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EVANGELICAL

>1. 1. No. 24 V. 29, 1963

MENNONITE

CONFERENCE I I

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that whosoever believeth on him should not perish" but have ever lasting life . . . John 3:16

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners , . . Romans 5:8 r\'S

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Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son ... I John 4:10 Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins . . . Matthew 1:21 Though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor . . . 2 Corinthians 8:9 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved . . . John 3:17 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we be held his glory . . . John 1:17 Lord, help us to take in the incomprehensible simplicity and mean ing of thy coming. —Moody Monthly

IN THIS ISSUE

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Mali Eepublic

The Christian and Television

Steinbach Bible Institute

Hurricane Victims Receive Help

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/*!. . . LET YOUB CONDUCT BE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST . .

PHEL. 1:27

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ENCOURAGEMENT TO SEED SOWERS

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CHRISTMAS 1963 Tired feet, headaches, frustrated mother and har assed fathers are all part of the price we pay for our modern Christmases. 1 can well remember the day when Christina.s meant one small toy, a “bag”, and a Christmas program on Christmas eve where boys and girls would stand — ramrod straight — reciting their pieces. What happened? Why this hectic frenzied pace that we today have set as we prepare to commemorate Christ’s birthday? We will again spend more than we can afford (and hope for the best when the statements start coming in January). We will again give to. people gifts that they don’t need, and could very well do with out, because they expect it of us. We will again gorge ourselves on sweets and turkeys while a great part of the world goes to bed hungry and dies of hunger (We understand that aro,und the world some 10,000 people die of hunger every day). I Would we not do well to stop and think where we are going? Can we not do something about this mad buying spree that seems to, make people throw caution to the winds when Christmas rolls around ? 1 believe it would be well here to bring in the Bible’s teaching on moderation and temperance and sobriety. This does not rule out the giving of gifts, but what we need Is to take a second look at our extravagent buying habits. And after all is not the motive and the sj»irit of far greater worth then the gift itself?

A TIME TO DIEPresident John F. Kennedy is dead, but the work of a nation goes on. Nevertheless we pause to mourn with the bereaved widow and her two children. Cut down by an assassins bullet while still in the prime of life, the late President will soon be forgotten, in spite of his short term of office. The very fact that some 53 countries were represented at the funeral shows the respect in which he was held by rulers and heads of state. The violence of last Friday and later the murder of the assassin but reminds us of what happems when man is ruled by his base passions. “This know also” writes Paul to Timothy,” that in the last days perilous times shall come . . . evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.” Many, no doubt, have prayed for the President dur ing his lifetime. We can no longer pray for him, but shall we as Paul exhorts, intercede for rulers and heads of state still living, “. . . that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines.s and honesty” This i.s an obligation of the Christian which we fear is all too often neglected. Shall we also be faithful in this. *Ecclesiastes 3:2 J 2

Dr. A. J. Gordon Cn one occasion, as Leigh Richmond was traveling by coach, the passengers got out to walk a bit and lighten the horses, as well as to enjoy the magnificent prospect, and he began to give a tract to every wayfarer he met. One of his fellow-travelers smiled derisively as he saw a tract treated contemptuously by the receiver, torn in two and thrown down on the road. “See how your tract has been used’’, said he: “there is one, at least, quite lost.” “I am not so sure of that”, replied Mr. Richmond; “at any rate the husbandman sows not less because some of the seed may be trodden down”. When they turned around at the top of the hill to take another look at the scene before mounting the coach, they saw distinctly the fate of the little tract. A puff of wind had carried it over the hedge into a hayfield where a number of haymakers were seated and listening to the said tract which one of their number bad found. He was observed carefully joining together the two parts which had been torn asunder, but were held together by a thread. The devil had done his work imperfectly; for instead of tearing the tract to tatters his agent had left it still avail able for use, a little pains sufficing to make it legible. Thus the poor man who had torn the tract in two was the means of its being read by a whole band of haymakers instead of by a single individual. But this was not all — the reader of the torn tract was led to reflection and prayer, and subsequently became an earnest Christian and tract dis tributor himself. Of the company that were with him in the field, three became, within twelve months, diligent laborers in their neighborhood on behalf of the truth as is in Christ. —From a tract 4>

John K. Reimer (page 4) is the pastor of the Aberdeen E.M. Church in Winnipeg. Lar?-j/ and Kathryn McNeill (page 3) serve in the Mali Republic under the Gospel Missionary Union.

