| COUNSEL | TO NEW MISSIONARIES The Board of Foreign Missions of the __ Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. ~ 156 Fifth Avenue, New York 1925. COUNSEL TO NEW MISSIONARIES by William N. Wysham Acting Candidate Secretary The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. : 156 Fifth Avenue, New York 1925 ab L/ENVOI Now you for whom this book has been written are like that man tn the Bible who, having found a field with a treasure hid in tt, sells all that he has to buy that field. And we who watch you go away to pos- sess your field and to dig for your treasure—wish you well. We say to you, as the Bulu of Africa say to those of their friends who start out on a propitious journey: “The fortunate ones are going! Let them go!” And we say to you, as the Christian Bulu say to the novice in the Chris- tian Way: “A Man goes before you on the path, it is the Lord Jesus.” JEAN KENYON MACKENZIE. XII CONTENTS Introduction . Physical Well-being Intellectual Life Language Study Spiritual Life The Missionary Home . Relation to Fellow Missionaries Other Field Relationships The Missionary and the Board Contact With the Home Church Temptations of the Missionary The Main Task The Abundant Life PAGE INTRODUCTION Missionaries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are members of a choice and privileged com- pany. In entering the missionary fellowship they have measured up to high standards. They must live amid conditions which make taxing demands on every human resource; for that very reason they have an unparalleled oppor- tunity to show to the world the boundless re- sources of God. The life of the missionary is rich and varied; therefore no pains should be spared to enter upon it well-instructed. The missionary represents the spiritual peak of the Church’s aspirations, so that no personal idio- syncrasy, no prejudice, no carelessness should be permitted to mar the work of making Jesus Christ known to others as Savior and Lord. This little book has been written in the hope of making clear in advance some things about the duties, temptations and privileges of new missionaries. It makes no pretense to original- ity, but aims at a condensed summary of the wise advice of missionaries who have gone be- fore and of colleagues now active in the work. It is hoped that the booklet will not be read once and then thrown aside, but will be kept available for reference at least through the first term of service. For this reason blank pages have been added as an invitation to personal notes and comments which should prove more valuable than the text itself. LN eget e i cpht m Sea COUNSEL TO NEW MISSIONARIES I. PHYSICAL WELL-BEING When Henry Martyn landed in India and began his missionary work for Mohammedans, he exclaimed: ‘Now let me burn out for God.” His spirit was most laudable, but one wonders whether a little more care of his health might not have permitted him a long life of service instead of the seven short years before his broken body set his great soul free. Our work in this world must be done in the flesh, and neglect of our bodies means inefficient and cur- tailed service. “Nothing hinders a man half so much as dying.” 1. Health Directions. So far as specific health directions are concerned, one can do no better than quote from the report of a special com- mittee of the Foreign Missions Conference of North America: DO follow conscientiously your Board’s recom- mendations concerning typhoid preventive in- oculation and small-pox vaccination. These diseases are very prevalent in Oriental coun- tries, and such simple preventive measures are invaluable. DO have a period of rest before your sailing time. The voyage may be restful or it may be other- wise. Don’t leave the time of rest for the voyage. DO have your teeth put in good condition shortly before leaving. Dental cleaning prevents py- orrhea and the consequent train of general disability. 7 DO have your eyes tested, and if glasses are needed, have them fitted by a competent ocu- list. An extra pair of glasses is advisable. Be sure to carry the prescription with you so that in case of need you can order new glasses on the field. A pair of tinted glasses is very helpful to protect against the glare of the tropical sun. DON’T visit too much during your last weeks in the homeland. Hurried travel from place to place with the necessary strain of visiting and reck- less (?) eating is not conducive to an ideal physical and nervous constitution. If there are little children in the group, numerous stop- overs en route to the coast should be avoided. The infectious diseases of childhood are pre- valent and your journey may be seriously interrupted if the little ones fall ill. Protect them. Go as directly as possible to your port of embarkation. DON’T start out with shattered nerves. If your college course or last months of training have been strenuous and trying, pause for some weeks for relaxation and rest. The frequent pro- gram of wedding ceremonies followed by visiting and traveling does not wisely follow an over-strenuous college term. DON’T abuse your digestion while enroute. Don’t abuse it at any time, but the temptation during travel is peculiarly seductive and must be re- sisted. Eat simple, wholesome meals. DON’T permit interruption in the regularity of your bowels. Constipation is a serious foe. Combat it by drinking pure water frequently, eating simple fruits abundantly, and by insisting upon regularity in habit. DON’T neglect regular exercise. A little thought even during long train trips can bring con- siderable activity to the body muscles that have not been accustomed to idleness. Especial- ly on board boat, insist on your constitutional walk, which should not be less than two miles a day. 8 DON’T drink unboiled or uncertified water. This rule can wisely be applied within the bounds of the United States while traveling, but it MUST BE applied in Oriental and other mis- sion countries. Cholera, dysentery, typhoid and other serious diseases are principally water born. Be on the alert. “The Old Oaken Bucket” is a thing of the past for you. Now it is the sterilized cup of lukewarm boiled water. Get the habit early. DON’T eat raw fruit sold by Oriental vendors. There are some exceptions in the case of those fruits whose outer covering has completely protected and preserved a sterile center within. But be sure in handling the fruit, or in opening it, you do not carry the germs to the edible por- tion. Certain fruits, like melons, are apt to cause intestinal irritation apart from the spe- cific germs they may harbor. Avoid such fruits on general principles. DON’T eat candies bought in Oriental cities unless certified by positive and competent authorities. They may appear clean and attractive but who knows their history? DON’T eat with unwashed hands. Infectious diseases are not adequately segregated in the Orient. The wares you handle in the shops may carry the contagion. DON’T expose yourself recklessly to the tropical sun. Tropical hats should be worn, beginning at Port Said for east-bound, and at Shanghai or Hongkong for west-bound travelers. Ladies should use light sunshades. The tropical sun is insidious in its effect upon the nervous system. Do not be guilty of bringing upon yourself heat prostration. DON’T be afraid in the presence of Oriental infections. Be cautious, be careful, be wise, but do not be anxious and fearful that contagion hangs over you like a vampire. Let us have sense in these matters, and let us also have courage. Anxiety is a foe whose long siege tactics win its deadly purpose where cholera would fail. ay