SUDAN UNITED MISSION.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 255, 20 September 1928, Page 5

SUDAN UNITED MISSION.

TIRAU AND WAOTU MEETINGS. During his visit to this district Mr. J. Priestley, the Dominion secretary of the Sudan United Mission, held two meetings, one at the Presbyterian Church, Tirau, and the other at the Salvation Army Boys’ Home at Waotu. In both instances the weather was at its worst but this did not detract from the success of the meetings.

During the course of his lecture Mr. Priestley had pictures projected on the screen illustrative of the work in the Sudan. Commencing with a view of the largest dam in the world, which has been thrown across the White Nile to make the district about it fertile for the growing of cotton, the lecturer said the British Government had paid upwards of £12,000,000 for this work to foster the trade of the Empire. It seemed reasonable that Christian communities should not grudge spending a few thousands in rescuing some of the finest tribes of Africa from the degradation with which they were threatened. Several pictures of the wild animals which are very numerous about the mission settlements which New Zealanders have established there caused a great deal of amusement and thrills for the boys at the Army Home. The audience was horror stricken with the examples of the horrible tropical ulcers which are so terribly prevalent owing to the utter lack of hygiene and of even the most elementary knowledge of medicine. New Zealand has sent out to these people doctors and nurses who have given up brilliant careers at home in order that they might cure the minds and bodies of savages. Wonderful work has been done in educating a large number of boys who are now able to ‘go back to their own people and by giving them real evidence of the healing and cleansing power of Christianity to lead their ignorant brethren forward. ' One of the difficulties of the mission- -- is the remarkable conceit of the

ifokas, the tallest people in the world, who really believe that the white man has come to learn from them how things should be done. They find it difficult to understand (Continued In Next Column) .

that these newcomers have not come to exploit them, and very tactful efforts were necessary before they would allow their boys to go to school. Now they are learning the rudiments of agriculture, carpentry and other trades, and above all hope is beginning to dawn for them. The abject fear in which their angry pagan gods and their witch doctors held them, crushing every effort they could make, it gradually dissipating. One of their gods was the snake which might never be killed but yet levied terrible toll among their children and the adults also.. It is difficult for the outsider to understand the terror which inhabits the minds of the subjects of pagan gods and how completely it atrophies the brain until man rises little above the level of the cattle he tends. Yet under the careful teaching of men and women from our own country, some of them from the Waikato, the boys have shown themselves quite equal to New Zealand scholars in mentality and enterprise—and mischief. At the conclusion of "his address at the Army Home Mr. Priestley and visitors from Putaruru were very hospitably entertained by Major and Mrs. Armstrong and the officers of the home, who expressed the pleasure the lecture had given to everyone.