Edwin Wright (page 7) is pastor of the Endeavour Fel lowship Chapel (EMC) at Endeavour, Sask. • * * MOSLEM pressure is forcing more and more missions to close in Africa. Among the latest to be forced out of Tuni sia is the North Africa Mission, which had maintained a sizeable book store and Bible center in Tunis. Freedom of religion in Tunisia is interpreted to mean that individuals may practise their own religion, but evangelization is forbidden.

The Messenger Official organ, in the English language, of the EVANGEbICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE. Published bi-weekly under the aus pices of the E.M.C. BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS AND EDUCATION. Editor, David K. Schelleiibcrg, 502 Fifth Ave. N.W., Portage la Prairie, Man. Assistant Editor, Abe P. Unger. All new subscriptions should be sent to Mr. Abe Klassen, lio\ 1447, Steinbach, Man, Authorized as second class mall. Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage In cash.

THE MESSENGER

SERVING THE LORD IN THE

MALI REPUBLIC, AFRICA By Larry and Kathryn McNeill

A Charge to Keep “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath com mitted unto us the word of reconcilia tion” (2 Cor. 5:19). It is our joy and privilege as Christians to live for the Lord and to make His Word known to the lost. May we ever be faithful to this trust. We thank God for all of you friends who uphold us in this por tion of His vineyard, and thus make our ministry here possible. After our arrival at Sirakoro in June, we became more burdened for the local people; as no one here had accepted the Lord for about two years. Due to the heavy rains and sickness, we have been confined largerly to the station the past four months. Be cause of this we have been able to spend more time with the folks here. The Price is too Great, for Some There is a young man in the village, a blacksmith, who has often worked for us during the past years. Several weeks ago he said that he wanted to accept the Lord, but must talk to his family and relatives about it first. The next time I visited him he said his people, who are Moslems, told him that if he became a Christian, he would he “separating himself from them”, so he felt it was too hard, at least for the present. Pray for this young man as he has been sick for several months. Just last year he brought two strangers from another village to the Mission Compound to accept Christ ,after having encouraged them to do so. We feel there are many in this village who know and desire the truth of the Gospel, but the fear of man is binding them yet. Others Come . . . How our hearts rejoiced when three young men from the village and one from nearby came up for church this past Sunday morning, not just for ser vice, but to accept Christ. Three of them had attended church the Sunday before. We praise the Lord for these new converts, and trust that soon many more here will make this break. Another cause for rejoicing is that these young men have all had some

November 29, 1963

schooling and thus are able to read the Word of God for themselves. The spokesman for the group had already been studying the Gospel of John for several weeks. Pray for these young fellows who are still all in their teens. We are happy also when a middleaged man came to accept Christ about ten days ago from a village twentyfive miles east of us. His village had heard the Gospel only twice since this station was opened five years ago. He is the first believer there and said that others will become Christians the next time we go there. It is also to the east and southwest of us that many villages have opened up to the Gospel during the past two years, the farthest one with believers being fifty miles away. After November we plan to spend much time itinerating in this area in order to teach the present be lievers and to reach out farther into these villages that are ripe for har vest. Pray that the Lord will send more labourers out here. With the Lord Dear old Hawa, of whom many of you have heard us talk, was called home to be with the Lord yesterday morning. We will miss her smile and her fellowship, but we are happy that she is now where she so longed to be “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Ps. 116:15. Boarding School Towards the end of July our little Eugene Paul left for boarding school in Guinea, over four hxmdred miles away. We have really missed him these past weeks and are looking for ward to his return November 28th. He seems to have adjusted without too much difficulty, and to be getting along fine. We know that he is in good hands and in a fine school Baggage Arrives Two weeks ago we came back from Bamako without outfit that we shipped from Chicago last Jtme. We praise the Lord that it has all arrived and in excellent condition. The customs released it so that we might bring it with us to the station with out further delay, but they hadn’t pro cessed the papers. So we don’t know

yet what charges they will make. Apart from Kathryn’s seige of Dangue fever and a few boUs for my self, we’ve been in good health these past months. We praise the Lord for His mercies, and want to thank each of you for your prayers for us. « « * THE BELIEVER’S BLESSED HOPE E. J. Wright