DON’T fail to be tactful and courteous in trying to carry out these health precautions. Orientals are sensitive and accustomed to courtesy among themselves. Some Americans have a really offensive frankness. Help make the name “American” stand for courtesy and con- sideration. Some of these suggestions perhaps need special emphasis. It is frequently the habit of foreigners in the tropics, and even of some mis- sionaries, to ridicule the sun helmet, the mos- quito net, and the noonday nap. In most mis- sion lands all these are necessary, especially for the newcomer, to whom they seem the greatest nuisance. But the tropical sun is treacherous, the insects of mission lands are apt to be loaded with germs, and the average missionary needs more rest and sleep than at home. An hour or two on one’s back in the middle of the day is a great health-preserver. Tinted glasses have al- ready been mentioned. Crooks’ lenses or dark lenses of plain glass, if glasses are not ordi- narily worn, may not be necessary all the time, but are very valuable under certain conditions, as when traveling. Finally, one should remem- ber that temperatures often change rapidly and sudden chills are dangerous; that milk as well as water should be boiled unless its complete history is known; and that much raw fruit, until one is acclimated, is likely to have bad effects. 2. The Health of Missionary Wives. The missionary wife should have a word of special advice. The first year on any mission field is apt to be a difficult one for her, since all sorts of new adjustments will be necessary. It is a fair question as to whether she should assume 10 the responsibility of motherhood during that first year. At least the wisdom of doing so would be considered very doubtful by many authorities, who urge that leaving the home- land, settling in a strange country, and learning a new language are experiences which involve all the physical and nervous strain that a young wife should be expected to undergo at the be- ginning of her missionary life. On the other hand, there are some who favor an entirely free and normal family life after arrival on the field. The question is therefore very much an indi- vidual one, depending on several factors, the essential point being that there is a serious problem involved, bearing on health, social re- lations, and mission work. Sympathetic and experienced advice should be sought from phy- sicians, particularly medical missionaries and the Board’s medical secretary, and from other missionaries of mature judgment. In this way the question should be squarely faced. The Board does not lay down any rulings, but it does urge the reasonableness of a well-weighed deci- sion for a real problem. 3. Play. Missionaries who refuse to play are taking great health risks. By play is meant both regular exercise and recreation of other kinds. Exercise should have as definite a part in the daily program as food or sleep. In many countries tennis, the “national game” of mis- sionaries, can be played the greater part of the: year, and a stiff daily walk is always possible. The secret of the comparative good health of other foreigners in mission lands, even though they sometimes lead intemperate lives, is found 11 in their devotion to sport. The missionary can- not afford to be so busy that exercise is crowded out. Because many forms of diversion common in America are denied to missionaries, they must plan for definite recreation all the more syste- matically. The duties of missionaries are tre- mendously absorbing, but a normal life demands some relaxation unless nerves are to be put in danger and health jeopardized. Picnics, parties, musical programs, and social gatherings where “talking shop” is strictly taboo should be an established part of the life in every mission Station. One important contribution which fresh recruits can constantly be bringing to a Mission is a new breath of recreational life. Play is for the missionary an elixir of eternal youth and health. 4. Worry. A prayerful cultivation of cheer- fulness and equanimity under adverse condi- tions should be one of the great aims of the mis- sionary. One might paraphrase the following motto for good health: “Disease has slain its thousands, but worry its tens of thousands.” Few missionaries today are exposed to the hard- ships of a generation:ago, but trying situations will have to be met, and a sensible, unfailing trust in God is the best weapon with which to meet them. It is easy for missionaries to become too fussy about avoiding disease germs, too apprehensive concerning possible danger to dear ones, too wrought up over the hostility of non-Christians or the growing-pains of the in- digenous Church. Unless missionaries fight manfully against anxiety, it can easily become 12 a menace to the health of body, mind, and soul. It is true, as some one has said, that: “As Christians we are not meant to be Atlases stag- gering under a load of care but children living in our Father’s house.” One special source of worry for Americans is the exasperating slowness of most non-Chris- tian peoples. It is a good thing for new mis- sionaries to remember that everything is likely to move more leisurely in their new environ- ment. To restrain impatience and the tendency to fret will be one of their most difficult lessons to learn. It will help them to look for the bene- fits and the charm of a civilization geared less highly than our own, and to consider whether we have not perhaps sacrificed something to the rush and roar of lifein America. Thus they may learn to appreciate in time Kipling’s lines: O it is not good for the Christian’s health To hustle the Aryan brown; For the Christian riles, and the Aryan smiles, And he weareth the Christian down. And the end of the fight is a tombstone white With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, “A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East.” Tie INFECCECTUAL LIFE Before going to the field, new missionaries should give careful consideration to the books they will take with them. They will probably live in places where they will be out of reach of the currents of their former intellectual 13 life. There are likely to be no libraries, con- certs, and lectures near them, and if, as is probable, their associates think much as they do on important problems, they will lack that mental stimulus which comes from a clash of ideas. To prevent mental stagnation, there- fore, they should possess well-chosen libraries of their own, and must determine to use them. The freight allowance will permit taking along all the really good books they possess, and the formidable outfit list should not prevent the financial outlay necessary to add some choice titles before sailing. When the field is reached, neither the pres- sure of language study nor the insistent de- mands of routine work should be allowed to interfere with the constant reading of good books and magazines. The missionary is usual- ly fortunate enough to be spared the daily newspaper, with its tendency to sordidness and trivialities, but he must be all the more careful to keep up with current events. Periodicals alone will not suffice, however, for nothing can take the place of good books. One suggestion is that “less than six new books a year means a slowing up of intellectual life.” This seems a pitiful total, and, the busiest missionaries should rather have as an ideal the example of a famous Board secretary, who, though he works under pressure year in and year out, yet finds time to do an incredible amount of worth while reading in odd moments. In some Sta- tions it is possible to form clubs through which good books can be purchased and passed around for all the members to read. Such a plan saves expense and acts as a spur to good reading. 