RUWAWA.
His great friend, Ruwawa the Chief, had waited by Nerwa like a brother
till within a few days of the latter's death, when he also was smitten
down apparently by the same disease. He was thought to be dying, and he
resigned himself calmly into the hands of Christ, One Sabbath afternoon,
sorely distressed for lack of air, he instructed his people to carry him
from the village to a rising ground on one of his plantations. It was
fallow; the fresh air would reach him; and all his friends could sit
around him. They extemporized a rest--two posts stuck into the ground,
slanting, sticks tied across them, then dried banana leaves spread on
these and also as a cushion on the ground--and there sat Ruwawa, leaning
back and breathing heavily. After the Church Services, I visited him,
and found half the people of that side of the Island sitting round him,
in silence, in the open air. Ruwawa beckoned me, and I sat down before
him. Though suffering sorely, his eye and face had the look of ecstasy.
"Missi," he said, "I could not breathe in my village; so I got them to
carry me here, where there is room for all. They are silent and they
weep, because they think I am dying. If it were God's will, I would like
to live and to help you in His work. I am in the hands of our dear Lord,
If he takes me, it is good; if He spares me, it is good! Pray, and tell
our Saviour all about it."
I explained to the people that we would tell our Heavenly Father how
anxious we all were to see Ruwawa given back to us strong and well to
work for Jesus, and then leave all to His wise and holy disposal. I
prayed, and the place became a very Bochim. When I left him, Ruwawa
exclaimed, "Farewell, Missi; if I go first, I will welcome you to Glory;
if I am spared, I will work with you for Jesus; so all is well!"
One of the young Christians followed me and said, "Missi, our hearts are
very sore! If Ruwawa dies, we have no Chief to take his place in the
Church, and it will be a heavy blow against Jehovah's Worship on Aniwa."
I answered, "Let us each tell our God and Father all that we feel and
all that we fear; and leave Ruwawa and our work in His holy hands."
We did so with earnest and unceasing cry. And when all hope had died out
of every heart, the Lord began to answer us; the disease began to relax
its hold, and the beloved Chief was restored to health. As soon as he
was able, though still needing help, he found his way back to the
Church, and we all offered special thanksgiving to God. He indicated a
desire to say a few words; and although still very weak, spoke with
great pathos thus:
"Dear Friends, God has given me back to you all. I rejoice thus to come
here and praise the great Father, who made us all, and who knows how to
make and keep us well. I want you all to work hard for Jesus, and to
lose no opportunity of trying to do good and so to please Him. In my
deep journey away near to the grave, it was the memory of what I had
done in love to Jesus that made my heart sing. I am not afraid of
pain,--my dear Lord Jesus suffered far more for me, and teaches me how
to bear it. I am not afraid of war or famine or death, or of the present
or of the future; my dear Lord Jesus died for me, and in dying I shall
live with him in Glory. I fear and love my dear Lord Jesus, because He
loved me and gave Himself for me."
Then he raised his right hand, and cried in a soft, full-hearted voice:
"My own, my dear Lord Jesus!" and stood for a moment looking joyfully
upward, as if gazing into his Saviour's face. When he sat down, there
was a long hush, broken here and there by a smothered sob, and Ruwawa's
words produced an impression that is remembered to this day.
In 1888, when I visited the Islands, Ruwawa was still devoting himself
heart and soul to the work of the Lord on Aniwa. Assisted by Koris, a
Teacher from Aneityum, and visited annually by our ever dear and
faithful friends, Mr. and Mrs. Watt, from Tanna, the good Ruwawa carried
forward all the work of God on Aniwa, along with others, in our absence
as in our presence. The meetings, the Communicants' Class, the Schools,
and the Church Services are all regularly conducted and faithfully
attended. "Bless the Lord, O my soul!"