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times are getting harder for them in this country every day, and they are
growing old, and therefore they have more cares in their hearts and so
lose interest in study. I have tried this many times. When I succeeded to
get them in for one, two, three, or four nights, they are not interested
and do not come again, and when urged to do so, they offer some kind of
excuse. So we must take the street meetings as the main point to fight
sins, to sow the seeds, and use the schools as our reapers."
And so Loo Quong goes on to urge me to stir up the street preaching at all
our missions, which thing I was and have been forward to do, even without
urging. I believe he is right in saying that while we cannot dispense with
the schools--indeed the whole work without these would be unorganized and
fruitless--yet for "sowing the seed," for reaching those who are far off,
we must depend on street preaching. The English primer has largely lost
its power as a bait for the gospel hook. We must do our fishing for men on
other lines.
Accordingly I am pressing our Chinese Christians into this work, and am
providing them with cards printed in Chinese, on which they can sign their
names to the simple statement: "I like the Jesus' doctrine. I would be
glad to study it. The preacher may call to see me at ----."
The reverse side of the card contains the location of the mission house,
names of teacher, helper, etc. The intent is that no one willing to listen
to the word of life as uttered in private and personal conversation,
should fail to be found and to be urged to take his stand with the
followers of Christ. We wish to follow up the public service with
effective private and personal preaching.
Two of our Chinese brethren at Fresno are to be baptized and welcomed to
the Church to-morrow.
Let no one imagine that street-preaching is a new feature of our work. We
have practiced it on all our fields, and ever since we had Chinese
Christians capable of doing it. But it has not been attended to as
regularly and with as careful preparation: it has not been made a constant
and prominent element of our missionary service, as with God's help I mean
to make it hereafter.
A friend writing from Santa Barbara says of Yong Kay: "For some time God
has been laying the burden of Chinatown upon his mind and heart. He said
that he ought to be like Paul--go to those who have not heard the Gospel.
So, with some singers from the church, he has gone into
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