14 The reading of missionaries should not be merely to keep up with current events, but with the progress of thought along important lines. They should consult with persons on the field or at home who are experts, in order to acquaint themselves with the most notable books that are published along the lines of their particular in- terests. It would be well to make a habit of preparing papers on solid, up-to-date books which they read, and discussing them with groups formed for the purpose. Every mis- sionary should resolve to try to advance some problem of his field towards solution during each term of service. There are too many mis- sionaries who do little or nothing in the way of constructive thinking. The missionary has incentives to a vigorous intellectual life, as well as temptations to mental stagnation. His work often offers opportun- ities for hard study and deep thought. No other department of missionary endeavor has been so neglected in almost every field as the literary work. In the best developed Missions much remains to be done, and in some lands the op- portunities for literary work are unparalleled. Any ability along this line can be made to bear rich fruit. Then many things about the natural resources, civilization, customs, art, literature, and religion of mission lands are still worthy of inquiry, and missionaries in the future, as in the past, can make real contributions to the world’s knowledge without neglecting their main task. There is no reason why every mis- sionary, by a just allotment of time to reading and a careful cultivation of the God-given tal- ent of curiosity, should not continue to grow in 15 intellectual breadth and power throughout the whole missionary life. III. LANGUAGE STUDY The great task of learning a new language is in itself a constant intellectual exercise. It can be a mental stimulus or a drudgery, a task of increasing interest and delight or an almost intolerable burden, according to the attitude with which the missionary enters upon it. Dr. Calvin W. Mateer, a master of the Chinese language, once made the statement that “every young missionary should consider it his or her special business to fall in love with the language as quickly as possible.” With such an attitude, no missionary need ever fail to learn a new language. Language study must be the one important task during the first two or three years on the mission field. If the back of the language is not broken in that time, it probably never will be. New missionaries who attend a language school are not subject to as many distractions as those who have private teachers, but all of them must keep reiterating: “This one thing I do; I will get the language.” Establishing a home abroad is a fascinating and time-absorb- ing task; it can easily rob language study of priceless hours. The urge to share almost at once in the work of the Mission is almost re- sistless ; yet those who yield to this temptation are likely to stammer their way through the rest of their missionary lives. Sometimes older missionaries, by appeals for help, make it hard for language students to give full time to their 16 study, but one can afford to seem unresponsive for a while, because nearly every Mission has gone on record in favor of language study as the main task for the first years. Far too many missionaries go to the field dreading the language, sometimes half-defeated before they begin to work on it. To such it may be pointed out that their unpleasant experience with dead languages in college is no criterion of what they will meet on the mission field. Even modern languages are too often taught in college in a way which gives only a reading knowledge of them. The new language will be throbbing with life; it comes to the student through personalities and not through tiresome books; it should be learned primarily by the ear and not by the eye. Language study can become a delightful game, with curious inflec- tions and interesting words to be caught and imitated, and fascinating idioms to be grasped and used with telling effect. Then, again, it is comforting to know that, in spite of the opinion that some languages are far more difficult than others, children in all lands learn to speak at about the same age. No genius for language is needed, no phenomenal memory, but mainly an ear eager to discern and analyze sounds, and a will which keeps one everlastingly at it until the language is mastered. Finally, missionaries must determine not merely to learn the language, but to learn it well. It is easy to be satisfied with an imper- fect knowledge. Wives, for instance, are likely to be content with a “domestic vocabulary” only. But they are fully appointed missionaries and 17 should aim not to fall a whit below their hus- bands in the language. Both men and women must determine to overcome all reluctance to be heard making mistakes and from the beginning use all the language at their command on every possible occasion. Children learn by practise and we are not likely to improve on their method. Then missionaries cannot afford mere- ly to speak the language; they must learn to read, and should be able to write well, if they are to do their best work. A temptation which comes to all is to relax effort after a mere working knowledge of the language has been obtained and thus miss that complete mastery which makes it an effortless vehicle for every thought. Surely a flawless accent and a rich and idiomatic vocabulary are the only adequate standards for those who strive to bring home a Gospel such as ours to new hearts and minds. IV; “SPIRITUALSLIEE The need of missionaries for spiritual power is so essential that it might almost be taken for granted, but for that very reason it requires special emphasis. Every missionary must fight for time to grow in the spiritual life. He faces constantly an almost irresistible pressure to let his multitudinous duties steal the time which should be given to his devotional life. He is usually out of touch with many of the spiritual stimuli of most Christians in America. His fel- low-missionaries and the indigenous Church are helpful, but such spiritual tonics as a variety of good preaching, sacred music of high quality, and inspirational conferences are often denied to him over long periods of time. He is, on the 18 other hand, surrounded by influences which tend constantly to depress his spiritual life. All the more earnestly, therefore, he can thank God that His wondrous gifts of the Bible and the privilege of prayer are sufficient to over- balance all these handicaps, and he must de- termine to save time for that close fellowship with Christ which alone can give him spiritual vigor. His devotional period must become a fixed and daily habit, whether at ease or under pressure, at home or abroad. Only in this way can he be assured of a source of spiritual power adequate for both the emergencies and the daily routine of his life. Those who walk daily with Jesus Christ will grow like Him, and only such can hope to exert a great influence on the people among whom they work. A life of habitual com- munion with Christ is as necessary for effective missionary work as for the spiritual health of the missionary himself. It must be a surren- dered life, from which personal ambition, the desire for applause, and all other forms of sel- fishness have been purged. It must be a life radiant with the love of Christ for sinful men, and reaching