I am sure you will be glad to hear of the great, may I say "revival,"
which seems to be upon us. On March 1 at our regular communion we received
into the church fifteen adults, and there were eight marriages and nine
children baptized. Six of these people came from Flying-By region (Miss
Lord’s people). She is rejoicing. One, Swift Cloud, and his wife, are a
middle-aged couple, who lived here when I first came to this village. They
are a good addition to our force. Then Two-Runs and his wife are two good
people, Miss Lord’s near neighbors, and will be a great help to her. The
others uniting came from my village, and we now have only two men and
their wives in this village who are not in the church. Bird-Dog, another
of Miss Lord’s people, and his wife and sister have given me their names
as candidates for membership at the next communion. The Y. M. C. A. down
there are hauling logs to build a place to meet in. The little cabin we
put up is already too small.
Our contributions for Native Missionary work, from October 1 to March 1,
all told, on Standing Rock Agency, are $206.47.
Women’s Missionary $107.20
Societies have given
Y. M. C. A. 57.99
Grand River Church 21.78
Standing Rock Church 19.50
Elkhorn (on Grand River), 45.65
the Women’s Society
Y. M. C. A. 26.39
Beside this our church here has given about $15 to the Lincoln Memorial
Fund for the Association and $10 to buy table and chairs for the pulpit.
Our Christians are going from house to house to pray with the sick, and
many of these people are being brought to Christ through this means. On
communion Sunday we opened the folding doors and yet the church was so
full that three of us sat down on the little platform behind the pulpit.
I forgot to tell you that aside from this $206 we raised $200 to build a
chapel at One Bull’s, where Elias was. The house is too little.
We are not "lazy, good-for-nothing Indians, fit only for the soldiers’
target." We are men and women struggling against clannishness and
superstition--against evil without and within--reaching up to you who know
the blessedness of the Light of the Gospel, asking you to reach down, down
into our dark lives and lift us up. Let us get a glimpse on this side of
the beauties of Heaven.
We need your help, and bye and bye we will join your forces and help you
to gather with God’s fold other tribes and nations who know not God. Do
not cut us down this spring. It will break our hearts with discouragement.
God help people to hear our prayer. We shake hands with God’s people in
the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
P.S.--Three of the people outside the church in this village have given me
their names as candidates for church membership at the May communion.
CROW AGENCY, MONTANA.--The growth of the missionary work among the Indians
at the Crow Agency, Montana, is very encouraging. Recent reports from this
field bring information of large gatherings in the religious services, and
in the church services and Sunday-school. Our missionary, Rev. J. G.
Burgess, is planning to spend several weeks this summer among the camps on
the prairies to which the Indians withdraw during the warmer months. A
chapel is very much needed at this mission in order to afford a place for
religious gatherings and such instruction as the missionary and his wife
are able to give these Indians. This mission of the American Missionary
Association is the only Protestant mission among the entire Crow tribe.