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Show Mohammedan Mosaue at Lintsingchc Lintsingchow, China. Feb. 25,1909. Dear Friends, '.'•• •;. . "rx • m..-, •••• x hi! One summer;during college vacation, there was a Missionary Conference of the Gospel Union which some of us attended. Stirring appeals were made and a glowing picture drawn of the happiness of the man who goes out to the foreign field with all his earthly possessions done up in a red bandanna handkerchief, preaching the gospel to all whom he meets. There have been pioneer missionaries Who have been thus free from the "tyranny of t h i n g s " and who were not troubled with organizations or systems, and who did not stay long enough in any one place to learn what a "fetish" precedent may be. The work here in Lintsing has not been followed on the "red bandanna" line. The need has been felt from the first for schools and chapels and for organized W r k S It had already begun before the Boxer year, and since then with the growth of the church, the need seems even more pressing. Most of you have followed the advance this station has made since Boxer days, the work of Mr. Chapin during the first years, the appointment of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Ellis and Dr. Susan B. Tallmon two years ago, and this year that of Miss Mabel Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. V. P. Eastman, and Mr. J . H. McOann to help with the building. (Mr. and Mrs. Eastman are in Tientsin this winter and Mrs. McCann and the children are at T'ang Chwang because of the lack of house room here.) New helpers have been added to the native force. Boys' and Girls' boarding schools have been started. The churchmembership has increased sixfold. The dispensary has been reopened, and Bible colporters are at work in the field again. This year indeed marks a new stage in the life of the station, the culminating of the hopes and efforts of other years, and yet but the opening stage to what we hope and believe will be the larger and more fruitful efforts for Him whom We love and serve. Part of our plans for rebuilding have been accomplished. Instead of adding to the old property adjoining land that was held high because the foreigner had to have it, we purchased about a half mile further north property nearly large enough to include our whole plant and all this for the appropriation that was made to purchase pieces adjacent to our old property. In effecting this purchase we are under an unspeakable debt of gratitude to Mr. Yun of Techow, a Christian Banker and man of business, whose old home is here in Lintsing. He came at'our invitation, giving over two'weeks of his time and effort, the value of which to a Chinese business man at this New Year season, we have no means of estimating. T o n s no doubt, it was the saving of hundreds of dollars. No one that we know could have accomplished the deal as he did, partly through his own ability and partly through the aid of friends of influence and experience in the community.. Having acquired the land, the next step is to erect the necessary buildings in which to carry on our wdbe'r This year we are planning for two foreign residences and a domestic chapel for the use of our schools and dispensary. The latter building we propose to erect so that it will be available not only for the Sabbath services, but every day as well, for prayermeetings, for station classes, for lectures, for readingroom - if the need for such should open up as in other cities. A dispensary is also in this year's plan if possible. Chinese houses on the property just bought can be used as teachers' residences and temporarily for schools, and even for hospital purposes. Beyond these there are our future needs, the work which will have to go over to another year. We will need buildings for boys' and for girls' boarding schools, hospital building for Dr. Tallmon's work, a men's hospital to supplement her'work. We will need a house for the ladies, and, when the other doctor comes, a house for him. With such a plant we could hope to accomplish more of the work that is waiting to be done in this great field. > A Dispensary Patient. She is only one of a large number of patients and no more needy t h a n many. They brought her in a basket, paid for her ticket,' and waited patiently for her turn to be treated. Mrs. Chow, the Bible woman, could awaken no interest when she tried.to explain a simple Bible verse. The woman was too ill to listen. Her husband said that her trouble had begun three months before with a slight injury to her foot and that, in spite of many kinds of treatment, the foot had grown worse instead of better, until the patient had become too ill to sit alone. When we unwrapped her foot, the odor that filled the room was foul indeed. The toes were found to be gangrenous and the skin from a large part of t h e sole was gone, the result of tight binding, a slight accident, and uncleanliness. They were told that, not only must the dressing be done daily, but that the patient must have medicine and must be given nourishing food. |