History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume I.Anderson, Rufus
Religion
History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume I.
Anderson, Rufus
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; Missions -- Eastern churches
Mr. Coan went from here with some Nestorian helpers through the
mountains beyond Tiary, till their way was hedged up by hostile
Koords. They met with great encouragement in their proclamation of
the gospel.1 Mention has been made of the preaching of deacons Syad
and Mosheil in Bootan, in the summer of 1850. The next winter was
spent by deacons Murad Khan and Mosheil in the same region; and
their journal affords evidence of singular talent for the labors of
an evangelist. They were gone six months.2
1 _Ibid_. 1852, p. 71.
2 _Missionary Herald_, 1852, pp. 257-262.
Among the native helpers, who accompanied Mr. Stocking to Gawar, was
deacon Isaac. After spending a few days with Mr. Stocking, he
proceeded to Kochanis, the residence of his brother, whither his
family had previously gone on a visit. The influence of this deacon
and his amiable wife was the probable cause of the unusual conduct
of the Patriarch in a visit he shortly afterwards made to Gawar,
when he received the missionary and his native helpers with the
greatest apparent cordiality in the presence of a large number of
ecclesiastics, and charged the people to see that they were treated
with the regard due to good men.
This was in the summer of 1851. The station was commenced by Messrs.
Coan and Rhea in the autumn of that year. The plain of Gawar is
large and beautiful, and is hemmed in by some of the wildest of the
Koordish mountains. The village of Memikan, selected for the
station, lay on the southwest base of the great Jeloo mountains.
That village was preferred to the larger ones, as having received
much religious instruction from deacon Tamo. It was also central.
The rigors of a severe climate cut them off three mouths from
communication with the plain of Oroomiah, and these rigors were to
be encountered in native huts. But they enjoyed comfortable health,
and were happy and successful in their work. The Bishop of Gawar
sent orders to the villagers not to attend their services, nor to
send children to their schools; but the order produced only a
momentary effect. Mrs. Coan had a school for the mothers and
daughters of the village, who came barefooted through the snow day
after day, the mothers bringing their children on their backs. All
the young men and all the boys of suitable age learned to read the
gospel, and the fathers came to the school-room every Saturday, to
listen while the scholars were learning their Sabbath-school
lessons. Thirty or forty were accustomed to assemble every night to
hear the Word of God expounded, and all attended on the services of
the Sabbath. Deacon Tamo preached in the surrounding villages.
Though threatened at times, he encountered no active opposition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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