In one of the strongly forti fied penitentaries of the U.S.A., there were imbedded in the stone wall above the entrance these words: “All who enter here, lose all hope.” As the intent of this awful warning pene trates our understanding, is it not conceivable that these words apply to all who walk the scenes of this earth without God. Paul writes in I Cor. 15.19 (Phillip’s Translation), “Truly, if our faith in Christ were limited to this life only we should, of all mankind, be the most to be pitied!” However, the Bible sparkles with the gems of ‘Hope’ strewn through out its pages. Immediately the con cept of God as “The God of Hope” (Rom. 15:13) penetrates the finite mind. We have “An utterly reliable anchor for our souls, fixed in the cer tainty of God Himself,” (Heb. 6:19 Phillips) I Cor. 13:13 classifies “Hope” as one of the three great lasting qualities bestowed upon the one who puts his trust in the Saviour. Along with “Faith” and “Love” hope supersedes prophetical insight; miraculous pow ers, charitable sacrifices, and orator ical persuasiveness. Yes ,the Christian Hope is greater than any cherished ambition or achievement of man’s in genuity. Hope is catalogued in the Bible’s top three of all those bestowments of a Benevolent God upon His children, simply it is His creation, and is given through Christ and His res urrection. I Peter 1: 3 (Phillip’s) graphically portrays this fact, when it reads: “Thank God . . . that in His great mercy we men have been born again into a life full of hope, through Christ’s rising again from the dead.” It is this “Blessed Hope” CKtus 2.13) that “When He appears, we shall be like Him” (I John 3:2), that lifts the believer above the problems and per plexities of this earthly life. It is this hope that makes a man happy in the Dursuit of being Christ-like (I John 3:3-, in spite of sacrifice and obscur ity in this world.

A Social Concerns Article

THE CHRISTIAN AND TELEVISION By Rev. John K. Reimer

In I Peter 5:8, we are exhorted to be calm and alert. Why? Because our opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, prowls about, trying to devour us. This means that he tries to undermine and destroy our faith. He does it by every possible way and means. No one can deny that in our day he uses, among other things, television as a medium in his work of destruction. As Christians, we are all well aware of the conflict in which we are en gaged; a conflict, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers’. What causes this perpetual struggle? It is our sinful flesh with which we are still clothed and this pull intensified by our ex posure to a sinful and degraded so ciety. Then on the other nand is tne divine charge, “Come out from among them and be ye separate.” How do we fare in this conflict? Are we calm, aiert and separated? We Have Failed In our evaluation of Christianity, and to narrow it down a little more we will say evangelical Christianity, we can quite obviously see that we have failed to be alert; failed to cope with the tactics employed by the ene my, The advent of modern science and the resultant wonderful inventions have been seized upon by Satan for advancement of his evil cause. Modern mass media of communication, for example, have perhaps become the most effective and deadly weapon at his disposal. The latest of which is television. By way of this phenominal invention, as someone has put it, “the world is brought right into your home.” Does this statement strike you? Do you see the reality of it? Since television is so tremendously effective as a means of communcation, and since by far the greatest amount of what is put on it is of the base nature, putting it moderately, and ought never to be condoned nor tol erated by the Christian, I believe we 4

