Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-08-25
Vivid Picture Of India is
Given by Missionary Girtz
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capita than in any other country,
but they are not very productive for
it requires two dozen COWS to pro-
duce a quart of milk. The cows are
considered holy by the Hindus and
the "old folks home" is for them.
Bulls block traffic in Calcutta. and
they are not disturbed-simply left
to move when they see fit and then
traffic is resumed. There are 400
such privileged citizens there. India
is far behind, said the speaker, and
they can hardly understand that
Americans are not using the oxen.
They say Americans are practical,
but
Missionary Girtz said he lost 20
pounds the first year in India as 1t
was hard to get used to their food.
He told of a church dedication he
attended shortly after coming there
and compared that to a more recent
dedication after he had learned to
know and love the people. Approach
ing the building where he was to at
tend the first church dedication he
asked if that was a hay stack. mo,
that is the church" he was told. The
house was packed, standing room was
at a premium, folks were sitting in
the windows and in the doorway.
They were all dressed in their best
and had rubbed their faces in mus
| tard and cocoanut oil, to be real fine.
That did not smell so good to new
conner and the stuffy air seemed to
almost suffocate him. Then came the
eats which included rice and curry,
tea, and Bengali sweets. The Indians
like peppery stuff. Each got enough
rice to fill a hat. After the days fes-
tivities were over Girtz went to the
home of another missionary and ex-
claimed: MRS. Rosenlund, give me
some Christian food or l will die"
The Soul of Men.
Then the speaker told of the last
church dedication he attended in
Santalistan and the transformation
that had taken place. 1t took three
and one-half years to build this new
church which seats 1900 people. 1t
was packed to the doors, there being
1901 members in the congreg cation.
The Lords Supper was partaken OF
by $40 people and here was the proof
that the glory is in the souls of men
and not in material things. Rathia,
an elder of the church, was men
toned as an ardent Christian. A
comparison between India now and
Denmark when Ansgar came there
1000 years ago was made by the
speaker Folks said then that the
Danes who were more then rough at
that time would never learn to sing.
The speaker pictured a boy who
became a Christian over in India and
was kicked out of the home by his
father. The boy, however, was per-
sistent, he was happy and later the
The Santali people like to sing. All
heather people are afraid in the dark,
said the speaker, SO they sing to drive
away the evil spirits. The hearts Of
missionaries as we'll as all Christians
must be pure-not the moping type
of men and women-there must be
life and cheerfulness.
The missionary spoke of the hos
pitfalls and the Indian doctors, how
they sometimes operate without an
aesthetics, and how autocratic and
cruel they often are to the patients.
They are called the L. M. P.-licensed
medical practitioners-and some
= I'll
patrol" AS a consequence of that
treatment the hospitals put up by
the missionaries and the missionary