MISSIONS continued
Rural Evangelism
field, Calif., to southern Oregon, there is even today very little missionary endeavor. In ministering to the small un evangelized neglected areas we have found that many of the boys and girls of the community will respond to the gospel invitation. Often almost an entire audience will be composed of non-Christians. In “ Whiskey Town” recently in an audience of 13, 11 made decisions for Christ. The next evening 9 out of 10 responded to the Bible-preaching. In carrying on this ministry, the method of operation involves an at tractive chapel on wheels which seats 60 people. When a town, com munity or village is entered, the chapel is parked in a conspicuous place and announcements of forth coming meetings are made. There are innumerable towns with a popu lation of 50 to 1,000 where this method has been used effectively. In all our efforts we ought not to be guilty of neglecting this great mission field right here at our very dodr. At the present time at least 100 Christian couples could be worked into this type of service and still not adequately cover the field. *Roy Sprague is a student at the Bible Insti tute and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Adam Sprague who carry on this missionary work in the rural areas along the Pacific coast. the Word of God. Will the tempter draw him back to the folds of Islam? Will he find the taunts and jeers of his friends too much to bear? I can not tell, all I can do is pray and teach him from the Word; God’s Spirit and prayer will have to finish the work. It is now the month of Ramadan when the Mohammedans fast all day and feast all night. Not a drop of water is supposed to pass between their lips even in the fierce noon day heat. This young Christian has not kept the fast, boldly declaring his stand. God’s Spirit is working. Beloved, if we are to see the Cross triumph over the crescent, all of us will have to spend travailing hours in prayer. Will you, in order that many more young lives will be brought forth to His glory, pay the price of intercessory prayer? (Jer. 33:3.) Rev. F. D. Acord, Aden Arabia The Sudan Witness
in a few hundred miles of Los An geles in northern California and southern Oregon. Twelve years ago under the leader-
Roy Sprague* W hat do you do when you go to church?” asked a boy 13 years of age who had acquired an ade quate knowledge of sin—shows, dances, drunkenness, sex—but did not know what a church service was because he had never gone to one, or even seen one for that matter. “We always try to go to church at least once a month in the summer time.” These are the words of a young couple who are forced to travel at least 80 miles to the near est church over rough, dusty roads. This fact reveals that there was a church only within 80 miles and does not guarantee that the gospel of Jesus Christ was being preached even there. A railroad spike flew past the ear of .an ardent man of God. Why?— Because he had asked three 12-year- old boys if there was a Sunday school in that town. “ I haven’t been to church for 46 years,” said a man as he yielded to the Word of God. Only two people in an audience of 40 had at any time in their lives heard the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” This occurred at a lumber camp in northern California. These are but a few instances of mission ary endeavor being maintained with- T he sun was scorching hot over the lava rocks and the heat waves danced in shimmering rhythm over the sand in the distance. The humidity gathered from the Arabian Gulf was stifling, and the sweat rolled off of one’s body in streams. I dug a hole and dropped in a seed. The ground was hard, barren and ex tremely rocky. I put water in and covered it over. Would it grow? Could it grow in such a desolate place where the sun seems to scorch everything green that would try and push through the hard bar ren ground? I put water on it twice a day. That was all I could do. Na ture would have to take its course; I could only wait and see. Again I planted a seed. This time into a human heart. It, too, was hard, barren and extremely rocky. Covered over with the false teachings of Is lam. Would it grow? God had prom ised His Word would not return void. Could, it grow in such a desolate
A Chapel On Wheels ership of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Adam Sprague, a gospel counter-attack was launched against the centers and posts of Satan’s artillery. This was an attempt to overthrow some of the strongholds of the devil in the back yard of evangelized California. In 1941 a portion of California equal to the size of the states of Mas sachusetts and Connecticut com bined was steeped in the darkness of heathenism, modernism and emotion alism. In the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, stretching from Bakers place where the social culture of Is lam would seem to quench every ef fort for a soul to push through to find God? I watered it daily with prayers. God’s Spirit would have to do the rest. I could only wait and see. One day a small shoot of green started poking its head above the dry barren ground. It started to grow! It has started to take root! With tender loving care I break up the soil around it; I water it care fully and shelter it from the fierce rays of the Arabian sun. Will it con tinue to grow? Will its roots strike rocks and wither away? Will the fierce sun scorch it? I cannot tell. All I can do is take watchful care over it. Another day the seed of God’s Word germinated. The young lad bowed his knee and gave his heart to the Lord. Hallelujah! He has start ed to grow in this barren land of Is lam. With loving care I teach him I DropedASed
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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