Our Moslem Sisters: A Cry of Need from Lands of Darkness Interpreted by Those Who Heard It
Religion
Our Moslem Sisters: A Cry of Need from Lands of Darkness Interpreted by Those Who Heard It
Women -- Orient
This might be done by older workers and we earnestly urge that women's
missionary boards and societies should be willing to receive women for
this department older than they can take for school or medical work. The
language is learnt through constant intercourse with the women. If older
women who could meet their own expenses might be allowed to give
themselves solely to this evangelistic work, we believe that a large
increase would be made to our missionary force.
[Illustration: A CRY OF DISTRESS FROM ALGIERS]
Women's settlements are only beginning to be tried in different parts of
the field, but we believe that this method would be found very helpful
both in towns and villages, but especially in the villages. The thought
is, to have a group of about four workers and one or two native helpers
living together, composing a women's household, into which the Moslem
women may freely come without fear of meeting any men. These settlements
should be within easy reach of an ordinary mission station, so that the
work should be part of the whole, and the husbands should be cared for
by others at the same time. School, medical, and evangelistic work may
all be done from a settlement.
It is felt in the educational work that girl's boarding schools are far
more fruitful for good than day schools. One sort of school that seems
to have had the happiest results has been where a lady missionary has a
little group of some twelve girls living with her. They are her
companions night and day; she shares all their conversation, their play,
their household duties, their lessons. The pure, refining influence of
her constant companionship has more effect on these young lives than any
other that has been tried. Will not many Christian women give themselves
to such work as this?
Much might be done in the way of small orphanages for girls, or homes
where the children of divorced mothers might be received.
The possibilities before us of what these girls might become through the
home training of several years are almost unlimited. The natural
intelligence and sweetness of character shown by many of them show what
might be made of them. They have all the light-heartedness and merry
ways of western girls, with the same tenderness towards suffering. And
at the same time there is a strength of character and determination of
will that not only explains, perhaps, many of the divorces which now
take place, but it raises hopes of what these girls may become, and may
accomplish for the regeneration of their people.
If they become followers of Christ, they are of the stuff of which
martyrs are made. One little girl in a mission school in Egypt stood up
in front of all her companions and boldly said that she believed in
Jesus. The news was quickly told at home and she was severely beaten. A
day or two afterwards, she was back in her place at school. Her teacher
asked had she been beaten very much. "Yes," she said, "but never mind,
wasn't Jesus beaten for me?"
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