out to other lives in a spirit of complete friendliness and brotherhood. “Now the fruit of the spirit is love,” and the fruits of love in the life of the missionary are sure to be new souls drawn to Jesus Christ past all barriers of race and creed and sin. V. THE MISSIONARY HOME It is an exhilarating thought for new mis- sionaries that Christian homes on the mission 19 field are eloquent preachers of the Gospel, even when the hostility of the people or an imper- fect knowledge of the language hinder an aggressive presentation of Christianity. A Christian home compels the admiration of non- Christians everywhere. It is a living demon- stration of the matchless teachings of Jesus about women, about children, about purity, truth and love. No other phase of missionary work can surpass it as an opening wedge to reach those among whom we work. Since this is the case, it should be the ambi- tion of all missionaries to make their home life as ideal as possible. Missionary wives should not become so absorbed in the work of the Station that they neglect their homes. In fact, some women, hard pressed by the care of house- hold and children, make their greatest contri- bution to missionary achievement through their homes alone. The relationships in the home should be watched with meticulous care. Dif- ferences of opinion and heated discussions be- tween husband and wife, though they be ex- pressed in English, are perfectly intelligible to servants, and what one’s servants know, every one is likely to know. The care and discipline of children are oftentimes an exhibit which the whole community is observing. The contacts between a missionary family and its servants may be a large element in the influence which that family exerts for Jesus Christ. Only a home built absolutely on Him as its foundation can successfully meet such tests as these. Single women living together cannot afford to slight the upkeep of their home because of 20 other duties. Since many home tasks must be turned over to servants, all the more vigilance is required in order that the home spirit may be present. There is, moreover, usually a problem of personalities in this most difficult type of household, where women are forced to live together with nothing necessarily in com- mon except their love for the Lord and the work. Each individual has her own special training and ideals, and each believes her ways to be right. Each one strives whole-heartedly in the way she knows best to accomplish the common purpose of bringing others to Jesus Christ, and this very fact often adds to the difficulty. A pause to realize that the others have the same burning desire at heart will do much to maintain the atmosphere of love and consideration which so clearly shows the pres- ence of Christ. Then, since such a home should be a unit and not a place where but one or two of its members are striving to keep the home spirit, the women in the home should keep the love of Christ and His work uppermost by bringing to Him together each day the common problems and needs. The value of this cannot be overestimated. Non-Christians do not ex- pect to find real homes among single women; but as they come and see and understand, and go away murmuring that women who had never known each other before are living together as sisters and more than sisters, they gain a glimpse of what Christ can do. The missionary home can be a great evangel- izing force through the guests who enter it. If this is kept clearly in mind, wearying streams of callers will continue to be welcomed with 21 courteous hospitality and with that entire ab- sence of respect for persons which will make guests of all classes feel at ease. Many have realized for the first time what Christianity really means after a few hours spent within four modest walls, where good taste and refine- ment are quietly in evidence, and Christian love abounds. Songs and games and laughter, happy children, and the perfect comradeship of Chris- tian parents are weapons which can pierce the armor of any non-Christian heart. Mission- aries who build such homes as this and then unselfishly use them for others will not lack for opportunities to make Christ known. VI. RELATION TO FELLOW MISSIONARIES Missionaries working on the field together have at once one of the choicest and one of the most difficult relationships in the world. As common followers of one Lord, and sharing with each other their joys and sorrows in the closest fellowship, missionaries are knit together by a mutual loyalty and love hard to equal anywhere. Missionary friendships are superb in their intimacy and their lasting power. On the other hand, it is not hard to see that just because missionaries are thrown so much upon each other, there are potentialities of friction and misunderstanding which must be guarded against. The unit in most missionary work to-day is the Station, and in its highly coordi- nated life strong personalities are likely to clash, overworked men and women may become hyper-sensitive, and a peculiarity which is over- 22 looked in America may stand out like a sore thumb. In order that new missionaries may avoid the pitfalls and attain the privileges of “the goodly fellowship,” as it has been aptly called, some very practical suggestions are not out of place. 1. Keep your opinions to yourself when you first reach the field, although you may feel sure that many things are not being done in the best way according to your more up-to-date knowledge. A private notebook is an excellent outlet for strong feelings in such cases. After a year or two, or even longer, your suggestions will be well ripened and will command atten- tion, if you then desire to express them at all. 2. Make it the practice of your life not to criticize other missionaries even in thought. Interesting topics are often scarcer than they are at home, and the foibles of one’s fellow- workers seem juicy morsels for conversation. Yet you should avoid the temptation to gossip as you would the plague. A perfect compli- ance with this rule may seem impossible, but it is well worth striving for constantly. One man at least has the reputation that no missionary has ever heard him speak an unkind word about another in all his thirty years of service. What he has done, others may at least approximate. 3. Keep your sense of humor ever to the fore. It is a good sixth sense to develop, if you were not born with it. A cheery word or laugh amid discouragements, or a perception of the ridiculous in a tense situation can often 23 save missionary relationships from tragedy. Your sense of humor will also prevent you from taking yourself too seriously, which is an easy thing for an earnest missionary to do. 4, Play the game with all your might. Team- work is one of the indispensables of successful foreign missions. One old missionary, com- menting on the exceptional harmony in a Mis- sion which he and others had begun a half- century before, gave as their motto in the early days this phrase: “The vote of the Mission is the voice of God.” While not literally true, this is an admirable working rule. You must be ready to give and take, to school yourself in gracefully accepting the decision of the ma- jority, even though it may seem to wreck your cherished plan of years. If you see signs of the formation of parties or cliques in your Station or Mission, work quietly with all your might to dissipate them, for few things can do more harm. Only by such an attitude can you keep personalities out of Mission decisions, and do your part to preserve the delicate bal- ance of missionary relationships. With all this you should have a purpose never to lose your ideals for your Mission. Missions, like all institutions, tend to’ become very set in their ways and can only be shaken out of them by persons with both ideals and determination. There is no reason why such ideals, if pursued in a spirit of fellowship, should not be success- fully combined with teamwork qualities. 