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Show MR. GRENFELL AND SAMUEL (GILBERTESE SECRETARY) Engaged in translating Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" in study of Ocean Island Mission House "There are three centers of work in these islands, the two American Board stations being on Ocean Island and Abaian, while the third is at Beru, under the London Missionary Society. For several years a training school has been conducted on Ocean Island in connection with the evangelistic work, which there assumes great importance, because of the natives brought together to work the phosphate mines. In the Sunday morning union services here an audience of from 450 to 600 is regularly present. Four years ago I was directed to establish a self-supporting school on Abaian, where Dr. Bingham began to work for the group in 1857. "During the first school year twenty of our most promising students left us because we required each to pay seventy-five cents toward school expenses and to provide his or her own food. The second year seventy boys and girls paid seventy-five dollars toward school expenses. And last year they provided their food and gave $100 to the same fund. "On our arrival at Abaian we found fifty-seven church members. Since then the number has steadily increased until June of the present year, when the Abaian membership was 230. That this growth was in spirit as well as in numbers is evidenced by the increase in the amount of the offering, which in June, 1913, amounted to thirty-four dollars, while in May, 1915, it totaled $400. This becomes more significant when it is remembered that the average daily wage is twenty-five cents. "By a plan of cooperation we now have students from the Northern Gilberts in the training school at Beru, under the London Missionary Society, and twenty-three graduates are at work as pastors and teachers in our field. The usefulness of our printing press, formerly at Ocean Island, has increased so that during the past two years millions of pages of tracts, text-books, and magazines have been printed and distributed. It is expected that in the near future this branch of our work will be self-supporting. "While the British government maintains a hospital in the group, it is inadequate to meet the pressing need. Skin diseases are very common, while dysentery, fevers, and tuberculosis are constantly taking their toll. Not having a doctor on our island, the |
