THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
DURING the year 1900 the burden of Foreign Missions, and the need of prayer for such, was so laid upon the hearts of a few of God’s children in Greystones, that they were led to come together, to wait upon Him, for blessing on His work and workers in far-off lands: and on the second Tuesday evening in December, 1900, a little company—numbering twelve in all—met in the meeting room for prayer and consultation.
It was then decided to have a meeting the second Tuesday evening in each month, the first part of which was to be occupied by the members giving short accounts of mission work in different lands, reading letters from missionaries, &c., the latter part to be spent in prayer for the different places, and the meeting to close by the members giving a free-will offering as the Lord enabled them. What has been the result? We have come now to the end of our first year, and, looking back over the past, we, His children, can only raise a note of praise, and say in connection with this feeble effort, “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”
Not only have we gained fresh light and information about Foreign Missions known to us, but we have learned something about work and workers in dark heathen lands hitherto unknown, and hence unthought of by us. And then as the deep need of those who are sitting in darkness, and those who are laboring amongst them, has been borne in upon our hearts, we have been stirred up to labor more fervently in prayer, and we know the result has been blessing on each member of our little gathering, and we believe it has also proved a blessing to God’s servants in the far-off places of the earth today.
While we praise God for the way in which He has led and blessed us in this work for Him in the past, shall we not afresh consecrate ourselves to Him for His service, that He may do with each one of us just as He will? So that from our yielded lives blessing may flow forth, not only to those in the homeland, but to those in the uttermost parts of the earth; yea, may we each one be stirred up in the coming year—if the Lord tarry—to labor and pray as never before, to give of our very best, and if He calls be ready to go forth for Him, so that by-and-by, in that day when we stand amid that great multitude, which no man can number, out of all nations, kindreds, and people, we may hear from the Master’s lips, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
As to the free-will offerings, we can praise God for what He has enabled us to do in this matter also. The money contributed during the year has amounted to the sum of £7 r9s. This has been distributed as follows:
Mission Work in
£ s. d.
Spezia 0 I4 0
Spain I 13 0
India o 16 6
China 4 0 0
France 0 15 6
£7 19 0
[We consider the above to be a deeply interesting story, and insert it because we believe it may stir up other Christian friends to help in missionary work after the same fashion. We are quite sure God will bless these gatherings for prayer, and also the practical help accorded to mission work. We should like our friends to remember this little company thus waiting upon God. Moreover, if there are those who would like to read in our pages any of the “short accounts” or extracts from the letters from missionaries, we should be glad to know.—En. S. W.·