5. Remember the esprit de corps of your calling, which should be the finest in the world. To build it up is worth far more than the ful- 24 fillment of any private dream. Too often we forget that Jesus Christ Himself is a member of the missionary fellowship; our ideal for it must be nothing less than He would have it be. VII. OTHER FIELD RELATIONSHIPS 1. The Non-Christian Community. When new missionaries reach the field they are thrown more or less suddenly into an environment such as most of them have never experienced. As Americans they have been used to foreigners in their country, but now the tables are turned and they themselves have become foreigners. Some missionaries never fully perceive this, and the adjustment to the new situation is for alla most difficult one. In their attitude toward the customs, the politics, and the religious be- liefs of their adopted land, they will need a great deal of humility and courtesy. Virtues such as these are indispensable in contact with the customs of non-Christian countries. One’s attitude should be that of a learner rather than a critic, and the advice of older missionaries, though sometimes appar- ently old-fashioned, cannot wisely be disregard- ed if one wishes to avoid serious mistakes and unwitting breaches of etiquette. One should by all means conform to the proprieties of the land in every possible way. It is rarely wise for missionaries to live in native houses, or to wear native clothes and eat only native food. But in spite of these handicaps they must win and hold the respect of the people, although in doing so they are apt to find that courtesy may run afoul of sanitation and health risk. Shall 25 missionaries take the chances of insulting their hosts by refusing to eat and drink in their homes, or be polite and perhaps cut short their careers? Amid such problems a smile is mar- velously disarming. One must walk very softly and learn in exasperating situations to practise true courtesy always. This constant endeavor to understand, coupled with the ability to see the point of view of others, will win friends even where customs have differed for ages. Ambassador Page, in speaking of how to make international relationships ideal, said: “I have found that the first step is courtesy; that the second step is courtesy, and the third step—a fine and high courtesy.”* The contacts of mis- sionaries with other peoples should unquestion- ably be international relationships of the highest order. In relation to the politics of the country mis- sionaries should constantly keep in mind that their good influence will be lasting not because they are Americans but because they are Chris- tians. To gain prestige because of their nation- ality, to help converts out of difficulties in any manner which even approximates political pres- sure, or to meddle in any way whatsoever with local or national governmental policies are temptations which, if yielded to, may do irre- parable harm to the missionary cause. Only by the utmost care in these things can mission- aries make clear to non-Christian people that they are not the advance guard of western civilization or imperialism or big business, but private citizens who have come in the spirit of *Hendrick: Life and Letters of Walter H. Page, II, Page 71. 26 friendship and equality to bring them Jesus Christ. Special mention should be made of the importance of recognizing the rising spirit of nationality and race-consciousness in the non- Christian world. This is immensely changing the situation in some countries. Missionaries may deplore some acts resulting from this spirit, but they should perceive that it is the index of an inevitable process pointing towards a better world, and should recognize the high ideals in- volved, with full sympathy towards sincere leaders in new movements. Friendships with individual nationals are of great assistance in gaining a full understanding of this difficult problem. The supreme test of the attitude of mission- aries to non-Christian people comes when they actually present the Gospel to them. It is dif- ficult enough to live as foreigners in a country ; it is far more difficult to introduce Christianity into that country so that it will not seem an alien religion and an impertinence. Thus it is that the method of controversy is being used less and less in dealing with non-Christian re- ligions. One need not fear to show full respect for the good in other religions if one follows it up with a positive presentation of Jesus Christ and His incomparable Gospel. Such a method leaves little room for argument, and non-Chris- tian listeners will draw their own comparisons between Jesus and the founders of their re- ligions. To present Jesus Christ adequately to non- Christians, the utmost care and tact should be used. Without tact evangelistic zeal will have Pa little or no fruit. A striking illustration of this is found in a story which Dr. H. H. Jessup of Syria used to tell about an English clergyman who came to that country years ago to preach to Moslems. He hired one Abdullah as an in- terpreter, and in spite of warnings that he might be mobbed went to the bazaar to preach. Mount- ing a platform, he said: ‘My friends, I have come to preach to you the Gospel of Christ. He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be condemned.” Abdullah translated: “He says that he loves you very much, and that the English and the Moslems are all alike.” Whereupon the Moslems ap- plauded, and the preacher thought he had made a deep impression. Later when Abdullah was reproved for deceiving so good a man, he re- plied: “Had I translated literally, we should have been killed. He may have been prepared to die, but I was not.”* As a summary of the full Gospel, Abdullah’s translation leaves much to be desired, but as an approach to non-Chris- tians it is a far better model than his master’s. In all the dealings of missionaries with the non-Christian community they must be ever mindful that “love melts what a hammer cannot break.” 2. The Indigenous Church. The relationship between the missionary and the indigenous Church differs greatly in various fields. In some Missions where the work is in its initial stages the problems are simple; in others where the Church is large and well-developed they are very complex. Dr, Arthur J. Brown’s chapter *Quoted in Brown: The Foreign Missionary, Page 287. 28 on the subject in “The Foreign Missionary” is a fine analysis of the principles involved. Here it is only necessary to point out certain attitudes with which the new missionary must approach this relationship if he wishes to participate in it wisely. In the first place, the missionary must never lose sight of the fact that his work is temporary while the indigenous Church will be permanent. The Church will increase, but the missionary must decrease and finally elim- inate himself entirely. Hospital and school buildings and complex missionary organizations tend to obscure this fact, but it must ever be clearly before the missionary’s mind, and he should not allow himself to act as though its consummation were far distant. Along with this should go a constant attitude of willingness to give as much authority into the control of the Church as it can assume. The Church may be over-confident in this respect, but on the whole it is better for it to fall sometimes at first than to lean so heavily on the missionaries that it loses the power to learn to walk alone. Finally, the missionary must maintain a consistent atti- tude of love and comradeship towards his native Christian brothers. If his inheritance and ex- perience have made him wiser in spiritual mat- ters, he should be very humble about it. He should be able to give advice without paternal- ism, to exercise control without domination. Above all he must trust his brothers in the Church. Only with such an attitude on the part of missionaries can native Christians ever grow to feel that the Church is theirs, theirs to govern, to support, and to cherish in a bound- less growth. 