East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-24
Introducing Religion in
the Islands,

American missions in the Philip
pine islands are not often housed In
buildings that bear much resemblance ,
to the churches in America, for they
are in most cases built by natives,
and in the smaller towns and viii
lages especially native ideas in house
construction prevail.
This is simple and the materials
used are light in weight, dwelling
houses, for instance, being in many
cases so built that by the assistance of
a number of able bodied friends a
householder may move his dwelling
from one site to another, This NOV
ing of dwellings is not infrequent, and |
Sunday is usually the day chosen for
the purpose.
A crowd of about so will get under
the light affair, will lift it bodily and
go singing down the street. 1t looks
like a centipede, pressed square with
, back upraised. You can only see the
feet of some, all are giving directions
and advice, and such laughter and
chatter you never heard.
The method of constructing a
church building recently built for a
Presbyterian mission at Luciano. in
the region bordering on Laguna de
Bay on the Island of Luzon, is that
' followed in very many cases. The
building is 30x60 feet in size and is
in all details a native product The
{ outside boards" of the church are
made by splitting into shreds piece
t of bamboo and then spreading 1t out
flat. These pieces are then woven in
IL a sort of checkered pattern and form
II a substantial wall that will last for
u some years.
In place of the plaster, to which
l. Americans are accustomed for in
+ terror finish. the inside is covered
III with ''sanali" a sort of bamboo mat
" ting. and this being whitewashed pre-
De sents a neat and tasty appearance
The floor is made of a fine, hard ma
III tive wood, and the covering OF tht
lie roof is of "ougong," name Tor
m long native grass much used for roof
e. ing. This building is used for mis-
IL sion which was established about
es wear ago and which has already near
10 ly 200 native members.
RI The district in Luzon in which Lu
Nv ciana is situated, is one most recehtl
o. opened to missionary effort III IN
tie philippines 1t is about as large a
en- the state of Massachusetts and ma
re hundreds of towns and villages. In
people of the district are evidentl
tie more fond of sermons than are thos
I'd of many sections of this country IL
IT. the Rev. ]. E. Shook, who Is IN chart
'th of the work in the district Tor III
ef. PRESBYTERIAN board of foreign NH
ess sions. tells of having held a serVi'
as In the chapel described above ana
id. asking the people at its close TO con
ing to the chanel the next morning i'm o
On der that a photograph might be take
tu- but the former were not SATISFIED VII
,an the simple click of the camera ana
)od sisted on the occasion being roundt
hat ont with songs and a sermon. IN
til was somewhat embarrassing
ers ouest for the missionary, for he WI
say lust learning to preach in the Gag
is loo language and had but one Sc
mon which he felt he could satisia
uc- torily preach in it. That sermon
de- wanted to use the next week. ID
, a there was no help for 1t and the sc
of mon had to be given then ana ,he'
re- Later in the day the Rev. Sno'
de- spoke to an audience of a thousal
ity, or more in the public square at Lu
II ban. which is a city of 10000 situa
the ed 5000 feet above the sea level
the one of the highest points in the arc
ipelago. In telling the story ne 90
I a not state whether or not he used
but same sermon. but the inference
'wn that he did.