THE APPEAL OF LAMU.
MY first Sabbath on Aniwa, after this tour in Great Britain and the
Colonies, gave me a blessed surprise. Before daybreak I lay awake
thinking of all my experiences on that Island, and wondering whether the
Church had fallen off in my four years' absence, when suddenly the voice
of song broke on my ears! It was scarcely full dawn, yet I jumped up and
called to a man that was passing, "Have I slept in? Is it already
Church-time? Or why are the people met so early?"
He was one of their leaders, and gravely replied, "Missi, since you
left, we have found it very hard to live near to God! So the Chief and
the Teachers and a few others meet when daylight comes in every Sabbath
morning, and spend the first hour of every Lord's Day in prayer and
praise. They are met to pray for you now, that God may help you in your
preaching, and that all hearts may bear fruit to the glory of Jesus this
day."
I returned to my room, and felt wonderfully "prepared" myself. It would
be an easy and a blessed thing to lead such a Congregation into the
presence of the Lord! They were there already.
On that day every person on Aniwa seemed to be at Church, except the
bedridden and the sick. At the close of the Services, the Elders
informed me that they had kept up all the Meetings during my absence,
and had also conducted the Communicants' Class, and they presented to me
a considerable number of Candidates for membership. After careful
examination, I set apart nine boys and girls, about twelve or thirteen
years of age and advised them to wait for at least another year or so,
that their knowledge and habits might be matured. They had answered
every question, indeed, and were eager to be baptized and admitted; but
I feared for their youth, lest they should fall away and bring disgrace
on the Church. One of them with very, earnest eyes, looked at me and
said, "We have been taught that whosoever believeth is to be baptized.
We do most heartily believe in Jesus, and try to please Jesus."
I answered, "Hold on for another year, and then our way will be clear."
But he persisted, "Some of us may not be living then; and you may not be
here. We long to be baptized by you, our own Missi, and to take our
place among the servants of Jesus."
After much conversation I agreed to baptize them, and they agreed to
refrain from going to the Lord's Table for a year, that all the Church
might by that time have knowledge and proof of their consistent
Christian life, though so young in years. This discipline, I thought,
would be good for them; and the Lord might use it as a precedent for
guidance in future days.
Of other ten adults at this time admitted, one was specially noteworthy.
She was about twenty-five, and the Elders objected because her marriage
had not been according to the Christian usage on Aniwa. She left us
weeping deeply. I was writing late at night in the cool evening air, as
was my wont in that oppressive tropical clime, and a knock was heard at
my door. I called out, "_Akai era_?" (= Who is there?)
A voice softly answered, "Missi, it is Lamu. Oh, do speak with me!"
This was the rejected candidate, and I at once opened the door.
"Oh, Missi," she began, "I cannot sleep, I cannot eat; my soul is in
pain. Am I to be shut out from Jesus? Some of those at the Lord's Table
committed murder. They repented, and have been saved. My heart is very
bad; yet I never did any of those crimes of Heathenism; and I know that
it is my joy to try and please my Saviour Jesus. How is it that I only
am to be shut out from Jesus?"
I tried all I could to guide and console her, and she listened to all
very eagerly. Then she looked up at me and said, "Missi, you and the
Elders may think it right to keep me back from showing my love to Jesus
at the Lord's Table; but I know here in my heart that Jesus has received
me; and if I were dying now, I know that Jesus would take me to Glory
and present me to the Father."
Her look and manner thrilled me. I promised to see the Elders and submit
her appeal. But Lamu appeared and pled her own cause before them with
convincing effect. She was baptized and admitted along with other nine.
And that Communion Day will be long remembered by many souls on Aniwa.
It has often struck me, when relating these events, to press this
question on the many young people, the highly privileged white brothers
and sisters of Lamu, Did you ever lose one hour of sleep or a single
meal in thinking of your Soul, your God, the claims of Jesus, and your
Eternal Destiny?
And when I saw the diligence and fidelity of these poor Aniwan Elders,
teaching and ministering during all those years, my soul has cried aloud
to God, Oh, what could not the Church accomplish if the educated and
gifted Elders and others in Christian lands would set themselves thus to
work for Jesus, to teach the ignorant, to protect the tempted, and to
rescue the fallen!