not move a limb. I could not extricate myself. I was swallowing salt water and could not exist long on that. Then, after some time (it seemed a long time!) the water suddenly receded, and all the stuff .which held me bound went back, and I was released and able to stand up, the water now reaching only to my waist. I managed to clamber out and up on a hill, and here I sat down, feeling very much shaken and bruised. “When all was quiet again, I managed to walk to a stream some distance away where I washed my sores as best I could. As there were no houses for miles around, I had to spend three days and three nights in this scrub, under a leaf shelter erected by All-Sufficient Leave God to order all thy ways, And hope in Him whate’er be tide; Thou’lt find Him in the evil days An all-sufficient strength and guide; Who trusts in God’s unchanging love Builds on a rock that naught can move. —G eorge N ewman .
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