MISSION TALK INTERESTS METHODIST SOCIETY MEMBERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 164, 29 July 1937, Page 11

MISSION TALK INTERESTS METHODIST SOCIETY MEMBERS

The Hastings Methodist Women' » Missionary Auxilary Society at their monthly meeting listened witli very great interest to the story told by Miss Joan McGregor of the Itamabai faith Mission of India. Miss McGregor belongs to Dunedin and 37 years ago left that city to take up work at Mukti, wliere sbe has laboured ever since. Miss McGregor said that the work was started by Ramabai for the chiidwidows and oi*ph_ans among lier own people and since her death had been carried on by the committee, who eack year elected their officers. The mission was started in Poona, and during a i'amine period 14 acres whicli had been bouglit for a vegetable farm 36 miles distant was converted into a rescue mission for starving girls and women and was known as Mukti Mission, Here 600 women and girls of all ages lived and were taught to read and write and to do plain and f ancy sewing. There was also a prmting and book-binding establishment run entirely by the women. A school for the blind was another part of the many-sided jvork these women undertook. Miss McGregor handed round a copy of the scriptures translated from the original by Panditta Itamabai and printed and bound by the women of the Mukti Mission. This she said was all the more wonderful when one remembered that all liad at one time worshipped idols. Th© Hindu she said was a very religious person. Every field bougkt, every house built, every well dug, and every meal eaten was the occasion for a re~ ligious ceremony. Throughout her talk Miss McGregor was listeined to with the keenest interest as she told story after story of personal work and experiences among the women and girls, many of whom were now trained nurses, doctors and teachers and Bibje women passing on the knowledge and training wkich they liad received. Two of the photographs handed Tound were of the girls whom Miss McGregor had adiopted as her own. One was being trained as a doctor and th© other as a teacher. In the ccurse of her talk Miss McGregor said that there were only two left of the original committee which" was formed in New Zealand to keep up the interest in the mission. They were Mrs R. Don and Mrs Ingles Wright, of Dunedin. s No direct appeal was ever made for funds but during the whole of the time since its inception they had never had to close their doors. Miss McGregor spoke at some length on the marriage laws and rights and explained the position in regard to the chdld widows. The law had been amended six years ago, making it illegal for a girl to be married under 14 years of age, but fuil advantage of the last few months before the law came into operation was taken by the priests and it would therefore be very many years yet before the cliild widows were not a problem to be dealt with. The speaker asked for the prayers of the church women of the homelands for the converts to Christianity among these their fellowsubjects of the Empire living in India. Their difficulties, and their problems were greater than any that had been faced by converts in New Zealand. At the conclusion of her address Miss McGregor lianded round fancy work and printing done by the mission and all were really interested." Mrs C. G. Cunnold, who presided, tbanked the lady missionary for her interesting account of the mission and its various enterprises and wished her God's blessing in the future, Afternoon tea was handed round by the committee and the meeting closed with prayer.