Missionary Brevity, China – Advancing in New Areas

At present the old fields of labour in Manchuria and Shantung are closed to residency by foreign missionaries. Users of “Echoes Prayer List” (I hope their number will increase) will have noted with prayerful interest, however, that representatives of assemblies have recently entered two new areas.

(1) Kweiyang. This is an important town in Kweichow Province, S.W. China. Here there is a group of three married couples and a single sister – all associated with assemblies in the U.S.A. They are still grappling with the Chinese language, but have already secured a gospel hall seating 200. A Chinese brother with a gift for gospel preaching has joined them and the hall is proving too small to accommodate all who wish to listen. A dispensary has been opened for the treatment of minor ailments, and several bible classes are held weekly for Chinese students desirous of learning English. Fruit from this work has been seen already. It is planned to open a primary school with an emphasis on bible teaching as soon as the necessary addition can be made to the gospel hall. There are considerable numbers of the aboriginal tribes of China in Kweichow Province, and it may eventually be possible to launch out into work amongst them. It is understood that Arnold Clarke, who left London last April, has decided to join the workers in Kweiyang.

(2) Kangting, a city in Sikang Province, in the far Western part of China, Three single brethren have recently settled in this city, the population of which is equally divided between Tibetans and Chinese. Their particular object is to reach Tibetans. Generally speaking, contacts with these people have been more successful from the Chinese side than from India. Kangting is recognised as one of the most evil towns in China, and little fruit is to be seen as a result of forty years of gospel testimony. Missionaries associated with the C. I. M. have warmly welcomed these brethren. Apart from the normal difficulties of acquiring a knowledge both of language and the customs of a strange people, we may be sure Satan will contest these new advances in many ways. Hence the need for prayer to be focussed upon these two groups of workers.