The American Missionary — Volume 41, No. 1, January, 1887Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 41, No. 1, January, 1887
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
their efforts I do say, they have tried faithfully to do well what
they have attempted, and have succeeded, and so have won the esteem
of their teachers in the several departments.
The studies are as yet mostly elementary. The Bible in Dakota and
in English has always had a prominent place, in order that the
young men and women may be fitted for religious work among their
people. We would never lose sight of the fact that the first and
highest aim is to form a Christian character that shall go with its
influence into their homes and be felt. It is no plan of Santee to
isolate the child from the parent, but rather through the child to
influence the parent and all home life. Where there is such strong
family affection, there is a proportionately strong hope that the
greater and larger good can be accomplished in this way. Through
the past year there has been an awakening to the claims of their
own people upon our pupils as never before. They express desires
such as these: “I want to help my people.” “I go alone on the hill
and cry to God to bless and save my people.” “Pray for my people
that they may all be Christians.” Surely God’s spirit is with them.
During our summer vacation we receive letters from those at home,
which give a little insight into their life when they return to old
surroundings. One young girl writes, “There are some new Indians
here. They have their old ways yet, and I am afraid of them and
very careful with them. No Sunday-school, no church and no prayer
to-day is just dreadful to me. Remember us in your prayers that we
may be able to resist temptation.” Quoting from a letter from one
of the young men, “The people here asked me to go to grass dance,
but I said ‘I don’t know how to dance now.’ They have dance every
Sunday. And the white man, he always took some picture on Sunday.
You think he doing right? I think they don’t know how to walk to
the church. I know what makes those white men not want to go to
church. They didn’t like to hear the truth and doing in the right
way that Jesus wants all people to do.” Do not such words as these
show that the good seed is taking deep root?
Our organized Christian work embraces three missionary societies
and a Y. M. C. A.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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