are justified in singling it out for reevaluation. It IS true and 1 tor one ao not hesitate to admit, that television is a marvellous invention and could be of great blessing if rightly used ac both transmitting and receiving enos. Potential jor Good However perilous the influences of television towards evil are, we muse remember that the thing itself is not necessarily evil, but rather the usage of it. Therefore it is not fair to totally condemn it without stopping to con sider its potential for good. As a mealum of communication it also can serve as a means of proclaiming the gospel. Let us hope that in tne future ine Church of Christ will be able to use even tlris means to complete her colos sal task. However, in the light of the unbal anced ratio of the good and the evil, the edifying and the destruction ma terials presented on television, Cnriscians ought to maintain an apprehen sive attitude towards it. Any Christ ian in justifying their possession of a T.V. set, argue from the point of oeing able to control the use of it. No doubt some can and do but how many do not and cannot. A well known ev angelist once said, “I dare not have a T.V. set for I cannot trust myself.” Parents will say, “We practise rigid control on what our children see.” Be that as it may, but what of the time when the parents are away? Brings Theatre into the Home As a parent of growing children, I feel that in order to be safe we must, for the present at least, keep it out of our homes. There certainly is a point in the statement we often hear, “In the past we did not dream of going to a movie nor letting our children go, but now we bring the movies right into our homes with all the filth that comes with it”. Yet, we try to justify and console onrselves in having it in our home on the virtue of a compar atively few good things coming over

it. Notice what a writer in the New York Times says; “Few thoughtful persons can deny that television has sunk into a melodorous quagmire — good programs that have intellectual appeal are being swamped by com mercials that are often meretricious and sometimes in atrocious tastes. Any program, no matter how valuable, can be interrupted without warning jor advertisements that most self-respect ing publications would reject out-of hand.” This then is what we are invit ing right into our homes through tele vision. Then there is also the time con suming and ambition-robbing element that should be considered. Some time ago we were in the market for a used piano. Following an ad to a private home, we were struck as the mother of two teenage girls soberly disclosed the reason for selling the piano. She pointed to the T.V. set in the corner of the room and said, “That is the I” reason!" These girls had lost their ambition for something that is valv.able through watching television. Heed the Warnings In conclusion may I encourage the reader to heed and accept the warn ings and admonitions of Scriptures such as I John 2:15-17; “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in hur-. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Also Matt. 6: ..z, 23; “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

* * * TAP FACES OPPORTUNITY OF CENTURY IN AFRICA “The need for short-term 'Christian secondary sdhool teachers in Africa is very great. The opportunity :for them to make a significant contribution to the Christian witness in Africa is one of the greater opportunities facing the church in this century,” said Paul Minniger, president of Goshen Col lege, after a 50-day tour of Africa this summer.

THE MESSSENGER

TRUTH for youth SUFFER THE CHILDREN Elizabeth Dueck and Mary Brandt went to Germany in April of this year as helpers at a Children’s Home operated in conjunction with the work of the Levi K. Reimers at Hackenhausen. The two Sisters were among the first to go out under the newly organized V.S. program of the EMC.

A letter from Sister Dueck informs us that they are kept busy with the many and varied duties of the Child ren’s Home. Her job now is mending and sewing. She is very thankful for the prayers of those who are praying for her. She finds the work quite strenuous. Shall we also pray that the Lord will meet her every need. Nev ertheless Elizabeth rejoices that the

Lord has permitted her to serve in this way, writing, “. . . if all our young people could have this experience to work in the field for a year, many would come back and fill the Bible schools to overcrowding and the time would just be too long before they could go out as full-time mission aries..” Sister Brandt has a different job.

She is mother to 10 youngsters rang ing in age from 3 to 12 years! That this must be a coUossal task any mother with half that many children would readily admit. Plus this they are children who have come in from the street as it were. “It is such a blessing,” writes Sister Dueck, “to step into her kitchen at mealtime and she sitting at one end and her 10 children by the table and Mary with the open Bible having de votions, at breakfast, supper and again at night before bedtime.” Sister Brandt feels that she would have missed out on the best time of he^ life, had she not heeded this call. Shall we continue before the throne of Grace in behalf of these two V.S.ers in the land of Germany. Sa

Left-. Sister Brandt, at ths head of the ta ble, a 15 year old helper and her ten charges.

R'ght: They couldn’t stay awake but fell asleep at the supper table.

