The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea CannibalsPaton, John Gibson
Religion
The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals
Paton, John Gibson
Missions -- Vanuatu; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
Of other ten adults at this time admitted, one was specially noteworthy.
She was about twenty-five, and the Elders objected because her marriage
had not been according to the Christian usage on Aniwa. She left us
weeping deeply. I was writing late at night in the cool evening air, as
was my wont in that oppressive tropical clime, and a knock was heard at
my door. I called out, "_Akai era_?" (= Who is there?)
A voice softly answered, "Missi, it is Lamu. Oh, do speak with me!"
This was the rejected candidate, and I at once opened the door.
"Oh, Missi," she began, "I cannot sleep, I cannot eat; my soul is in
pain. Am I to be shut out from Jesus? Some of those at the Lord's Table
committed murder. They repented, and have been saved. My heart is very
bad; yet I never did any of those crimes of Heathenism; and I know that
it is my joy to try and please my Saviour Jesus. How is it that I only
am to be shut out from Jesus?"
I tried all I could to guide and console her, and she listened to all
very eagerly. Then she looked up at me and said, "Missi, you and the
Elders may think it right to keep me back from showing my love to Jesus
at the Lord's Table; but I know here in my heart that Jesus has received
me; and if I were dying now, I know that Jesus would take me to Glory
and present me to the Father."
Her look and manner thrilled me. I promised to see the Elders and submit
her appeal. But Lamu appeared and pled her own cause before them with
convincing effect. She was baptized and admitted along with other nine.
And that Communion Day will be long remembered by many souls on Aniwa.
It has often struck me, when relating these events, to press this
question on the many young people, the highly privileged white brothers
and sisters of Lamu, Did you ever lose one hour of sleep or a single
meal in thinking of your Soul, your God, the claims of Jesus, and your
Eternal Destiny?
And when I saw the diligence and fidelity of these poor Aniwan Elders,
teaching and ministering during all those years, my soul has cried aloud
to God, Oh, what could not the Church accomplish if the educated and
gifted Elders and others in Christian lands would set themselves thus to
work for Jesus, to teach the ignorant, to protect the tempted, and to
rescue the fallen!
CHAPTER LXXXV.
WANTED! A STEAM AUXILIARY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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