The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-03-25
Letter From Asia.

The Albany Democrat publishes Il
letter received by Mr. and Mrs. Jas.
Marks from their son-in-law, Rev. C.
IT, Calender, now in Asia. The letter
reads as follows:
CHING MAI, LAOS, Dec. 20, 1896.
The annual meeting Of Mission and
Preshytery has just closed, having been
IN session two weeks. Tomorrow
most Of the missionaries from other
stations start home. We have been as.
signed to Lakawn for one year; at the
expiration 0! that time we may be as.
signed to the same station or to an
other. The mission meeting seems to
be like Methodist conf renee where
the place of each minister Is deter
mihed, with this difference Methodist
ministers are sent by the bishop, work
ers IN the mission are sent by the
whole body, after consulting the pref
erences, and reasons for such, of indi-
viduals.
The difficulties multiply and the
WORK becomes more complicated each
year IS forces increase both by mission
aries and ingathering of native con-
VERT, some Of whom are preaching the
gospel. The meeting Of mission is
conducted in English, but the Presby-
terry in the Lao tongue, There are six
stations that constitute the mission
Praa, Nan, Lakawn, Lampoon, (now
sub-station of Ching Mail Ching Mai,
and Ching Hal, which is a new station
to he opened soon In the whole mis-
sion are % missionaries, of whom are
at home on furlough, and 3 Others are
gong home soon. As rule returned
missionaries return to the foreign field
after one years stay at home. In this
number l.have not included the wives
OF missionaries, but ordained ministers,
physicians and lady teachers. In the
native ministry are ordained minis
teFs and 2 llcentiates, In Ching Mai
is theological training school for the
native ministry, in which there were
3Othis year. Ching Mai church has a
membership of over 700. During the
year just past about 230 were added to
the different churches, 10 in number,
The North Laos Presbytery has the
name of receiving a greater ratio into
the church than any other, whether in
foreign or home land
! must express surprise at the good
time missionaries here have. Tennis
is a common game for recreation and
exercise, as also is horseback
There is scarcely no end to horses:
they are much smaller, however, than
those at home. There are no wagons,
but for short hauling ox-carts are used.
For long travelling either horses or
elephants are used as pack animals,
and often nen carry goods of the mis-
| sionary
Houses of missionaries are large and
fine; as a rule think they are better
than houses of home missionaries. Gil
matte conditions necessitate large
rooms and plenty of them. Bath rooms
are attached to all the houses, the
sath being very important factor to
health. In short, the foreign mission
airy is provided with comforts of life
essential to the preserving of health
and progress of Gods work. From
the standpoint of temporal comfort ]
do not see that we have sacrificed any,
thing. Aside from the separation from
relatives it does not seem q sacrifice.
When one considers that hoRle mail
comes every two weeks (if there is any
by which if he takes papers, he may
be as well informed as those at home
this news is little behind time-and
when one thinks especially of the rich
blessings coming from preaching the
gospel and teaching and seeing scores
brought into the Kingdom besides
other temporal comforts which have
been mentioned, when one considers
these things 1t can scarcely be said
that the element of sef.sacrilice ought
to any considerable degree enter the
mind either of those going or those
who are left in the home field. ! think
the self.sacrificing part is on the side
of those remaining at home rather
than on that of the one going. We
are glad we Lave come, and believe
that Gods hand of love will guide us
further and cause us to be blessing in
the Lao land.