STEINBACH BIBLE INSTITUTE

Steinbach Bible Institute opened its doors for the twenty-sev enth consecutive year on October 1, 1963. The official opening was held in the E.M.C. at Blumenort on Otcober 20. The total enrollment for the first semester is 182 students, representing 13 denominations and 4 provinces in Canada, one state of the U.S.A., Mex ico, and Paraguay. In the Bible School five majors are again being offered: Missions, General Bible, Christian Education, Music and Pastoral Work. The High School in cludes Grade 9 to 12. Various activities, sponsored by the November 29, 1963

Institute, give the students practical experience along with their Bible and secular subjects. Some of these are visitations to local hospitals, the home for the aged, and old people and shutins’ homes. Tracts are again being dis tributed in Winnipeg and through the

mail. Good News Clubs are conduct ed weekly in surrounding areas, and programs are being rendered in out lying districts. Harmony, Sightsinging, and Voice are taught three evenings a week by Mr. Albert Schultz, music instructor and director at Sisler High School in Winnipeg. Mr. Wilbert Loewen is con ductor of the school chorus. A ladies,

male, and mixed choir are also pre paring for service; these choirs are being conducted by students. From October 21 to 25 revival meet ings were held at the Institute from 3;00 to 4:00 p.m. and also 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The messages, by Rev. William Falk, pastor of the North Kildonan M.B. Church, stressed the utter fool ishness of rebelling against God and of refusing to give one’s heart to God. The faculty and students request prayer that God will continue to bless the work as young people are pre paring to be sharpened tools — ready for the Master’s Use! By Mary Anne Thiessen Secretary - Treasurer Literary Committee 5

CHILDREN’S STORY

A Gift for Someone Special As soon as the letter came, saying Grandma was coming for a visit, Ruth began to plan a gift for her. Daddy had been in the hospital for two months now and there was no money to purchase a gift. It would have to be something that Ruth could make her self, but she couldn’t decide what it would be. “It will have to be special,” Ruth said. A month ago the doctor told Grandma she would have to take a long rest from housework. That was why Grandma planned the visit and that was why the gift would have to be special. “Why not give handkerchiefs?” Mother asked. “I have some white cloth left in the sewing room.” But Ruth shook her head. “She’s such a wonderful grandmother,” Ruth said. “I’ll have to think about a real nice gift.” Mother thought a while, then she said, “When I was a little girl, we made the gifts we gave our grand mother. We didn’t have much money and besides, she said the gifts we made were much nicer.” “But what could I make?” Ruth asked again. “Maybe you can think of something this afternoon while I visit Daddy at the hospital,” she replied. After Ruth went to her room, she

thought of many things she could give. She could gather a bouquet of roses and tie a ribbon around it, but the flowers would wither and die. She could cut out recipes and make a cook body said she had a “gift for sewing.” cook, she didn’t need recipes. There was but one thing Ruth could do well and that was sewing. Every body said she had a “gift for sewing” But Grandma could sew, very fine sewing. There was nothing Ruth could give Grandma that she couldn’t make for herself. Ruth decided. Oh, if only she had some money to go downtown to shop for a gift! Then Ruth remembered the Bible verse her teacher had asked her to recite in her Sunday School class the next Sunday. It was a good time to study, now that she was in the house alone. She found the verse, typed on a slip of paper, beneath her Bible cover. “ ‘Neglect not the gift that is in thee,’ ” Ruth read. She read it three times and then she knew it from memory. Her teacher had explained last Sunday that the word “neglect” means to fail to do What we know we can do. “I know I can sew,” Ruth said aloud as she placed the verse inside her Bible. “That means I must do my best with my gift for sewing.” She knew

Seed Thoughts from Galatians Don P. Shidler II. HIS GOSPEL (1:6-9). A. Galation instability (1:6). 1. I marvel. Paul means, I am amazed, astonished at the thoughtless, fickle, unstable decision you have made. 2. Ye are so soon removed (1:6). The thought of remove is to transpose two things, to put each in the place of the other. The Galatians had put law back in the place of grace. They had become turncoats to the cause of Christ. a. Heresy substituting law for grace. b. Legalism for evangelism. 3. Removed from Him (1:7). In getting caught in the Whirl of current popularity they had turned from the only true Savior and His Gospel to something false. In their fickleness they had turned to perverters and their perversion (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Perversion is: c. Trust in rites and sacraments. d. Orthodox creeds becoming idols.