29 3. The Foreign Colony. Nearly all mission- aries have another relationship to maintain, that with fellow-Americans and other foreign- ers who are stationed in the mission land. These may be in diplomatic service, in the employ of the native government, or representatives of business enterprises. Oftentimes the missionary is first thrown with them on shipboard as he goes to the field. This initial contact is of great importance and new missionaries need to be extremely careful not to give the impression of over-frivolity on the one hand or of fanaticism on the other. The tendency of missionaries to keep to themselves on board ship can be easily overdone. Many of the stock stories of globe- trotters and others which censure missionary work have arisen as a result of these journey contacts, and the missionaries have not always been impeccable in such cases. A sea voyage is an excellent place to show that Christianity produces normal, friendly personalities. On the field it is often very easy for mission- aries to ignore other foreign residents, and to take it for granted that they are not in sympathy with missionary work. As a matter of fact, any effort made to keep up a friendly inter- course will usually bring its reward. Mission- aries who are thrown with other newcomers in the language schools have a rich opportunity to make clear the real missionary purpose and to win respect. A tactful effort to see to it that the foreign colony inspects and understands mission work will prevent many unfair criti- cisms from coming back to the home Church. A friendly relationship does not mean that the missionaries need be social butterflies or need 30 neglect their work. It is conceivable that they themselves may be helped; certainly they can bring happiness to many lonely souls and may exert a powerful spiritual influence, by personal contact and formal religious services, on men and women who live under a terrible moral strain. The first duty of missionaries may be to people of another race, yet they must not be blind to the opportunity to win those of their own race to Jesus Christ, and to an appreciation of missionary work. VIII. THE MISSIONARY AND THE BOARD The thousands of miles which separate the missionary from the Board may seem to make a complete and sympathetic understanding be- tween the two a difficult thing to maintain. Un- less new missionaries go out with the determi- nation to keep clearly in mind what they know to be true, that the Board members and officers are conscientious and fair-minded men and women who are ceaselessly endeavoring to pro- mote the work and the welfare of the mission- aries, they are likely to drift into the attitude that the Board is indifferent, or even that it obstructs their plans for progress. It is easy to form the habit of carping at the Board at the slightest provocation, but the missionary who does so usually limits his own happiness and usefulness. On the other hand, he who from the very beginning adopts an attitude of consistent loyalty to the Board has learned one of the great secrets of happy missionary ser- 31 vice. He does not forget that the Board’s rules are not arbitrary but represent the results of long experience as to the best interests of the work and the workers, and have been made in consultation between the Board and the mis- sionaries. Loyalty to the Board does not mean that frank protests should never be made when things go wrong. The Board is always ready to learn both sides of a controverted question, and a reasoned argument will always receive a sympathetic hearing. Letters of criticism should of course go to the Board and not to friends and supporters of the missionaries. It is well to remember, however, that heated and un- pleasant letters do more harm than good. Many people are tempted upon provocation to write in an unrestrained way to distant correspond- ents to whom they would be most courteous face to face, and the missionary is no exception. If such a letter must be written as a safety-valve, it might well be written and then destroyed. When sent, it merely creates a personal preju- dice in the mind of the recipient and the cause of the writer is weakened. The loyal missionary will, as a matter of course, follow the Board’s rules in regard to appeals for gifts, though sometimes he may have to refuse a special gift, or to miss an op- portunity while waiting for official sanction. If there is any question about the receipt or appli- cation of funds, he will write first to the Board for an explanation. He realizes that what seems to him like red tape when his special advantage is at stake is really the vital machinery of a 32 delicate organism, and that if every one reserves the right to break rules upon occasion, the re- sult will be chaos. The loyal missionary has too much pride also to ask for special privilege. He sees clearly that the circumstances surround- ing his furlough, for instance, though important to himself, are rarely sufficient grounds for setting aside the Board’s rules to which he himself has agreed. He strives against the tend- ency to become provincial, to seek to secure funds and workers for his work alone. Instead of the individualistic viewpoint of one mission- ary or of a single Mission, he learns to take the broad view of the Board itself as it looks out on all the fields, and thus holds his own task in the proper perspective. The loyal missionary will be sympathetic with the Board because he sees clearly that it is a shock absorber between the home Church and the field. Its ideal is to present a perfect group of missionaries to the home base and a com- pletely interested Church to the field workers. It bravely offers itself as the buffer in cases where this ideal has not been reached. The least that missionaries can do is to make this difficult task as easy as possible, to be magnanimous when mistakes are made, appreciative of achievements, and friendly always. IX. CONTACT WITH THE HOME CHURCH The Board acts on the principle that the re- lationship between its missionaries and the churches at home should become increasingly close and vital. An ideal relationship is always 33 an inspiration for all concerned, and a great impetus to the mission cause. Nothing can help or hinder this contact more than the char- acter of the correspondence between the mis- sionary and the supporting church or friends at home. Many missionaries can testify that letters from their churches are not as frequent or as numerous as could be desired, but this is no reason why the missionary should cease to write. Those at home send letters as the mood seizes them, but regular correspondence is the duty of the missionary, for it is the right of the Church to know what is being done on the field. The Board has stated intervals at which it expects letters to be sent home, and all missionaries should consider this correspond- ence a definite part of their work, and by no means the least important part. Some sugges- tions as to the manner and matter of these letters are therefore not out of place here. 1. Be sure that the letters are written neatly and are correct as to spelling, grammar and punctuation. Such advice may seem super- fluous, but experience proves it to be necessary. Ilegible handwriting and worn out typewriter ribbons produce a very unfavorable impression at home. It is a good rule to typewrite on one side of a sheet only. For the honor of your Mission, send only carefully written letters to the home Church. 