MISSIONARY WORK IN INDIA DESCRIBED BY MISS RICE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 69, 8 April 1937, Page 11

MISSIONARY WORK IN INDIA DESCRIBED BY MISS RICE

On Tuesday afternoon at the Baptist schoolroom a special missionary afternoon was arranged by members of the Hastings Baptist Missionary TJnion at which representatives of the varioua Hastings Church Unions united in welcoming home Miss Bice, of Napier, who has recently returned • from active missionary service in Chandpur, India. T]»e room had been arranged and decorated by the social committee and looked very bright with large bowls of zinnias, asters and marigolds. Mrs C. B. Boggis, president of the Hastings B.W.M.U., was in the chair and extended a warm welcome to all visiting members. In welcoming Miss Rice, Mrs Boggis paid a tribute to her long and devoced service for 23 years to the work in India and presented her with a pretty posy of pink roses with loving regaTds from pll the members. Mrs Ifalstead; the secretary, read an interesting letter acknowledging the New Zealand Christmas parcel at Chandpur, India. Mrs Lascelles and- Miss Sowersby then gave a vocal duet which was listened to with great pleasure. In her address Miss Bice pointed out the marked contrast between. th8 conditions in India 20 years ago when she first took up her work tliere and those exisling to-day. In all departments oi missionary work thefe was cause for great gratitude and they looked forward to the fu ture with great optimism. Amongst India 's women the improved i-onditions were particularly marked. In the ' state of- mental mferiority they had become very keen to seize every opportunity to educate themselves and, many girls wer8 gratuating from the mission schools to obtain higher education in the universities. Quite a number of their girls had gained first places in Government examinations, In her association with the training of the children Miss Bice had seen the mo-st unpromising Hixxdu children develop into bright, intellectual girls seeking to serve their own people as nurses in ,the hospitals Or in teaching and preaching in the more distant villages to. which they often went after their marriages. All these signs of intellectual awakening were the greatest encouragement to -missionary workers. At the close of her address Miss Bice was heartily thanked f or her interesting talk which had sounded sueh a high note of optimism and she was assured of the continued interest of all her hearers in the missionary work in India. Afternoon tea was then served and everyone welcomed the opportunity to meet Miss Bice - and to chat with one another. %