Edited by Oran H. Smith
face of the world’s fourth largest lake. He also explained that the boat, which would be 50 feet long by 15 feet wide, and named B iola would be operated by Don and Doris McKenzie, under appointment with the Africa Inland Mission. Ninety per cent of the students voted to support the Lake Victoria project, and the 10,000 mile voyage from Los Angeles which would re quire the speed of a dollar a mile, was begun. Funds were slow in coming but during the Christmas holidays, many gave sacrificially, and early discour agement turned to rejoicing. As of today, the B iola has travelled 6400 miles toward her des tination at the rate of nearly 50 dol lars per day. On a Monday morning, the student body unanimously voted to send $5,000 immediately to lay the keel and build the hull, fully confident that the remaining 3,600 miles can be covered if the same 50-dollars-per- day clip is maintained. '— B iola C himes IS IT DUPLICATION? (An inquiry concerning the newly ■ formed Christ for Indonesia Fellow ship.) Dear Brethren: One of the things that I fear is the multiplication of faith mis sion enterprises. M y question is brief and to the point. Why do you people not throw in with the China Inland Mission in their advance in the territory named and thus avoid duplication of printing, administra tion, mission homes, schools and other costs? Your doctrinal stand is the same •— your geographic area con tiguous — and your purpose cer tainly the same. Please believe me when I say that my purpose in writing is not ad verse criticism, but rather a sincere desire to discover the reasons for this new venture. . .. Dear Brother in Christ:, As a member of the CIM now on the reserve (not retired) list, may I point out that the Mission is not working in Java and has only gained an opening in Borneo during the last 6 months. As far as I know, it has not yet planned to enter Java where 45 million of Indonesia's 80 million
CANDIDATE TRAINING Although it is not new, the minis try of the Student Missionary Coun cil, with headquarters in Seattle, Washington, is coming more and more into view. According to Mr. Charles H. Peterson, general director, the fields of the Pacific Northwest are “ white unto harvest” , and offer an unusual opportunity for missionary trainees, especially during the sum mer vacation months. The Student Missionary Council has three major objectives: (1) to bring the gospel message into areas in the Pacific Northwest where little or no evangelical work is being car ried on. (2) To render to Bible stu dents invaluable experience needed to complete their training for the mission field. (3) To make exper ienced students available to other ac credited gospel efforts which signify a need for help. Six mission centers are maintained by the Council, each one being super vised by a young married couple. As the student missionaries arrive on the field, they are assigned to work in one of the areas and are guided and advised by the director in that àrea. Both before and during the training period, opportunity is given for gen eral conference of the workers, to re ceive preliminary instructions, and later to compare experiences and dis cuss various problems encountered. Interested candidates may address the Council for further details re garding the work at 1605 East 47th Street, Seattle 5, Washington. BIOLA MISSIONARY PROJECT With this year’s missionary project in view, B iola ’ s Student Missionary Union launched out into the sea of faith in a big way. The objective: $10,000 to purchase a floating mission station to be used on Lake Victoria, situated astride the boundary line dividing the Kenya Colony from the Tanganyika Terri tory in British West Africa. A field of nearly 40 project sug gestions from about 24 mission boards had been narrowed to four, of which the elected one was, by far, the most expensive. Bill Acton, Student Missionary Union president, explained how some had been praying for nearly seven years for just such a boat to help carry the gospel to the thousands of natives living on the 100-odd islands dotting the 26,200 square mile sur- A P R I L 1 9 S3
people live. Certainly, it has no work whatsoever on that island. From your knowledge and exper ience of the Lord’s dealings with men, I am sure you will recognize that He is not stereotyped in the vi sion He gives to those who are called to His service. When, therefore, He gave to a group of young people at B iola the vision ‘of a Bible college for the training of Christian workers in Java, it was the answer to the con stant, earnest prayers of each one of the group to the question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do in re lation to thy harvest?” It would have delighted me, personally, if they had entered the CIM but in March, 1951, when this Fellowship was first formed, the CIM was un able to plan for Indonesia because 75% of the workers were still held in China. Our doctrinal stand, and fi nancial policies are the same, for which we praise God, but He has a separate vision for each group al though we shall be doing similar work, evangelism, teaching illiterates to read and training Indonesian workers. Al though the C I M has very strong representation about the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, not one of the young people of the C.F.- I.F. experienced any leading towards that Mission, strangely enough. Rev. Nathan E. Walton, So. Pacific Coast Secretary for CIM actually was the one to whom they turned for guid ance in the problems of beginning this new work for God. — E. B. MISSIONARY CONFERENCE The twenty-fourth annual Mission ary Conference of the Church of the Open Door and Bible Institute of Los Afigeles will be held April 12-19. The theme for the conference will be “ Reap the Harvest — Now!” Sessions of the conference will be held morning, afternoon and evening throughout the week, and special em phasis will be given to the subject of “Missions Behind the Iron Cur tain.” Elaborate exhibits in the Fisher man and Lyceum Club rooms will add color to the occasion. It is ex pected that missionaries and laymen from far and near will join in mak ing this the greatest missionary rally in the history of the Church of the Open Door and of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. CONTINUED 25
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