The United Lutheran Page 228
Letter from China.
Many People Hear the Gospel.
Between four and five thousand people attended our Gospel meetings last week. Owing to the Chinese new year’s season at this time, nearly all the people are idle. This holiday season in China lasts about a month. Such a season must be turned into our advantage. We invited several of our fellow missionaries to come and help us. They came; our Chinese friends came also in large crowds. Our new church, having a seating capacity of 300, was crowded at every fore- and afternoon session. One day we conducted an overflow meeting in our street chapel. The Chinese new year is a time of feasting. The”Great Supper” was selected as the base for our talks.
We had the text written in large characters and pasted up on the back wall inside of our church. The “GreatSupper,” our need of it, and the invitation to partake of it, were some of the thoughts emphasized. The presence of the Holy Spirit was felt among us. Our audiences, mostly heathens, paid close attention. Of course, many made polite excuses; others decided to follow the invitation. One afternoon a middle-aged man rose in the audience and told us that he and his house had decided to serve the Lord. At one of the meetings a young man made his appearance on the platform, telling the audience that he had decided for Christ. Backsliders were restored; one who has not been seen at our services the last year was revived and promised to attend regularly in the future. Several expressed a wish to be enrolled as cate chumens.
Our regular sessions closed Tuesday evening, but the following two days also large throngs of people came to our street chapel. Last Friday was the annual day for sight-seeing. This day, everybody, men, women, and children, come to the city to “look see.” According to Chinese custom, no door is closed to them. Judging from the immense crowds that found their way to our compound, we must be counted as one of the “sights” in this neighborhood. We opened the church, but the people could not be held in it. Fortunately a number of our Christians happened to be at hand. These we established in 8-to10 groups in different parts of our compound, and they were told to “fire” at the same time. At times more than 2,000 people thronged our place. The crowds were restless, yet many got to hear the Word of God; many portions of Scripture were also sold.
Can you wonder that we felt thankful for a snow storm that set in Saturday?
H. M. NESSE.
Suiping, Honan, February 21, 1916.