then that she should make a gift for Grandma, and she knew that every stitch she sewed should be her very best. All that afternoon Ruth worked on a pot holder for Grandma. That night she had finished it but she kept it secret until Grandma arrived the next day at noon. Grandma had on her saucy black hat with a matching veil, and pink roses on the brim. But she was wear ing dark glasses and she looked very tired. No wonder the doctor had told her to rest, Ruth thought. After Grandma had asked about Daddy and everyone she knew, Ruth gave her rhe pot holder. Grandma turned the red and black quilted square over and over, and her face crinkled with smiles. ‘What a smart girl you are,” she said. “The doctor stopped me from sewing but now I’m not worried. Ruth can take care of all the little things I need, she has such a fine gift for sewing.” And then Ruth knew that she had made a very special gift, better than any thing money could buy. Her gift had made Grandma happy, and now she did not look tired. “I’ll do my very best sewing for you,” Ruth promised Grandma. And then Ruth promised God that she would do her best sewing every time she picked up her needle. She knew now that all good gifts are from God, and that only our best is good enough. End

e. Moral creeds for spiritual needs. B. Just one Gospel (1:8, 9). The Gospel means, “Good News”—glad tidings. It is the revelation of the grace of God to fallen man through a mediator—God’s life giving message to a dying world. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scrip tures” (1 Cor. 15:1-4). 1. It is the Gospel of God (Rom. 1:1; 15:29). 2. It is a glorious Gospel (1 Tim. 1:1). 3. It is the Gospel of Christ (Mark 1:1) 4. It is the Gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). 5. It is the Gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 14:1b). 6. It is a powerful Gospel (Rom. 1:16). 7. It is an everlasting Gospel (Rev. 14:6). 8. It is the work of Christ (Acts 4:12).

THE MESSENGER

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“NOT NEEDED”

By Leona Reimer Were you struck, as I was while reading the MCC News in a recent issue of the “Messenger’’? Never be fore had I read a list of items “not needed.” Always we are made aware of our needs or the needs of others. Especially true is this when it comes to giving aid to the poor, sick and suffering through the MCC foreign aid program. For your information may I repeat some of the items listed as “not need ed”. They are; fancy, frilly dresses, -1 heeled shoes, old books and ma., azines, sleeveless dresses, woman’s shorts, hats, etc. If these articles can not be used to help those in need, why do we need them, I thought. Are not many of our closets cluttered with articles “Not Needed”? Have we not quite frequently acquired things for ourselves which were not necessary but which the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life coveted after. It might be well for us to also make a list for ourselves of things “not needed,” so that we are not swept into care less buying when things are so frivol ously displayed at this time of year. As Christian women let us take time to meditate on God’s Word to us which we find in I Tim. 2:9 & 10. “I want the women, on their part to dress becomingly, that in modesty and sens ibly, not adorning themselves with braided hair and gold or pearls or ex pensive dresses but with good deeds, for this is appropriate for women who profess to be pious.” (Williams)

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MCC Neics CUBA WOULD WELCOME DRUGS AND RELIEF GOODS, BUT NOT MEN Kitchener, Ont., (MCC)—Cuba is ready to accept medicines and relief goods, but not personnel, reported Har vey Taves, director of the Canadian MCC office, alter his visit to Havana from October 20 to November 3.

November 29, 1963

He said Cuba is suffering a serious shortage of medicines. The names of chronically ill people can be obtained, and Cuban laws would permit the sending of medicines into the country without being confiscated. The Kitchener MCC office is plan ning an experimental program of drug shipments in answer to this need. Taves indicated that they might start with 50-100 names. He felt that an av erage of five dollars would be needed to supply each of these persons with medicine for a month. Contributions for this program may be sent to the Kitchener office. The names of the Cuban recipients will be made available to the donors if they wish to correspond with them. Cuba would also be open to relief goods, but these materials would be distributed through government chan nels. Taves and Elven Snyder, a mission ary in Puerto Rico under the Mennonite Board of Mission and Charities, went to Cuba to investigate the poss ibility of sending MDS personnel and supplies to Oriente province to help the victims of Hurricane Flora.

