From New Sabbath-Keepers on
Bougainville
WE received your delightful letter by the
last Malaita mail. It is quite exciting to find
one’s self a member of a large family, and we
have to thank Mr. and Mrs. Gray for makiog
it possible for us to come into the familv
circle.
Our visits to Rumba have been full of joy.
It is a beautiful spot, and these mission-
aries have made a splendid station there,
During these visits we discovered that both
Mr. and Mrs. Gray live up to what they
preach, in every detail of their lives. Higher
praise we cannot give. They are kindness
itself. They put themselves to untold trouble
and inconvenience to do a good turn or give
a helping hand. We had kindnesses and
courtesies from them in the days when we
were complete strangers, and for nearly five
years we have been eye-witnesses of these
kindly deeds to others. The thought of return
kindnesses, or even of appreciation, doesn’t
_enter their heads.
People of good standing like the District
Officer and others of sound sense have full
appreciation of their work. What a lovely
world it would be if there were more like
them. They have had a lot of set-backs
and difficulties in this island, and have often
been cruelly disheartened, but they still put
the same zest and interest into their work
as when they started. We who are on the
spot and have watched, can appreciate the
tireless energy that has been put into Rumba,
to ‘make it what it is, The gardens alone
would be a credit to a first class planter,
Bush has been cleared and gardens planted
and food produced by unindentured labour,
which speaks volumes for their influence on
the natives. Few people would tackle the
almost impossible job of getting unindentured
boys to work, Mr. and Mrs. Gray have not
only tackled it, but have achieved success.
Rumba is like a little colony now. The
hospital built a few months ago is the last
word in neatness.
‘We are deeply indebted for what has been
done for us. I remember in the early stages
of our being interested in the message, we
invited these missionaries to Borvi, as there
were questions, Mrs, Gray had a big tropi-
cal ulcer on her heel, which was giving her
all the pain that these sores can give. She
got her shoe on, somehow, over the bandage
(it must have been agony) endured the pain
all day and a sleepless journey back at night
in the launch. Then the walk to Rumba
from the beach. That's the stuff they're
made .of.
You folk who met Mrs. White personally
have a lot to be thankful for. We have al-
ways been bookworms, but we have never
come across anything outside the Bible to
equal her works. During the last eighteen
months we have spent nearly all our spare
time in reading her books. Mr. Gray lent us
his whole collection of them. He has also
been sending us the AUSTRALASIAN RECORD.
It is very interesting. We know a few of the
people mentioned and some of the places,
AUSTRAL ASIAN RECORD
My wife is from Yorkshire and I am from
Edinburgh.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity.
DANIEL D, SMITH.
Borvi, Kieta, Bougainville.
Progress in Tonga
Beulah School Outgrows Its Buildings
OUR school at Nukualofa, Tonga, reopened
at the end of January, and we have been re-
celving applications from would-be students
ever since, till now we have seventy-five on
the roll. All these young people, whose ages
range from eleven years to about twenty-
four, live on the mission.
The increased enrolment has forced us to
provide additional classroom space. This
takes the form of a large Tongan house at
the rear of the old school building. The roof
is of coconut-leaf thatch, and the walls will
be made of reeds. And we expect fo cover
the dirt floor with coral from the beach.
Our original school building has accommoda-
tion for about forty-eight students, according
to Government regulations, so you can imag-
ine what it is like trying to teach over seventy
in it, especially as we are in the tropics.
In 1933 three of our boys sat for the Gov-
ernment teachers’ examination, and all were
successful. One is at present a student at
the Australasian Missionary College, The
other two sat last year for the Leaving Cer-
tificate, while another young man and a girl
sat for both examinations —teachers’ and
leaving. All were successful. We have
made application for Government recognition
of Beulah school as a college, which would
extend to our boys between the ages of six-
teen and twenty the privilege of half taxation
enjoyed for years by the boys at the Govern-
ment college. We helieve our request will
be granted. When our new accommodation
is completed and we have plenty of room, the
Director of Education is to pay us a visit of
inspection, after which he will report to the
Cabinet. Pray with us that he will be able
to give a favourable report.
