Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

BY AMY WILSON-CARMICHAEL
Author of Things As They Are"

The story of the beginning of the work among Temple children is a very simple story. On March 7, 1901, our first Temple child was given to us. Before that, we knew there were Temple children, for we often saw them playing about the Temple women's houses. But we knew nothing more. After Pearl-eyes came she told us much about Temple life, and the desire to reach these little ones grew strong in us. We inquired among Christians and Hindus as to the best way to do something for them, but we were always told nothing had been done, or could be done, as the Temple women, sometimes the children's own mothers, oftener their adopted mothers, valued them far too highly to part with them. We found this true. Several times in our itinerating work we came across such children and tried hard to save them, but always in vain.

In the autumn of 1903, when my comrades, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, had to go to England, I was much alone. with the Lord Jesus. It was then that the burden of the little Temple children pressed so heavily that one could not beat it any longer-" Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" And the answer came quite distinctly: "Search for those little lost lambs with me." So the work began.

At first the difficulties seemed insurmountable. Very few were interested in the Temple children; nobody thought it possible to save them. No one knew how to set about it. The first encouragement was the quickened interest shown by one of our evangelists, who had been itinerating in North Tinnevelly. When he returned, and I told him what the Lord Jesus had said to me, he looked very much surprised. He told me how for the first time in his life he had seen Temple women and children out in the

streets at night; how it had stirred his heart; and how he and the pastor who was traveling with him had felt the shame of it, and the sin. "The sight penetrated us, it pierced us," he said. By comparing dates I found that the week of my waiting upon God was the week when the pastor and evangelist saw this sorrowful sight. I had asked Him to lay the burden upon our Indian fellow workers, without whom one could not hope to do much; and He had done it. The evangelist wrote at once to the pastor, whose letter by return of post told us of a baby, who was taken to a Temple when she was only four hours old. He set to work to save that little one, and soon had the joy of sending her to us-our first Temple baby.

But still some of us were uncertain as to whether we were meant to give ourselves largely to this sort of work. and as I wanted all to be sure I asked for a sign. Just about that time we heard of a little Temple girl who could be redeemed for Rs. 100 ($30.00). The circumstances were such that nothing could be done through legal proceedings. We could not refuse to redeem her, and we paid the Rs. 100. This was a very large sum to us, and as I looked over my account-book I found that I had never once received Rs. 100. I felt it would confirm the word that had come to me, in such a way that my Indian fellow workers. would understand, if that sum exactly were sent to us. So I asked for it. A few days afterwards it came, that sum exactly. I wrote asking the giver how it was that she had sent exactly that. She answered that she had sat down to write a different sum, but had felt impelled to write the check for exactly Rs. 100. We always call that check our Gideon's fleece.

We found, as we got further and

* Condensed from the Baptist Missionary Review. India.

further into the work, that the trade in children is very extensive. An experienced American missionary, who is conversant with the facts, told me that little infants are constantly adopted by Temple women, and that if we are to save them we must be willing to take the trouble and expense involved in mothering such tiny things. A baby costs quite twice as much as a grown up person, and is much more than twice as much trouble! But God has given us our Indian fellow workers such love and patience and pity for these little ones, that they are willing to bear the weariness of broken nights, and the constant demand upon time and strength; and I think they do love these little ones "according to the love of the Lord." No other love is any use.

Sometimes children are dedicated to the Temple because of a vow. For instance, the father is ill, and the mother vows that if he recovers she will give one of her children to the god. He recovers, and the child is given. Sometimes the gift is hereditary. A certain child in a certain family all down the generations is regarded as belonging to the god. Sometimes a child is given in order to escape from some entanglement. A man marries out of caste and is outcasted; he soon tires of the inconvenience, gets rid of his wife, dedicates his child, is reincasted and marries again. Sometimes a poor widow or a deserted wife is faced by the impossibility of marrying her child suitably, so she "marries her to the god." Whenever a little child is without its proper protectors, especially if the child is attractive, or shows promise of being afterward attractive, you have a child in danger. All over South India there are men and women on the watch for such children. Any price. from 75 cents upward may be paid. The sale of a child for such a purpose is illegal, but money is not passed in public, and the necessary proof is unobtainable. The woman who buys the child calls her her own daughter, and can easily get witnesses to prove the

relationship. It is impossible, as a rule, to prove that the owner's purpose is evil. In a recent case where the evidence was morally conclusive, the judge said that action was impossible, because of the impossibility of getting the necessary proof. It is not an easy question for government, but something more is needed than is provided at present, and when our government does move it will find itself backed up by the best men in India.

