THE HICKSON MISSION.

Shannon News, 18 December 1923, Page 4

THE HICKSON MISSION.

TESTIMONY AS TO RESULTS.

At evensong- at Otaki On Sunday the Rev. G. F. Petri© read many testimon- -v ials received from the. Bishop as to the results of .the heading mission. ' Amongst' them, were the following: Maori Thanksgivings.

1. Weak heart for 12 years; much better; completely free from' heart attacks since the mission. - 2. General physical improvement:; 3. Muscular rheumatism and other ailments. Greatly improved since the mission. , j .j Blind for 10 years. Could only " distinguish night from day. Can now distinguish colours and se'e things near " ■by. ;■■ . . ■'. 5. Deafness—four years—hearing " J ' how almost v normal. 6. Goitre, 30 years; goitre not gone, but general health greatly improved. 7. General physical improvement. ;, 8. Muscular trouble and cramp for fdur years. Wonderful improvement. Able to work in garden, and walk quite a! distance without help. 9. Muscular rheumatism for 7 years. Great improvement, which began during the[ intercession services, and,;goes ■on- steadily. ! 10. Appendicitis abscess. Completely restored to health. 11. Deaf for 6 years." Great improvement. : i / 12. Totally blind since babyhood. : Can now distinguish different colours in a picture, and .see to move about freely. 13. Deaf and dumb for 11 years. Can speak now, and hearing is improving". In every v case; except in the case of the very young, patients testified to spiritual help. " ! ' ' Report from the Sanatorium. (Drafted by the Patients themselves). '' We' wish to convey to Godj at the coming* thanksgiving service, our most . -heartfelt thanks for the many benefits both : spiritual and bodily,; received by the patientsan the Sanatorium, through' the Spiritual 1 Healing Mission. ' "We all received great spiritual uplift, and many of us have felt gradual ;■ improvement in health since the day of the Mission:,: . - ■ ."You may be sure that we ; join with you in spirit and feUowship, if • not , personally, at the thanksgiving- service J to be held in All Saints'Church." (Signed by a large number of the patiCures in Mana&aii. The following two outstanding cases from Manakau have been reported to us by the Bev. Qt. F. Petrie: . The first is that of Mrs. Fanny'Caro!;nc Phillips. About 2i years ago she slipped and fell backwards, seriously injuring her right shoulder. Ever since ' the accident she has been unable to place her hand behind jher back, or to \ raise it behind her head, and during thewhole N period she has suffered agonies in ; her shoulder and arm,: the pain 5 ,, being most acute at nightime. A friend who knew of her sufferings told her about the mission, supplied her with literature, recommended icr to send in her name as a'patient, "and " attend the . intercession services. She did so, and when the mission came to Wellington, she attended the service in St. Pauls' on the Tuesday morning. '., ■

On returning to Manakauiin. the evening, one of her children aske,d her if she could "scratch her back." To satisfy the child she made the attempt, and was astonished to 4nd that she could perform the feat without the slightest difficulty. On attempting to raise her hand to the 1 back of her head she had the same Happy experience. Her arm is now restored health, the pain in the shoulder has quite disappeared, and she-is able to carry out all the manifold duties which devolve upon the shoulders of the house-wif ei. , >

The second, and even more striking case, is that of a boy Boy Ivan Cotton, 14 years of age. He was born with his' left side partially paralysed, the arm, hand, and leg being affected. He has never, since birth, been able to bend his ankle. From time to time various doctors have been consulted, but their unanimous verdict was that nothing could be done. The boy would always be a hopeless cripple, and would carry a stiff leg with him throughout life. Hearing about the mission he sent inhis name, came to the intercession services in St Andrew's, Manakau, and attended the healing service in St. Pauls' . Wellington. For about a week after the laying on of hands no ehango in "his condition was apparent. .Then one evening; returning home from a walk, he suddenly informed his grandmother, who Was with him, that he could use his ankle. She at first refused to„,credit the statement, but on examination found that the boy's assertion was -true. Instead of having to walk with a stiff limb as he has had to do previously, he is now able to walk in the normal wjiy. "I can now,'/ he informed Rev. Petrie, '' move my ankle backwards and forwards—a thing which I have not done in my life.''