Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-01-05
The PRESENT OUTLOOK OF
FOREIGN MISSIONS.

fUhEl6N miNNlUNN.
Written by Mrs. r. l.. Gibbs and pub.
lished by request OF the Woman's For
eign Missionary Society of White Stone
M. f. Church, South.
To those of us who enjoy the
civilization of our own enlightened
land, to whom the promises and
mercies of our Father are source of
hope even IN our deepest sorrows, il
seems almost incredltable to believe
that even at this day there are those
who sit in the region of the shadow
of death, without hope of this life,
and of that blessed hope of life
beyond the grave.
The missionary idea is still a new
idea. The thought of regenerating
society, and the movement in that
direction has been dou btful and slow,
and yet to the thoughtful student of
Gods Word, the command of our
blessed Lord is imperative: "Go,
teach all nations" and it is upon
the bodies of those apostles, who
heroically faced the martyrs death,
bearing the gospel into the high
places and the dark places of the
world, that the missionary move
ment has risen and prospered.
A hundred years ago there were
but few missionary societies in ali
Professionalism; today there are many.
in China and Japan, in Mexico and
India, and even in the dark continent,
Jealous and godly men and women
are working for Christ, and at this
time the baptism of converts are
numbered by thousands.
Statistics show that in Africa
alone there are over FIVE hundred
missionary stations, numbering more
than four hundred thousand converts,
Increasing on an average of twenty
five thousand annually. In few
years there will be rapid transporta-
tion by land or by water from the
Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, from
Capetown to Cairo. This means an
advance of civilization; and we know
that civilization is found only in
those lands where God is known, and
the cross of Christ is uplifted. The
day is not far distant when the
screaming of the locomotive whistle
and the rumbling of traffic shall
reverberate through the primeval
forest of darkest heathendom and
awake the natives from their savage
lethargy.
In China, with her millions of souls,
the outlook is bright. The work of
this field is encouraging, especially
when we learn Of the work of the
native converts, and that in some
instances (rare as yeti native mothers
are leaving the feet of their little
girls unbound and the young men
are marrying the women of their
own choice. About the beginning
of this century the country was
closed to all missionary influence.
Today every one of its eighteen
provinces has been entered. The
prospect for university at Peking
and the great desire for universal
enlightenment is now the oppor-
tunity for missionary zeal and enter
prise. Not alone in China are they
stretching out their hands for the
bread of life, but in distant India;
and from Mexico and from the
islands of the sea, comes the appeal.
In Cuba and Porto Rico we have no
longer strong opposition to the
spread of the gospel. The expedi-
ency of establishing schools and
churches on these islands has been
recognized and our missionaries have
already entered the field. The fact
that barriers have been removed. and
iu many instances doors once closed
to the advance of civilization opened,
is a harbinger of progress in the
spreaS of Christian work, and even
today is being fulfilled the prophecy,
"The people which sat in darkness
saw great light to them which sat in
the region of the shadow of death,
light is sprung up" Past experience
shows that there is sure reward
for missionary effort. The native
converts themselves are laboring to
save the souls of fellow countrymen
and thus the work is passed from
SOU! to soul and the good work
increased many fold. As when a
pebble dropped into the mighty ocean,
sends the ripping waves onward and
onward, ever broadening until it is
lost in infinity, just 80 the teaching
and work of even one missionary
extends, and we cannot estimate the
extent Of the influence of single
)aborer.