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
He drove us from his village, and furiously threatened murder, if we
ever dared to return. But very soon thereafter the Lord sent us a
little orphan girl from Nerwa’s village. She was very clever, and could
both read and write, and told over all that we taught her. Her visits
home, or at least amongst the villagers where her home had been, her
changed appearance and her childish talk, produced a very deep interest
in us and in our work.
An orphan boy next was sent from that village to be kept and trained at
the Mission House, and he too took back his little stories of how kind
and good to him were Missi the man and Missi the woman. By this time
Chief and people alike were taking a lively interest in all that was
transpiring. One day the Chief’s wife, a quiet and gentle woman, came
to the Worship and said,—
“Nerwa’s opposition dies fast. The story of the Orphans did it. He has
allowed me to attend the Church, and to get the Christian’s book.”
We gave her a book and a bit of clothing. She went home and told
everything. Woman after woman followed her from that same village,
and some of the men began to accompany them. The only thing in which
they showed a real interest was the children singing the little hymns
which I had translated into their own Aniwan tongue, and which my wife
had taught them to sing very sweetly and joyfully. Nerwa at last got
so interested that he came himself, and sat within earshot, and drank
in the joyful sound. In a short time he drew so near that he could
hear our preaching, and then began openly and regularly to attend the
Church. His keen reasoning faculty was constantly at work. He weighed
and compared everything he heard, and soon out-distanced nearly all
of them in his grasp of the ideas of the Gospel. He put on clothing,
joined our School, and professed himself a follower of the Lord Jesus.
He eagerly set himself, with all his power, to bring in a neighbouring
Chief and his people, and constituted himself at once an energetic and
very pronounced helper to the Missionary.
On the death of Naswai, Nerwa at once took his place in carrying my
Bible to the Church, and seeing that all the people were seated before
the stopping of the bell. I have seen him clasping the Bible like a
living thing to his breast, and heard him cry,—
“Oh, to have this treasure in my own words of Aniwa!”
When Matthew and Mark were at last printed in Aniwan, he studied them
incessantly, and soon could read them freely. He became the Teacher in
his own village School, and delighted in instructing others. He was
assisted by Ruwawa, whom he himself had drawn into the circle of Gospel
influence; and at our next election these two friends were appointed
Elders of the Church, and greatly sustained our hands in every good
work on Aniwa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account