2. Be careful to keep out of your letters all criticism of other missionaries and of the Board organization, and also harsh statements or ridi- cule of the customs and religion of the people among whom you work. When one feels 34 aggrieved or lonely it is easy to pour out one’s heart to friends in the home-land, but, while doing so, it is also easy to create impressions which do irreparable harm. Even when letters are strictly confidential, their contents have a way of reaching other eyes and ears, sometimes even finding their way into the public press. The most effective missionary letters are usual- ly those which touch lightly on the unpleasant things, and which give the impression of kind- ness, fairness and hope to all who read them. 3. “What thou seest write and send to the churches.” There is no better touchstone than this for missionary letters. It makes letters vivid ; it restrains the writer from exaggeration. The missionary serves as the eyes of the home Church, and the Church is interested in what he has seen and done, not in hearsay and second- hand stories or in what he hopes will come to pass. The Church is eager for incidents puls- ing with life, not for essays on the country or its religion, or for statistics and outlines of mission policy. In short, the Church wants facts. It is really no contradiction of what has been said in the paragraph above to state that when facts demand it the missionary should make a wise presentation of knotty problems or even of discouraging conditions on the field. Such fair statements are not only due the Church, but are a great help to intelligent prayer at home. If the missionary writes about only what he has seen, he need not fear that he can keep the proper balance between over-optimistic letters and those which, on the other hand, tell only the dark side of mission work. As to accuracy, one writer on the subject has 35 stated the case most clearly as follows: “No man faces greater temptations to careless state- ments than a missionary. Just a little coloring of facts, just a little padding of figures, just a little liberty with the story would make it so much more dramatic. And the cause is so needy. And the good story would bring more money. Over the desk of every missionary should hang this motto, ‘Tell the truth,’ and underneath might be inscribed, ‘In this sign, conquer.’ ’’* 4. The scope of this booklet does not include the furlough period, but if furlough talks and addresses are to have life, missionaries cannot wait for the homeward voyage to prepare them. Careful notes should be taken throughout the first term, notes with detail enough to bring back to memory not only the facts involved but the context as well. In making such notes and in preparing the actual addresses, it is well for the missionary to visualize at least three types in his future audience: an American who knows little or nothing about his work, a fel- low-missionary who knows all about it, and a critical national of the mission land. If the address can satisfy all these, it will be inform- ing and truthful, and also fair enough to pre- vent the speaker from becoming embroiled in international complications or being unjust to absent friends. With these safeguards, he can speak vigorously and fearlessly concerning the needs of his mission field and the progress of the Gospel there. *George A. Miller: Missionary Morale, Page 108. 36 X. TEMPTATIONS OF THE MISSIONARY The missionary, like every one else, has his temptations, some of which are especially potent because of the peculiar nature of his work. All of them represent a departure from the life of perfect balance which our Lord exemplified, and He alone can keep His missionaries close to that golden mean of life which will enable them to do work unmarred by human frailties. At the risk of some repetition it is well to men- tion here a few special temptations of the mis- sionary. 1. Strange to say, one of the most insidious of missionary temptations is laziness, or at least futility. There are some members of every Mission who are drones, whose contribution to the progress of the work is, in the last analysis, negligible. In mission lands, more than at home, it is easy to spend one’s energy in keeping the machinery going, so to speak, without put- ting it to work. Life is more leisurely, the very climate often tends towards lassitude, do- mestic duties can consume much precious time for both men and women, interruptions and distractions are countless, and the result is that the days slip by without anything accomplished. New missionaries should keep summoning energy for their tasks, should never let the web of listlessness enmesh them. “Time worketh; let me work, too. Time undoeth ; let me do. Busy as time, my work I ply Till I rest in the rest of eternity.” 37 2. At the other extreme is the temptation to do too much. More often this takes the form of trying to do too many things at once. Alert missionaries are likely to be overwhelmed by the enormous task before them, and to under- take so many lines of work that they do nothing well or else break down in health before defi- nite results are obtained. Lack of system 1s often the cause of this trouble, and is also a contributing factor in the temptation mentioned above. One should put into effect the motto: “Plan your work; then work your plan.” Plans might be made for a month or a year and then narrowed down to a smaller unit. It is also well to form the habit of standing off from one’s task to get the right perspective and then to throw all one’s. powers into what is really of most importance. Learn to “put first things first.” 3. Another thing to guard against is the temptation to live one’s missionary life without a close connection with the life of the country. Missionaries, as has been said, cannot live ex- actly like nationals, but they can become a vital part of their lives. They must gear in with the people whom they serve. Many failings tend to prevent this, such as an indifference to the customs and proprieties of the country, an in- ability to understand those whose ways are dif- ferent, and most of all, a lack of love. The re- sult is a thing apart, a missionary plant which is “in,” but not “of,” the country, and mission- aries who cannot touch hearts because they are detached and aloof from them. In fighting this tendency, new missionaries must determine to 38 love the new land and its ways, to make warm friendships among its people, and, as far as in them lies, to “be all things to all men.” 4. At the other extreme again is meddlesome- ness. It is a temptation in almost all the rela- tionships which have been mentioned. It is hard for missionaries to avoid giving undesired advice to fellow-workers, to resist commenting on the private affairs of others, to withhold criticism of some native custom seemingly. so inferior to their own, to refrain from setting the indigenous Church straight when it tries to govern itself, especially when they are intensely interested in all these things and really want to help. Only a wise tolerance and a determina- tion to mind their own business though the heavens fall can keep missionaries unscathed amid countless temptations to be the regulators of their little world. 