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Show I l l We are grateful to the Tungchou station for the loan of Mrs. Arthur Smith, who gave about six W2eks in the fall to our evangelistic work. She tells of one woman who, while very ignorant, knows enough of the "Jesus doctrine" to believe in it with all her heart, and was determined to convert her neighbor. She said to Mrs. Smith, "Of course I knew all the time that what I was doing would make the devil angry, but 1 kept right on Well, hs was angry all right, for the very day my neighbour became a Christian, as I was getting dinner, I heard the kettle g o s z s z - c r a c k ! and found that the devil had broken it right in two!" The zeal and faith of some of these country people is very inspiring. One young woman became much burdened for her father, who was not a Christian, and she, with her mother, decided to set apart three days especially to pray for him. The father came into the house unexpectedly one of these days, discovered what they were doing, and was very angry, so the prayer-meeting was adjourned to the roof for the remainder of the three days There was no visible change in the man's heart at the close of this time, but the two women, like Jacob, would not let God go until He blessed them, and continued to pray earnestly every day. It was nearly a year before the answer came, but come it did, and to-day the father is an earnest, enthusiastic Christian. He recently took his daughter to the home of some of their relatives on a special visit, for he said, "I want them to hear the Gospel, too." An advanced class for man was held in Paotingfu for three CITY AND weeks following Christmas, attended by sbout sixteen COUNTRY leaders from the out stations. Early in February a Bible- BIBLE CLASSES study campaign for Christians and inquirers in the outstations was begun. The six weeks beginning at that time are generally considered by the Chinese a time for leisure, and by the missionaries as the choicest opportunity of the year for evangelistic work. Classes of from one to two weeks' time were held in different centers, and campaigning was carried on in other places. Excellent results were the rule. Two centers at which the church life has long been at low tide were revived. From one of these places, six young men were so interested that they followed the leaders on to the next class, about five miles away that they might get all the instruction possible. The largest attendance and liveliest interest were at a village in which the work has opened within the last three years as the result of the voluntary witness of a young man of a nearby village. The young man was in our schools some years ago, but did not get beyond the Academy grade Over forty men studied in that class, and there are nearly a hundred inquirers there now. Think of a hundred people turning at one time from all the supersititions and misconceptions and moral corruptions of the present Chinese social order and seeking for the light of Christian teachings ! What shall be our answer to their cry for help? With the funds at our disposal we can only send a helper for an occasional visit, and perhaps provide for a ten days' station class once a year. Station Bible classes for women, varying in length from one to three weeks have been held in thirteen different centers during the year. About a hundred and twenty women and girls studied our church books during these classes, while several hundred attended the daily gospel meetings. |