Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-05-05

Interesting Letter From Rev.
John Lake to MIR. A. S. Tomp-
kins.
Canton, China,
March 22, 1920.
Dear Mr.. Tompkins:
The same steamer brought your
two very much appreciated letters,
as we'll as one from Bro. Tom Lam
ham; and it almost made fellow
homesick to read them and the
church bulletins you both enclosed.
1t certainly was thoughtful of you
both and I am glad Tom had such a
good time with the old church. He
certainly deserves good treatment.
He is one of the noblest fellows l
ever knew. He and you and many of
the old friends in Edgefeld and
South Carolina are constantly in my
prayers. Just before your letters
came, wife and I mailed to you and
to a good many friends in the home
land copies of the Annual Report of
our Mission. AS you will see from
the list of names in the back of
'fHome and Foreign Fields" our Mis-
| sion has nearly fifty members. Just
now, l am the unworthy chairman.
AS you will see from statistics in the
printed report, we now have Al
churches, and 81 other preaching
places (out-stations), with 1886
members. The churches and chapels
assigned to me personally are % in
number, with S26' members. Of the
97S baptisms last year, had the JOY
of seeing my churches report S3. In
the part of this great city assigned to
my wife and me, and in the many
other cities and towns where she and
, look after the work, our members
gave, or raised, last year $2,764.00,
and they have Is Sunday schools,
with 72s scholars. Besides this, wife
and 1 have in our field 16 schools,
with 1872 boys and 319 girls, all OF
whom study the Bible in their own
language every day. This is like one
couple looking after whole associa-
tion. How do these figures compare
with the Edgefeld Association? Wish
you'd always send me the association
minutes.
AS though this were not enough
for one couple, wife and I, as you
see from pages 39 and "a. have at
last succeeded in getting for the
Baptists one of the islands near the
coast in our field that we took DR..
and Mrs. Love to see on gun-boat
the government has several times
loaned us. You doubtless saw his ac-
count of his trip in "Home and For
eign Fields" for April, 1919. When
theformer ambassador at Washing
ton, DR.. WI Ting-fang, handed me
check the other day for $4,000 for
this leper work on that island, it was
the happiest day for US two since
came out. of the hospital after that
attack of flu and pneumonia that
Bro. Williams mentions on page g.
If, in addition to all our other work.
this little wife of mine and l are
able to see this thing through-seg-
regating and caring for thousands
of lepers on that island-it will be
because lots of you at home are pray
ing for us. We realize that in our
own strength, we can do nothing.
If we can get these thousands OF
ignorant heather lepers on that IS
land three miles from shore and can
erect for them a hospital and other
necessary buildings and can help Sc
lect and stand back of a staff OF for
eign-trained Chinese Christian phy-
sicians, nurses and others, visiting
the colony regularly, we shall need
to have at our fingers ends all that
we ever learned in the homeland and
here, and more! Think of the PROB
lens, of organization, of admlnlstra-
tion, of fnance-think of dealing
with these Chinese doctors and purs-
es; think of the disputes that must
be settled! If I wasn't bald, the
thought of it would make my head
turn gray! But you and the friends
at home will pray for us, we know.
China has been having hard time
politically, economically, and IN
every way; but am by no means dis
couraged. The work Of preaching and
teaching the Gospel of Jesus is, after
all. at the bottom of all the real pro-