5. The temptation to a loss of spirituality has already been discussed. Idealistic pictures of the missionary life are sometimes rather rudely shattered after arrival on the field. It is found to be commonplace in some respects, often monotonous as to details, just another part of this work-a-day world. The seemingly mechan- . ical duties of language study, of school and hos- pital, of church administration, tend to crowd out the higher spiritual things. When this temptation comes, as it will, it is time to relight the life with the abiding glory of the presence of Christ. 6. Even this last temptation has its counter- part. Missionaries are often tempted, perhaps 39 because of their isolation, to lose their spiritual balance by overemphasis on special points. It is easy to ride some doctrinal hobby, or to propagate some one phase of Christianity to the neglect of others equally important. The vaga- ries and impulses of an infant Church will lead the missionary astray unless he is extremely careful. For the Church and for his own sake the missionary must be watchful to avoid fads and fanaticism, and intolerant insistence on minor points. He must live and teach a Gospel which is sane and well-balanced, and which gives full play to the inexhaustible content of the Christian faith. 7. The root of all these temptations is selfish- ness. It comes to missionaries in a form which is often difficult to recognize. As Dr. J. Walter Lowrie of China has put it: “Selfishness may manifest itself as much in zeal for my denomi- nation, my creed, my Mission, and my work, as in any other way. It is exactly as easy to be narrow, obstinate, selfish, and unchristian for any or for all of these, as for myself indi- vidually.’* When tempted by selfishness in this larger sense, it is comparatively easy for the missionary to persuade himself that his own selfish way of doing a thing is really God’s way, and thus never realize his sin. The antidotes are a constant and merciless testing of motives by the standards of Jesus Christ, and a life com- pletely given over to His control. *Quoted in Arthur H. Smith: A Manual for Young Mis- sionaries, Page 110. 40 XI. THE MAIN TASK It cannot be too much emphasized that the main task of the missionary is to make Jesus Christ known. This, of course, is the only ex- cuse for foreign missions, and yet the evan- gelistic purpose ‘needs constantly to be stressed in order that it may be kept uppermost. In the first place, the present day policy of specialized mission work is likely to give the impression that the evangelistic work is the province of one department. It cannot be too often reiterated that all missionary work is evangelistic. Med- ical missionaries cannot lean upon evangelists for the religious work in their hospitals; in fact, the outstanding missionary hospitals are those where doctors and nurses are their own evangelists. School teachers must constantly resist the tendency to devote all their time to secular education. They are not in the country primarily for that purpose. The principal of a conspicuously successful boys’ school in one of the most intolerant mission fields in the world has gradually relinquished all secular subjects to assistants and native teachers, but himself teaches the Bible to all, from the little boys up to the graduating class. It is not necessary that every missionary be able to preach sermons in the vernacular, but every missionary ought to be ready at all times to speak for Jesus Christ, always buttressing his words with the powerful message of a Christlike life. Nothing short of this should be the ideal of every new mission- ary for himself and his Mission. A second reason for the need to stress the main task is the inevitable tendency for insti- 41 tutions to absorb the direct evangelistic work- ers. Granted that all types of workers have an active share in evangelism, still there must al- ways be some with the specific duty of preach- ing and of church work. But, since schools and hospitals must be kept open and the business of the Mission cannot lapse, evangelists are con- stantly being called on to do the work of as- sociates who are sick or on furlough. An itin- erating trip can be postponed ; the little churches can shift for themselves awhile. The result is that the all-important building of the Church of Christ too often lags, and golden opportunities are lost. It is impossible to avoid some shifting of burdens in times of emergency, but it is well for new missionaries to go to the field deter- mined to do all in their power to see to it that the main task is never lost sight of and that the direct preaching of the Gospel goes on at all costs. XII. THE ABUNDANT LIFE The necessity of pointing out the difficulties of missionaries in the preceding pages may have created in the minds of some the feeling that the missionary life is merely a series of pit- falls to be avoided. It is, therefore, well to state most emphatically that, if any life in this world is the abundant life, it is the life of the missionary. Its very difficulties make it a superb experience for those who overcome them. In addition it has rare privileges which make it unique among forms of Christian ser- vice. One of the choicest of these is the bond of friendship among missionaries. There is small wonder that little groups of men and 42 women who share all the experiences of life, who have one common purpose and are united in one great work, should be bound together as the years pass, and it is not strange, therefore, that the world does not know truer or more lasting friendships than are found on the mis- sion field. These friendships oftentimes are not confined to the missionary group, but reach out to include brothers and sisters of the in- digenous Church in an intimacy which gives the lie to those who claim that differences of race and color are insuperable. Then the missionary lives the abundant life because his is a multiplied life. The task is so varied and its demands so taxing that great talents are magnified and obscure ones devel- oped amazingly. Nowhere else can life be in- vested at a higher rate of interest; nowhere can every capability be put to work in more fruit- ful service. Again, the missionary has the satisfaction of feeling that he is building for the ages. Though temporary conditions may seem dis- couraging, he has the vision which sees a Chris- tian social order growing out of his schools and hospitals, unselfish leaders who will mold na- tions emerging from among his pupils, and a mighty Church which will change the world built up from the redeemed souls whom he has helped to bring to Jesus Christ. His is an abundant life who can be thus sure of the eter- nity of his achievements. Finally, the missionary, as perhaps no one else, is constantly being thrown back upon the 43 everlasting arms of God. His isolation, his lack of material resources, the apparent im- possibility of his task, all these things teach him that utter dependence upon God which is one of the chief lessons of life. The Father becomes very real to him, the Lord Jesus walks with him, the power of the Spirit takes hold of him and his work. He can repeat with full meaning for himself the words of the shepherd poet: “Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” NOTES 45 NOTES NOTES 47 NOTES 48