Our student body is divided into five prayer
bands that meet every Tuesday night at the
evening worship hour, and spend twenty
minutes in seeking the Lord. A short study
is followed by a season of prayer.
At present the baptismal class has an enrol-
ment of thirteen young people. Some of
these will not be ready for baptism for a good
while; ‘but some are serious-minded young
folk who ought to know their minds and
understand the significance of baptism,
Of course, we have our lively boys and
girls; but some of our students are models of
good behaviour. And who doesn’t know that
lively young people, when soundly converted,
become a power for good?
The influence of Beulah remains with our
boys and girls long after they leave us—some-
times all through life. A large proportion of
our church membership consists of ex-students
of our schools. Brother Hadfield bas just re-
ported that our message is taking root in a
Vavau village through the influence and en-
thusiasm of a young man who spent about
two years in this school. So we are encour-
aged to press on with the work of sowing
seeds of truth in the hearts of these young
people who expect to spend a few years
under our influence.
H. L. TOLHURST.
pr —
>
“THE difference between stumbling blocks
and stepping stones is the way you use them.”
20/5/35
‘““ Thank You’ and ‘‘ Good-Bye ”’
Al Sea,
On Board M. V. “ Malaita”
TO THE BRETHREN AND SISTERS OF
AUSTRALIA:
I am writing this evening to bid farewell
to our many friends in Australia. We are
now nearing our last port of call,.Townsville,
and then will proceed straight to Tulagi, in
the Solomons.
During our thousands of miles of travel,
by steamer, train, tram, car, and almost every
conceivable means of transport, we have had
the opportunity of meeting with most of our
people in Australia; for we have attended
six of the camp meetings, a number of
churches, and many other gatherings, hoth
of the believers and those not of our faith.
Both Rangoso and I have greatly enjoyed
our visits, and we appreciate the kindness
of our people everywhere, who have made
our stay both profitable and helpful.
Our first visit was to the North New South
Wales camp. Here Rangoso saw for the
first time our people gathered in camp, and
he entered whole-heartedly into the daily
programme, Brother J. L. Smith arranged
meetings in Newcastle and district. We also
had the pleasure of seeing the Duke of
Gloucester during his visit to this city.
From there we went on to Queensland,
where Pastor Guilliard had arranged for us to
meet with our people in most of the churches.
Brother N. H. Faulkner and others made our
stay a very happy one, and Rangoso will
long remember some of the places visited,
particularly his first ride in an aeroplane,
Our next camp meeting was in Victoria,
and from there Rangoso, accompanied by
Pastor Peacock, went over to Tasmania.
Brother Sandeman opened his home and
heart to us while we were in Victoria, and
took us both to a number of places. Our
deep appreciation of his thoughtfulness and
kindness to us can best be expressed in the
words of Rangoso himself, “ He was a good
father to us.” We appreciate, too, the hos-
pitality of Brother Dunlop and many others
in Victoria.
When Rangoso returned from Tasmania
he spoke in the Central Hall, Melbourne.
Before the close of his very interesting lec
ture he said he had one thing against his visit
to Tasmania. While he had met with a
number of our people over there, and had en-
joyed his meetings with them, for they had
been kind to him and had given him some
of Tasmania's best fruit, when he got on the
steamer, the good food that he had eaten
he gave to the fish. He wished that he could
have returned to Melbourne by some other
way than by sea.
While we were attending the South Aus-
tralian camp, Brother T. A. Brown and
family, who were so kind to us in every way,
arranged for Rangoso to visit some of the
doctors and Adelaide’s leading men. These
men were amazed as Rangoso replied in
simple yet forceful language in answer to the
questions asked him.
The trip across by the Trans- Australian
railway was one of great interest, and our
visit to Western Australia will long be re-
membered. Rangoso said, “I did not expect
to have the privilege of eating of the fruit of
the vine until I reached heaven; but I had
the opportunity before I got there, for one of
the bunches that Brother Litchfield gave us
to bring away was nearly ten pounds in
weight.”
In Sydney, Pastor R. E. Hare took us to a
number of churches, and Rangoso did enjoy
his visits out to some of the country places
and to Avondale. :