The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23

|
AFTER the vacation, the work of our
missions opens in the usual manner.
Bro. Gate and family are at this writing.
on board the Empress Of India" en-
route for America. With his departure
the problem of making three mission
aries do what four have been doing con-
fronts us. 1t is difficult to see how any
department OF our work can be dis
pensed with, and quite as difficult to see
how. with our reduced force, we can
continue all departments. With the two
evening schools calling for the services
OF The missionaries for all but two nights
in the week. and the theological classes
during the day, lectures on Friday
evenings, and sermons more or less fire.
quent on Sunday correspondence with.
and oversight of our outposts and nu-
merous other trifling matters demand
ing our attention, it will be seen that
the efficient services of such man as
Bro. Cate will be missed. IL to day in
/
aries sent us, to attend to work in cities
outside of Tokyo, it would give won
derful impetus to our work. 1t has
seemed to me that our church is fully
able to furnish the mission with such
force, and notwithstanding the rather
discouraging financial report from home,
we shall continue to pray that our
church will rise to it's duty.
We expect to have but four theologi.
cal students in our divinity school this
year. Our policy is to educate only
such as we are able to supply with
places. One good minister sent out to
new field each year is all that our
funds at present will warrant.
There is great rage for studying
English among the Japanese students.
As the time when the new treaties will
go into effect approaches, the people
feel that they must know English or
work at great disadvantage. Mission
aries are striving to utilize this condi-
ton of affairs, to make known the truths
OF Christianity. In both of our evening
schools we have Bible study. and a brief
religious service each night.
Many missionaries in Japan were led
to this field through the influence of the
Foreign Missionary Volunteer Move
ment. Formerly indeed. many came as
self supporting missionaries. They
found work here to support themselves,
and gave their extra time for Christian
service. Nest missionaries come out
with the intention of devoting their
whole lives to the work. The term of
years of service with most missions is
seven years. when the missionaries have
forlough of one year for rest at home.
Many of our sister churches cause
prayers to be said frequently in behalf
of their missions ard for their mission
aries. | often wonder il our ministers
and people at home bear our mission n
their hearts. and pray that workers may
b, raised up to carry cur gospel of Uni
versalism to dsrkened minds! Yes, al d
l know it would be grateful thong bit to
your missionaries if they knew that our
people and churches at home often
thought of them when they prayed.
THE effectual, fervent prayer of q
righteous man availeth much"
Oae OF the yourg men who seeks ad-
mission to the theological school this
year is new convert, and came from
our evening school. When he decid d
that he would enter the theologi al
school, he wrote his father, "a strict
Buddhist living in the country dis.
tricts) of his intention. His father i'm
mediately replied. "the day you become
Christian you cease to be my son."
As this young man is the eldest SOP, b Q
would before long. inherit his fath.I 8
property according to the custom in
japan. 1t seems to involve the complete
enlargement of his whole family, which
means here, even more than it does in
America. | therefore said to him,
well, Mr.. l., does this alter your de-
termination to become Christian min
ister?' He looked sad and seemed quite
moved. but in quiet way he replied
al have decided" 1t made me think of
the early Christians and l felt that there
are heroes in this day in Japan. What
this young man may prove to be, time
must tell, but we hope good things
from him.
Mrs. Leavitt though not of the reeu-
lar missionary force is teaching wo
evenings each week in our even ng