The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-10-20
LETTER
FROM MISS LORA CLEMENT
Who is Representing the First Rap
tist Church of This City on
the Foreign Field.
Cheung Chow via Hong Kong
Sont 1Q1E

Dear Friends and Fellow-workers:
received Mr.. Whites letter of
May "a about June 80 or few days
later and l have delayed writing you
until | knew you were all back to your
various work after the vacation sea-
son, which hope was as pleasant and
beneficial to you as | feel mine has
been to me. For the month of Aug
ust l was in Hong Kong on a noun
tain peak wwhere it was quite cool,
especially for South China. | expect
ed to be studying for several days
now, but for some reason my language
teacher has not arrived and so | still
have few more leisure DAYS.
BY the time you receive this letter
a year will have passed since I left
you. But with changing scenes and
getting readjusted to new conditions
and having my time so we'll occupied
with language study l can hardly
realize it has been so long. During
TINS time, however, have been home
sick, more than once, to see YOU all.
and for the sweet fellowship which
exists among you. l do follow YOU
and rejoice with you in your steady
growth and progress in every way.
We were all so delighted in reading
the account of the splendid convention
IN Asheville and more pleased to hear
that since then the debt has been en-
tirely removed from the foreign mis-
sion board.
In telling about the beginnings of
work IN different places in nv last
letter, l notice / said, "All the work
was begun in lust such a way as I
described" did not intend to state
1t thus but only gave that one of the
many ways OF opening up work in
new places expecting to tell YOU more
In subsequent letters.
In some instances entrance to vii
lagos and towns is sought for wears
before 1T is obtained. A missionary
and native colporter may go to
place and selling tracts and portions
OF scripture, they get an opportunity
to talk to individuals and also to the
large crowd which usually gather
around and tell them about Christ
The printed page is highly esteemed
among Chinese and the sales are good,
especially the first time Christian lit
. erature is circulated in a place. At
ter they discover that it all concerns
new religion, the majority of peo-
PIE nave no use for them and oppose
their sale. At the second and later
; visits not so many are willing to buv
, The visits are continued at intervals
Tor years sometimes before any tangi-
Die work can be established. Later
place may be rented where the mis-
slonary or Chinese preacher or both
= go every few weeks and preach the
; gosPei TO those who gather in from
the streets. 1t is usually a large
crowd but often changing one-some
coming and some leaving but the
Lord presses the seed sown and His
own sheep hear His voice and follow
Him. '"
Since / wrote you in March I have
visited our Baptist work in Wuchow
city two days up the West river
from Canton. Wuchow is not as large
as Kong Moon nor is the district so
thlcklv populated as ours, but it is
very important centre because of it's
neing the entrance to the large prov
lnce or state (as we call it at home)
west of ours. 1t is here the river
steamers from Canton and Kong
must stop, further travel up the river
being done by launches and row
boats: Eight missionaries are sta
toned here. They have boys and
a girls. boarding school there and
splendid church building built prin
clpally by funds from the home land.
The Sunday school is well attended
and they have primary department
downstairs. Most of the children are
gathered in from the street and are
dlrty and at first were quite disor-
deriy but they soon learn to be quiet
and learn to sing. While I was there
MISS Rea, who has charge of the
girls school. temporarily organized
a Woman's Missionary society and II
was so interesting to see them take
hold of the work. Of course the pro
grams have to be gotten up by the
missionaries and they will have to be
SHOWN how to conduct them as thew
are so new to the Chinese. When
our South China w. M. u. was or
ganlzed the first of this wear, I, to-
gether, with one of our Bible women.
Kong Moon field, where we are to
organize w. M. societies. Mrs. sand
strom and the Bible women will have
to do the work though for 7 am not
fluent enough in the language to use
and explain the terms president. vice
president. etc.
One part of the work in Wuchow
which especially interested me was
that done in the hospital with DR.
and Mrs. Haves, (she being grad
uate physician), DR.. Ueavell and a
Chinese doctor in charge. People
from Wuchow and the country around
come for medicines and treatment
Those who are able to pay the re-
CURED fee do so, but many are treated
free. An hour before the dispensarv
hours the crowd is gathered in and
the doors are closed A Chinese
preacher breaches the Word of Cod
to them and later he and the Bible
women talk to individuals about
Christ and answer any questions thew
might ask. After this thev receive
their treatments, etc. They usually
nave a great many ain PATIENTS"
whom they get to know longer and