Norwich bulletin., 1913-07-08
AT THE FARTHEsT
 FRONTIER OF CHRISTIANITY
Rev. c. H. strouse Relates Experiences
 In West African City of 8o,o0o People l

At the utmost bounds of the Christ ian world, beyond which the threaten ing power of the Mohammedans re- fused to permit any missionary to ven- ture, the only two white people in city of 80,000 blacks-this was the dinafg-in which Rev. George H. Strouse, now the new pastor of the First Baptist church, of this city, and his wife found themselves nearly two hundred miles in from the slave coast, in Africa, just ten years ago Rev MT. Strouse recounted some of his ex- periences as missionary before a large gathering at the Mt Calvary church on Sunday afternoon and as he described the country and the peo- pie from which the colored people of America trace their descent his inter- esting talk was frequently punctuated with applause at points that appealed to his audience. While compelled by the limits of time to condense his lec- ture Rev. Mr. Strouse was able to throw new light on conditions in a field which offers. as much as does any other, glorious opportunities for the Christian missionary
 It was in 1903, shortly after the close of his college year at Lafayette, that MT. and Mrs. Strouse set sail on the Cedric of the White Star line for Liver pool, on the first leg of the journey to
 
 British control and known, from the operations of earlier days, as the slave coast. Their first journey along the African coast on the Jeeba, of the FL der -dempsser line, was full of interest The first port was Free Town in Sierra Leone and here MT. and Mrs. Strouse provided themselves with mos quito netting and sun helmets to pro- tect themselves against two of the most inSiStent and trea cherouS enemies that the foreigner in West Africa meets. At Lagas, fifty called white mans grave" they left the ship, hay ing a taste in landing of surf riding in the skiffs of the native boatmen as they take their passengers on Shore. Three days stay in this coast city showed them how malarious was the climate, and a month later they were grieved to hear that the customs off, cial who had been very hospitable to them, had shot himself, crazed by drink and fever.
 By railroad, 120 miles they came to the city of Abbeokuta, with popula- tion' of 100000 negroes and had the distinction of paying a visit to the king, who in turn was honored in pres- entlng his visitors with a full grown sheep as an expression of good will And now the railroad was left behind, and in hammocks slung on the shoul- ders of native guides. they were car r1ed on to AWyaw, capital of the dis trict, and then 30 miles still farther inland to their post, the city of Og- bomOShaw, of 80.000. And here for weeks, awaiting the arrival of another missionary family, they were the only white people in the city and dependant upon interpreters to make themselves understood. Under the support of the Southern Baptist board Mir Strouse began his work in the Backus Train ing School for Young Preachers at OgbOuOshaW and one of the tangible results of that work is the presence of one of those students in Richmond Va, completing his theological studies to go back among his people. Some nat i've preaching was done by MT. Strouse through an interpreter, and altogether when he left, there were about 150 converts in the city Today Moham- mechanism bars the city way to the north and is sweeping down into Gen. tral Africa, but the true cause will ultimately triumph, MT. Strouse beli- eyes.
 After nine months, the climate made necessary their withdrawal from Og- by the hammock route to Abbeokuta, where their son George was born, and then they took the railroad to the coast. MT Strouse became a student at Crozer Theological Seminary, Ches- ter, Pa, and after three years study there, graduated in 1907. Shortly af- ter Rev. and Mrs. Strouse sailed for India, but there again, it became neces- sary to return to the field at home to preserve their health from the effects of a tropical climate