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MANITOBA WOMEN RESPOND TO EDNA RUTH BYLER Winnipeg, Man. (MCC)—During her recent visit to Manitoba, Mrs. Edna Ruth Byler, director of MCC’s over seas needlework and crafts program, was overwhelmed by the response from the women. Nine meetings netted $6,640 worth of orders. Mrs. Byler was in Manitoba to visit women’s groups from October 22-28. Before arriving in Manitoba, she thought four days of meetings would be enough to make contact with in terested groups. Unknown to Mrs. Byler, a whole month of engagements had been planned. She could not fol low this timetable but did spend six crowded days meeting with Mennonite women. To take advantage of Mrs. Byler’s time, group from several conferences met jointly. This permitted her to call on the ladies in the Morden, Altona and Winnipeg areas. The Steinbach area remained as one larger district Which Mrs. Byler did not contact. In this area with a demonstration kit in her stead, Mrs. J. M. Klassen will visit later. The Steinbach order will go into the total order for 1964 after which subsequent orders must wait until 1965 to be filled.

Mrs. Byler reports that interest in Manitoba is keen. The women re sponded to this type of program be cause it is worthwhile and fits into their daily round of household chores. None of the handicraft items are made until an order is placed. In this way a woman can have the satis faction of reaching across many conti nents to help her less fortunate sister. High on her list of impressions, Mrs. Byler noted her important by-pro duct of the Manitoba visit. The wo men were not only helping the job less in depressed areas but were dis covering each other through these joint meetings. In a number of in stances it was the first time the ladies met in this spirit of unity. • * * CANADIAN DIRECTOR GIVES IMPRESSIONS OF CUBA Kitchener, Ont. (MCC)—The spirit of Communism is evident in Cuba on every hand. There are slogans every where. The newstands and book stores carry only literature from the govern ment press and from Communist bloc countries. These were some of Har vey Taves’ impressions of Castro’s Cuba after his ten-day visit there re cently. “The Cubans feel themselves in pos session of a beleagued island,’’ re ported Taves. “Most of the younger Cubans seem to be enthusiastic about their leader, and the regime seems to have confidence in the people be cause many of them are armed. One sees teen-agers wearing pistols, old ladies with rilles across their laps guarding the doors of buildings, and young ladies with tommy guns guard ing public and government buildings.’’ Speaking about the churches, he said: “All Protestant groups, and there are twenty of them are still in full op eration. Some weeks ago. Prime Minis ter Castro made a public statement denouncing the Pentecostal and the Bando Evangelico de Gideon (not to be confused with the businessmen's organization). These have been suf fering active persecution (presumably because of their door-to-door visita tion program). The Jehovah’s Witness es, of whom there are said to be 40,000, are completely underground be cause the government is very much opposed to them. “My most thrilling experience was the encounter with members of the Cuban Protestant ministry. They are a group of highly intelligent, well

trained, and dedicated men who have set themselves the task of making Christ known in a hostile environ ment. It was a stimulating experience to be in the presence of these men, to watch them fellowship one with another, and to see their spirit of unity.”

NEWS

NEW LEADER ELECTED AT KLEEFELD A leadership election at Kleefeld on Sunday, November 17 resulted in Rev. Milton Fast being chosen as leader of the Kleefeld congregation. The former leader Rev. John R. Friesen had served since March, 1945. • * « DEEPER LIFE SERVICES AND MISSIONARY CONFERENCE AT ROSEISLE By the aid of our local pastor, Dave Harms, and the main speaker. Corny Loewen from Mexico we were chal lenged to search deeper into the Word of God, apply it to our own lives and let faith continue in works. That, as vessels of clay, we might be moulded by the Potter for His service in what ever way He chooses for us. Special numbers in song were brought by local members, and also some by missionary guests. Missionary guests were: Henry Loe wens, Brazil; Herman Toews family, Paraguay; Justina Brandt, Mexico; Agatha Fast, Germany. The reports were very heart warming. Please pray for us. Our church is very young and Satan’s strategy is very clever. Praise the Lord that we can con quer in His name and that His prom ises hold true for us even today. Mrs. John A. Klassen • * * REVIVAL SERVICES AT MACGREGOR Revival services were held in the MacGregor Evangelical Mennonite Church, October 24th thru November 3rd, with Rev. Arnold Fast of Wymark, Sask., as guest speaker. The meetings were well attended for the most part. Saturday evening, Nov. 3rd was designated especially to young people, with a topic and film geared to our youth. All parents and young people present showed real in terest, and helped to make the evening 8

