John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 2 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brotherPaton, John Gibson
Religion
John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 2 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brother
Paton, John Gibson
Missionaries -- Vanuatu -- Biography; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
Naswai was younger and more intelligent than Namakei, and in
everything except in translating the Scriptures he was much more of a
fellow-helper in the work of the Lord. For many years it was Naswai’s
special delight to carry my pulpit Bible from the Mission House to the
Church every Sabbath morning, and to see that everything was in perfect
order before the Service began. He was also the Teacher in his own
village School, as well as an Elder in the Church. His preaching was
wonderfully happy in its graphic illustrations, and his prayers were
fervent and uplifting. Yet his people were the worst to manage on all
the Island, and the very last to embrace the Gospel.
He died when we were in the Colonies on furlough in 1875; and his wife
Katua very shortly pre-deceased him. His last counsels to his people
made a great impression on them. They told us how he pleaded with them
to love and serve the Lord Jesus, and how he assured them with his
dying breath that he had been “a new creature” since he gave his heart
to Christ, and that he was perfectly happy in going to be with his
Saviour.
I must here recall one memorable example of Naswai’s power and skill as
a preacher. On one occasion the _Dayspring_ brought a large deputation
from Fotuna to see for themselves the change which the Gospel had
produced on Aniwa. On Sabbath, after the Missionaries had conducted
the usual Public Worship, some of the leading Aniwans addressed the
Fotunese; and amongst others, Naswai spoke to the following effect:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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