Evening star., 1911-08-26
:Cbristian Gn1eahor:
Dour
Conducted by
GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL LUTZ.


Topic: MISSIONARY JOURNEY AROUND
THE WORLD. VIII. MISSIONS IN TER
STA AND tt REEN. Acts. 4:l3-31
TIT is said by those who have been OBJ
II serving the recent trend of political
~ affairs in Turkey that the reform
ers of the Young Turks party are al
most to a man former students OF Rob-
, ert College, that splendid institution that
owes it's existence to the untiring efforts
of the American missionary Cyrus Ham
lin.
the revolution on missionary work under
the sultan's rule. One missionary writes:
Whatever may be the ultimate result
of the change. the practical outcome al
the present time is that men believe
there is liberty and they are acting upon
this belief. Now man Is not afraid to
ask for Gospel, and is not ashamed to
be seen carrying it away. One man said
thing to read: my heart is crying out
for something He became an earnest
seeker after truth. There are others who
have not come under our influence at all
who are asking for books and are be-
coming inqurers. Another important
change is that now Christians are not
afraid of discussing the merits of their
religion with the Moslems
Another missionary tells of a native
teacher who had been reported to the
governor of a district for visiting several
vlleges and speaking to the Mohamme-
dan people about Christ But the gov
ernor would not forbid him to preach. re-
plying to his enemies that Mohammedans
We're at liberty to listen to what he said
if they chose.
The removal of the censorship of the
press and the free circulation of newspa-
pers is also a great advantage. There is
also an increasing demand for education
and wider freedom for the children at
tending the mission schools.
| In view Of the fact that Christians are
probably to be drafted into the army
and to be placed along with Moslems
with Moslem officers over them, many
Christian young men are emigrating to
America
One authority says:
THE most powerful rival of Christ in
the world is Mohammed, and the strong
est force opposing the kingdom of God
is Islam. If the world is to be won for
Jesus Christ Islam must be banished.'
Persia is a good stronghold to be taken
in this fight against Islam. Historically
and geographically it is closely related to
the other great Mohammedan centers.
All political and religious movements in
Persia have great influence on Turkey.
1t is also highway for pilgrims on their
way from other countries to the Sheah
shrines at Kerbea. Kosmain and Nejif.
1t is said that Persia Is the weakest
point of the main lines of the Moham
medan army, and that most Persians are
not orthodox Moslems. Many of them
have become members of the new hereti-
cal Sheah sect, and while this does not
less helps them and others to break
away from the old Moslem faith. and
gives the Christian missionaries chance.
The movement Of progress and liberty
is even more pronounced in Persia than
In Turkey, thus giving missionary labor
wider liberty and a better opportunity.
Persia is divided between the Church
Missionary Society in the south and the
Presbyterian Church in the north, and
the Presbyterfans have thus become re-
sponsible for about 100000 Moslems in
Persia. To reach these there are but two
American missions, and it has been esti-
mated that If all the missionaries there,
many of whom are wives or single
women, were counted. each missionary
would be responsible for carrying the
gospel to about $4,000 souls. If the whole
were divided among the clerical mis-
sionaries each would have a parish of
over 100000. 1t is needless to say that
the missionary force in that locality could
bear large increase If we would see
the kingdom of Christ come soon IN
Persia.
The graduates of Urumiah College are
being scattered over the countries round
about. One is pastor in Tiflis in Cau-
casian Russia; another is an evangelist
and preacher in Kermanshah, some are
in Kurdistan or preaching In the plains
and villages near the Tigris and in the
districts of Salinas and Sulduz. good
ly number Of the scholars in the boys
schools are Moslems. At the Teheran
School. out of an enrolment of 236. 13o
are Moslems. missionary writes of one
father who brought his little black-eyed
boy in a long coat and high hat to the
missionary, and said He is yours.
give you his skin and his flesh and re-
tain his bones for myself. He also
speaks of boy who brought his sister,
saying: "She wants to become a Chris
tian. and is coming to you for teaching
from the gospel" These schools have
now constant. inquiries from Moham-
! medan parents to the placing of their
children with them for education
Though as yet there have not been large
numbers of converts, the field is an en-
coura ging one. for there have been few
genuine conversions and the foundation
of truth is being laid that shall show
great results in the future. The people
who have become Christians are wonder
full living examples to the others.
Another deeply encouraging feature OF
the work in Persia is the fact that
parents are now beginning to appreciate
the work done for their children and to
support it financially. At the Iran
Bethel School for Girls. which opened
about thirty-five years ago with twelve
Armenian girls in attendance, the board,
lodging. clothing, tuition and books were
furnished free. This lasted for twenty
two years. when gradually parents De,
came grateful enough to pay a little. ana
now the whole cost of carrying on the
school last year was but about $1,ooo out
side of missionaries salaries and repairs
on property. Where the pocketbook is
touched one is sure the work is taking a
deep hold of the people. 1t is said that
the last graduating class from this school
would have done credit to any high
school in America
In the city of Urumiah there is school
for Moslem boys which is doing a grand
work. There are fifty now in regular at
tendance, and at the graduation exercises
every graduate is presented with a copy
of the Bible One of the three teachers,
HISTORIAN, Is a graduate of Brown Uni
versity. 1t means a great deal toward
the permanent breaking of the tradition
that Christian food Is an abomination
boys to eat food cooked by a Christian
and eaten in Christian company. In
Tabriz school there are five Moslem boys
as boarders. and one of them is the gov
ernor's son.
In one Moslem girls school each girl
has a Bible lesson in her own (the Tur-
kish) language. One class of girls was
so excited with the joy of finishing the
New Testament, when they were each to
receive whole Bible, that they could
scarcely read the closing verses Of Reve-
lation. At the closing EXERCISES of this
school, where most of the recitations were
from the Bible, In Turkish, Persian and
English and where the sewing of the
girls was exhibited. one mother was
heard to say: I'VE don't know any
thing, but just see what our daughters
are learning
istence of Fiske Seminary, the famous
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