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is for the friends at home to say whether we shall be able to send this party to him or not. Surely the answer cannot be NO ! Another missionary writes: “There have been baptized about a dozen persons during the past year whose conversions can be traced directly to the work of your col porteurs. We now have seven places where your men have gathered believers.” An evangelist connected with one of the leading missions in Hunan writes: “Of fourteen men recently baptized here, nine were the direct result of the colportage Work.” Last summer when the evangelist in charge of the Tungshan district heard that the colportage work might have to stop, went up on a mountain, threw himself on the ground and with sobs and tears cried to God that the work might continue, and that a party might be sent into his district. God heard and answered his prayers and a remarkable work followed., One man, a Mr. Lo, who was very angry and abusive when the colporteurs first called at his house, afterwords exclaimed: “Why, if these things you tell me are true, I want to know more about the Gospel.” He was given a New Testament, began to attend evangelistic services, and became one of the most joyous and enthusiastic Christians I have ever met. The 1916 Hunan Autumn Bible School was felt to be the best ever held. After his return from this conference the Rev. Li Yoh-han wrote: “My, heart was filled with unspeakable joy as I saw the work being done there. . . . I have worked in
several provinces, but nowhere have I seen such conditions and such earnestness as at Nan Yoh.” During the 1916 session personal conver sations were held with about 40,000 pil grims; 39,600 books of Scripture portions and 20,000 Gospel tracts were given them to carry back to their homes. Mr. Liu, a priest, was in a home in Liling, performing the idolatrous ceremonies con nected with his priestly office, when he saw an attractive looking book on the idol’s shrine. He was told that it had been ob tained at Nan Yoh. He asked to be per mitted to take it home, which was granted. It was our “Synopsis of the Gospel.” The book was read, and without any human help, Mr. Liu was led to give up his priest hood and accept Jesus Christ as His Sav iour. He is 64 years of age, but however stormy the weather, walks ten miles every Sunday into Liling to attend service. If the blessing was greater than usual at Nan Yoh last year, the opposition was also greater, priests being sent out to meet the pilgrims on their way home and urge them to destroy the books that had been given them. This device of Satan is a fresh call to prayer, and in this way our friends at home can have a very vital share in the work at Nan Yoh, as well as in the colport age work of the entire year. The 1917 session will be held September 13 to October 3. Please join us in earnest, believing prayer that the teachers may be men of God’s own choosing, and that His Holy Spirit may be with us in mighty power.
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