In the meantime there is much to do. It is true that until pressure is brought to bear upon those responsible (the priests and the Temple women), pressure either from outside or from inside, the trade in little children will go on. Pressure from outside, caused by a new and very carefully enforced law, seems distant. Pressure from inside, caused by a quickened national conscience, also seems distant. The reform movement moves but slowly in the villages. But it can not be that this whole generation of Temple children must be passed unreached. There are 12.000 Temple women in South India. Most of these women have adopted at least one child; many have adopted two. A child much over ten who has been for long under Temple influence is usually too old in Temple life to be counted a little child at all. She can not be put among ordinary children, unless she is an exceptionally simpleminded child. So that the next ten years must see a whole generation of little Temple children pass into Temple girls (and that means, humanly speaking, passing out of reach in a very real and awful way) unless within the next ten years we reach them while they are children-innocent little babies and innocent little girls. How are they to be reached?

The path is all untracked. Any suggestions will be welcome. At the outset we have to face strong opposition. If Satan can hold on to these little ones for a few more years, he knows he probably has them in a special sense for his own possession. Our plan is to tell every one we can induce

to listen about the Temple children, and about our readiness to take them if they can be found. We tell our Christians, pastors, schoolmasters, Bible women, workers of all sorts, our servants, fellow travelers in trains, or on the road-any one who will listen. We tell our Hindu friends, men and women, pressing upon them the wrong of the whole matter. Several of our children were brought to us through the intervention of Hindus.

But behind all, and through all, we pray. When we hear of a child we hold on to her by prayer. We are holding on for twelve little ones now, who seem absolutely out of reach. Three of them have been already "married to the god." Will all who feel moved to do it pray earnestly with us for the life of these young children-such dear little children often, that one wonders any one could have the heart to hurt them.

Our hope is that eventually each language area will have its own

Temple children's nursery, if it is found that in that particular district such children exist. These little ones require a special sort of mothering. When their background is considered, the reason is obvious. Till such nurseries are opened, we will welcome any little child and adopt her into our family, if the missionary interested in her is sure there is a real need to save her from danger. Sometimes, even where there are no large temples, it will be found that little children are obtained for wrong purposes. In North India the Society for the Protection of Children is at work, but in South India nothing is being done on a large scale, and there is room for all who love little children to do something for them. Those who are unable to give personal care can help to find them and send them to those to whom this special work has been given, and all can pray and help by that sort of sympathy which is help indeed.

PRACTICAL PRAYER FOR MISSIONS*
BY PROF. G. WARNECK, D.D.

Prayer is a mighty power in the
Kingdom of God. What it has done
in the past and is doing even now
shall not be known in its entirety un-
til that day when all secret things shall
be made manifest. But even now we
see some of its power revealed in the
life and work of men who, according
to the standard of God, are praying
men. "Behold, he prayeth," was writ-
ten upon the life of Paul since the
hour of his conversion, and prayer
was one of the chief characteristics
of this successful missionary.
apostle who humbly could say of him-
self, "I labored more abundantly than
they all," surely had a high opinion

The

From an address delivered at the German Student Volunteer Convention, at Halle, April 29, 1995, and condensed in free translation by. Rev. Louis Meyer from Allgemeine MissionsZeitschrift.

concerning the power of prayer when he exorts "that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made," and when he never grows tired to beseech again and again in the most urgent manner that the brethren strive together with him in their prayers to God for him, as if a battle was to be fought, in which only united prayer could give the victory.*

In missionary labor especially we need the strengthening which lies in prayer. A mighty work has been put into our hands by the command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations, and the difficulties connected with the fulfilling of this command, as well as the powers opposed to it, must bring to us such an overwhelming

Rom. xv:30; Eph. vi:18-20; Col. iv:3; I. Thess. v:25; II. Thess. iii:1.

sense of the insufficiency of all human power that we should despair were not prayer put beside, or, rather, before, the work. Missionary labor must lead to prayer, and prayer for missions must upbear the work, if it is to be successful. Thus it becomes a question of the highest practical importance. What must be the characteristics of that prayer for missions which shall make the labor fruitful?

