Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1910-03-10
Letter from Rev. T. L. Blaleck,
Dear Brethren and Friends in Wa.
tauga County.

Dear Brethren and Friends in Wa.
tauga County.
Some days ago | arrived here
and found the outlook among
the people hopeful, perhaps more
80 than ever before in the histo.
ry of our work. But there is one
thing that stands much in t h e
way OF our progress here and
will always hinder us in our ef
forts at self-support among the
native christians. That liz the
large expenditure of money on
the part OF other missions. Their
policy is to build schools, open
hospitals, build churches etc. for
the natives which we are trying
to teach them to do for them
selves. Besides. they hire preach
ers and send them out W h i c h
make our christians think we
should educate out OF our mon.
ey and send them out to prea
for us. This, of course, makes
difficult to lead the npopIe wi
became christians to depend u
on God and their own rescue
instead of money from missio
societies abroad.
Notwithstanding this, if tt
missionaries will stand firm a
ony these liues and instruct Il
natives as to their duty in SUI
porting themselves and the
own christian work they will i
time do SO. What is neede
throughout the world is that ii
Gospel lie allowed to stand upo
its own merit. Then II is h a
God can make bare His arm an
show His mighty power tn saw
The Gospel is no less the pow'
oil God unto salvation now tia
it was when Paul went up an
down the regions Of ASIA Mino
Greece and Rome preaching, bl
it must be depended upon al
believed in now as then.
Just now the Chinese are som
what disturbed over the report
about other nations dividing NJ
China. But there il no iounda
tion for The reports. They hav'
been started by a few so-callet
patriotic Chinese newspapers v
course such false reports ar
more harmful to China than an,
one else.
There are many changes 60
ing on all overthe country, som
for good aud perhaps some 70
worse. There is a spirit OF seek
ing western learning as never i,e
fore, and some of them get
smattering of it and conclud
they have it all and are equal t.
almost any situation. Many @
those who are in schools and col
lpees have access to the strong
est infidel and athpistic books
and while they let loose of thei
old religions they become NOR
children OF the evil one. Not Ion!
since | met one OF these men witt
was able to talk intelligently il
English. / approached him 0l
the subject OF christianity. H
had never read the Bible, bu
seemed to possess agreat know|
edge of Tom Payne, Voltair ant
Hume along lines of Opposition
to christianity. H. said to NE
"Come to US with yonr ednca
tion, medicine, hospitals etc bn
We want none Of your Christ.
He argued with me. for a on,
time that there is no God a n,
that when he dipd his life wen
out as the light of a candle whe
blown out. Despite his bitter op
position l left him enough c
the gospel tn save him and trieC
to kindly give him a warning @
the danger ahead. The devil
. swift with his message Of death
swhter sometimes, alas! t h q
are we with the message Of lift
The fact that the people are rea
ching out for Western kpowledg
y nlaces a urpat resnnnsilnlity III