I trust that our friends do not forget how God has begun to fulfil the prayer which the motto of our mission, “China for Christ,” and the hearts of our Chinese Christians sent up during so many years, in the establishment by the American Board of a Mission in China to co-operate with ours, and to reach, first of all, the swarming millions in those districts from which our immigrants have come. In connection with the departure of Bro. Hager to this field, our Congregational Association of Christian Chinese gave $500 in cash, and one of its best members and my best helpers as a co-laborer. Bro. Hager has established his head-quarters at Hong Kong and has gathered there a school similar in all respects to ours in California. But this is only a rendezvous. The main work is elsewhere, preaching the gospel and scattering the word of life on the main land. Lee Sam is busy with this already; enduring hardness as a good soldier, and working almost alone. But he will not be suffered to work long alone. Our helper for years past at Sacramento, Lem Chung, sailed for China more than six weeks ago, and has already, we hope been welcomed at Hong Kong. Sustaining for years a relation to the Chinese of Sacramento every way equivalent to that which an American pastor sustains in the community where he labors, he so commended himself by his mental capacity, his faithfulness, his Christian spirit and consistent walk that while our Chinese brethren clung to him as few American churches do to their pastors, he was also “of good report,” or, as the revision reads it, “has good testimony from them that are without,” both Chinese and Americans. Whether he will remain permanently in China is not decided, but so long as he does remain, I doubt not he will be ready for every good word and work. And now three others among our helpers, Hong Sing of Santa Cruz, Wong Him Wong of Stockton and Lou Quong of the West School in this city, are making ready to depart. They go together. They hope to begin missionary work on the steamer. They hope to continue it when they reach their native land. We shall miss them greatly. They have approved themselves in our service, workmen that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth and illustrating its power in their consistent lives. But with reference to our great purpose, “China for Christ,” our loss is a gain, and we gladly take others to fill the vacant places, hoping that these too, trained to preach by preaching and to teach by teaching, will follow their brethren to the dark regions across the wide sea.
At the time of this writing, a fortnight remains before the close of our fiscal year. Toward the $12,500 which our work for the year must cost, we have received in cash and pledges $11,800. To find $700 more within these two weeks seems to be quite impossible, by virtue of any resources remaining within the superintendent’s reach. He repeats over to himself: “My God shall supply all your need;” he recounts to himself the many mercies past; and how, again and again, in his own experience, what seemed impossible has come to pass, and still he questions and he doubts, and asking, seeking, knocking, can do no better than to cry, “Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Before this reaches the eye of our readers, the fiscal year will have closed, and the account will be made up: yet not so closed but that if any of our readers are willing to share with me the load which open doors and proffered harvests have laid upon me, their help would be most welcome and most timely.
BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.
Miss D. E. Emerson, Secretary.
MEETING OF BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.
In connection with the Annual Meeting of the A. M. A. in Brooklyn, notice of which is given elsewhere, there will be a Woman’s Meeting in the interest of our Bureau of Woman’s Work. Report of mission work among the Chinese on the Pacific Coast will be made by Mrs. W. C. Pond, wife of Superintendent Pond; on Indian Missions, by Mrs Alfred L. Riggs, wife of the Principal of our Santee School, Nebraska; on work among the mountain whites of Kentucky, by Mrs. A. A. Myers, wife of Rev. Mr. Myers, our missionary in that region; on work among the colored people, by Miss Anna M. Cahill, late Principal of Normal Department, Fisk University. Other ladies will participate in the meeting, particulars concerning which, and also as to the hour of the meeting, will be given in the religious press at a later date.