I. Who Should Pray for Missions?

1. Not every one can be asked to pray for missions. It is much more difficult to pray for missions than to contribute to their support. Jesus asked the "disciples" to pray the Lord of the harvest for laborers, and Paul besought the prayers of the "brethren." "Disciples " are followers, lovers, and imitators of Jesus; and the "brethren" were they who had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and had received the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father, who had communion one with the other, and on account of this communion took a lively and hearty interest in Paul's labors in behalf of the Kingdom of God, and whose hearts were stirred by his appeals for their prayers. Such men, who have experienced the mercy of God in Jesus Christ, and who in their prayers enter the holy place, are ready to pray for missions. You can not pray for missions except you lead a life of prayer, and you can live a life of prayer only when you have arrived at a life of communion with God. The aged Blumhardt once said: "How difficult it is to lead such a life that our Father in heaven says of us, 'Behold, he prayeth,' as it was said of Cornelius and Paul." The testimony of that man of God should drive us again and again to request: "Lord, teach us to pray." 2. Prayer for missions is intercessory prayer, and prayer for ourselves is without doubt much easier than

prayer for others. An intercessory prayer which pleads in behalf of others so earnestly and gladly as if it

were for the offerer of the prayer himself, presupposes maturity in the Christian life, especially in Christian love, which gives a "priestly" heart. I can intercede only for that which I really love. That the name of God be glorified, His Kingdom be set up, His will be done, I can ask only when I desire with all my heart to see these things done. Likewise, missionary work must interest me personally, yea, must be loved by me with all my heart, before I can have a true desire for prayer for it. Prayer for missions can not be forced by general exhortations; it is born when increasing maturity in Christian life gives us a "priestly" heart.

3. Prayer for missions can be fruitful only when we have some knowledge of the missionary work. Many prayers, not only those for missions. are too general and too colorless, tho they may be quite long. Moody tells the story of a plain woman who in a meeting interrupted the long prayer of a man with the words: "Ask for something." Who prays truly must ask for something: that is a simple truth which is often forgotten. If we desire to pray really for missions we must not only have some general knowledge of the work, but also some special knowledge, so that we know what is needed and can remember certain needs, certain necessities, and certain persons. Such knowledge enables us to make our prayers pointed. Thus Paul exhorts "that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions. and giving of thanks be made for all men,' and then he specializes "for kings and for all that are in authority," and explains what should be asked for them. A Christian familiar with missionary work will not limit himself to "kings and all that are in authority," but he will choose a certain Christian or heathen government whose conduct at present is important. In like manner he will not pray for missionaries in general only, but for certain persons, known to him personally, or from reports, and specify their needs.

Paul asked, "Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me," and modern missionaries frequently repeat the request. A mighty strength is given by the consciousness: "Some one is praying for me," and it is a great comfort to the endangered and tempted lonely missionary that he knows he is personally remembered in prayer. The more we pray for a man whom we know, and for special cases with which we are familiar, the more serious, importunate, urgent, and, therefore, effective becomes our prayer for missions. But, thus, we have already entered upon the discussion of the second point:

II. The Contents of Prayer for Missions

According to Paul, who said, "In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God," everything which causes care or calls for thanksgiving, in the missionary life at home. as well as upon the fields of missionary effort, should be remembered in our prayers for missions. However, there are certain principal things which should form the basis of our prayers for missions, and to these we must limit ourselves. We find them if we study the example of Jesus, who commanded missionary effort to commence, and of Paul, the greatest missionary of all times. In the prayers of these two I find five principal things, which should be remembered in a prayer for missions: The laborers, the native Christians, the governments of the missionary fields, the opponents of missionary work, and thanksgiving.

1. The laborers. To these belong the white missionaries, the native helpers, the leaders of the work, and the bearers of the missionary life at home. The double request should be for the sending and for the upholding of the laborers. The question of laborers is the vital question of missionary effort, and on the laborers, to a great extent, depends the success of the work.

(a) We can not create these men and women. God must give them. Jesus spent "all night in prayer to God" before he chose the twelve. His disciples were told to pray the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborThe apostles' prayer, "Thou,

ers.

Lord, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen." And the Church that was at Antioch prayed that the Holy Spirit separate the right men for the first great missionary journey. Our attention is here called to the fact that prayer for missions should not have reference to the number of laborers only. We have certainly a right—yea, rather a duty-to pray that the number of laborers be made proportionate to the greatness of the harvest, but we must be careful that it may not look as if we think that numbers are of greatest importance. In the vineyard of the Lord the quantity is less important than the quality. We need more laborers in many fields, but it is more important that we pray for men who are qualified through a deep spiritual life, are possessed of great learning, and are born leaders of men.

Prayer for native helpers is becoming of greater importance as the missionary work extends further and further. The Native Christian Church must be educated until she becomes independent. Thus we must pray for the giving of native laborers of personal faith and spiritual experience, together with moral firmness, who are so confirmed in their knowledge and clearness of the Christian religion that they are able to be teachers and shepherds of their countrymen.

The missionary leaders at home should not be forgotten in the prayer for missions. The men should be remembered who have so great responsibility, since their wisdom, energy, ability of organization and of government, and the measure of personal confidence which they possess, have so much to do with the efficiency of the work abroad and with the will

« ForrigeFortsett »