a success by their attendance and ded ication. The building was packed to capacity. The Lord is rich in mercy, and ready to forgive, again heard the cries of His children, in that souls were saved and new committments made to Jesus Christ. Only Eternity will re veal fully what has been wrought in the hearts and lives of fellow believers during that blessed week of sitting at the feet of our Saviour. « * * REVIVAL MEETINGS AND MISSIONARY CONFERENCE AT PORTAGE

Oct. 27 - Nov. 3 was a week that we had all looked forward to eagerly —a week of revival meetings and 3rd Missionary Conference. Main speaker for the entire week was Rev. B. W. Sawatsky, EMMC Wpg. Revival meetinngs took place the first 5 nights, fol lowed by the Missionary Conference. During the week special numbers were rendered by the local M.B. church, the Sawatsky family, Wpg. as well as numbers from our local EMC church. Messages during the revival campaign were based on “Revival” and different aspects of the second coming of Christ. Rev. Sawatsky also showed slides of his recent travels to British Honduras, Panama and Paraguay. On the opening night of the Mis sionary Conference P. L. Friesen, Sec. Treas. of the Board of Missions, gave an information report of the work. Other speakers during the conference were Harry Flumbaum, whose minis try is among the Jewish people in Wpg.; C. B. Loewen, Mexico, spoke at the Sunday morning worship service; Mr .and Mrs. Henry Loewen, New Tribes Mission, Brazil, who gave a re port and showed slides; Miss Dora Frie sen, Mex., who also gave a report and showed slides. Our hearts were chal lenged as we saw the work of the wo men missionaries. Miss Margaret Neu feld, candidate to Germany, under the Janz Team shared with us her burden to serve the Lord in that field. The week was one of rich blessing, heart searching and rededication. Now the meetings are a thing of the past

but it is our prayer that they might not have been in vain but rather that our love and zeal for the Master will have grown and would be an inspir ation for others too follow Him too. Mrs. John V. Klassen * * * MISSIONARY CONFERENCE AT KOLA Our annual Missionary Conference is again history. The six sessions tak ing place Nov. 15-17 presented many and varied challenges but with one theme — A ripe harvest, few laborers. Some of those participating in the con ference were Rev. Curt Bork (Shan tyman, Assn,); Ed. Friesen (Mexico); Helen Andres (G.M..U); Margaret Neufeld (Germany) and the Peter K. Martens on their way to Paraguay and the Frank Brauns (Oak River Indian Reserve). * * * BIRTHS To Mr. -and Mrs. John Dueck of Kola, a girl on November 22. To Mr. and Mrs. Jake Peters of Go shen, Indiana, a boy, David Franz, on October 21. To Mr. and Mrs. Corny J. L. Friesen of Roseisle a boy, Darrel Roger on September 30. * * * COMING EVENTS Dec. 2 to 9 Revival Meetings at Ar den with Rev. Melvin Dueck as speak er. Dec. 7 The EMC Ministerial meets in Kleefeld. Dec. 29 to Jan. 1 Missionary Con ference at Steinbach with Rev. Don P. Shidler as main speaker. Sessions begin on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m. and continue nightly ending with two sessions on New Years day, 10:45 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. r

CALLING ALL YOUNG MEN! A Christian farmer in Sask, is looking for a year round helper. Anyone interested please con tact Voluntary Service Commit tee, Box 1420, Steinbach, Man.

THE MESSENGER