Taun. cndva . A ov 
 
 = Anne 
 
 AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSION- 
 ARY UNION, BOSTON, MASS. 
 
THE FIRST CONVERT 
 IN THE CHIN HILLS 
 
 Ta conference held in San Diego, 
 Cal., in connection with one of 
 
 the visits of the Home Secretary 
 of the Missionary Union to the Pacific 
 Coast, an aged gentleman, born in Eng- 
 
 land, related the following incident: - 
 
 ‘¢T remember well the tradition in my 
 father’s family of the day when his 
 
 father rushed home almost breathless — 
 
 from his little shop, and burst into 
 the room where my grandmother was 
 at work, exclaiming: ‘Oh, mother, 
 mother, there has been a convert!’’ 
 The reference was to the conversion 
 of Krishna Pal, the first Hindu to accept 
 Christianity under the labors of Carey, 
 Marshman and Ward. 
 
 It had been stoutly insisted by the 
 opponents of missions in England that 
 the Hindus could never be reached by 
 the gospel; and so when the news came 
 
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 that one man, and he a Brahman, had 
 been won to Christ, its influence was 
 magnetic in reviving the confidence of 
 those whose faith had been put to a se- 
 vere test while awaiting the manifesta- 
 tion of the power of the gospel to save 
 even those seemingly beyond hope. 
 Krishna Pal had become a Christian! 
 Afterwards he wrote the beautiful hymn 
 which has cheered myriads of hearts, 
 not only in India but throughout Chris- 
 tendom : 
 
 O thou my soul, forget no more 
 
 The Friend who all thy sorrows bore; 
 Let every idol be forgot, 
 
 But, O, my soul, forget Him not! 
 
 In India today there are more than a 
 million disciples of Christ, and many 
 millions more have been under Chris- 
 tian teaching. Now the joyful news is 
 received of 
 
 THE FIRST CONVERT 
 IN. THE -GHIN=HETS 
 
 The tidings came from Rey. E. H 
 East, M.D., whose recént visit to this 
 
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 country and whose thrilling addresses 
 are so pleasantly remembered by those 
 who heard him. Dr. East is laboring 
 among the Chin people in Haka, Bur- 
 ma, where he went in 1go1 to join Rev. 
 A. E. Carson, who opened the work two 
 
 _years before. The people are among 
 
 the wildest of the mountain tribes of 
 Burma, and have been very difficult to 
 
 -reach. At first they seemed to have 
 
 scarcely any ideas of Deity at all, but 
 they are beginning to respond to the 
 gospel and are awaking out of their 
 long sleep of heathenism. The follow- 
 ing is Dr. East’s letter referring to the 
 conversion of the native Chin: 
 
 Haka, Aug. 6, 1904. 
 
 Dear FriEenpDs :—This letter is dated 
 August sixth, for that is when the mail 
 starts from Haka; but I begin writing 
 early Monday morning, the first, as my - 
 heart is too full, and I must let you 
 know. I will. give youa true copy of 
 my last letter from Koset, one of our 
 preaching stations, and you can judge 
 for yourself as to the matter. This let- 
 
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ter is from Saya Shwe Zan, whom I 
 placed in charge of the mission in Koset 
 village when I opened that work April 
 first. I give it word for word so that 
 you may get the benefit of his letter. 
 
 July 25, 1904, KoseT VILLAGE. 
 
 Srr :—Your letter came to me and tell 
 about the school which you spoke with 
 Mr. Fowler. We little three here 
 (meaning his family) were very glad. 
 The time when we arrived here in Koset 
 till this time, we try as well as we can 
 for preaching, so that one man name 
 Paung Shwin, his among three chiefs 
 which you had been seeing, he believes 
 Jesus can save him from his sin into 
 life. He gave up all the bad things and 
 come to us for worship God together 
 every time with his wife and mother. 
 He’s very earnest in preach to other. 
 Some men spoke to him and make him 
 afraid, but he do not care what was the 
 people said to him. As he knew more 
 about Christ he preach more and more 
 to other people. The time when you 
 come to Koset he will (be) Baptist at 
 once. As well as my master can, come 
 soon. 
 
 ~ ——  —or-- 
 
 ag rg 
 
 a 
 
 by 
 
 a chief among the three chiefs. 
 
 Now we little here glad every time to 
 preach. We hope our master and mam- 
 ma and Sya San Win and his wife will 
 glad with us in prayer. I cannot write 
 
 - English well; if I can write you will 
 
 glad more than this. 
 
 One man name’s Tum Harm; he is 
 Now 
 he begin to believe Jesus. This night 
 he come up to me for prayer God. 
 Dear master, please remember for Tum 
 Harm in your prayer. O my dear mas- 
 ter if you arrive here this time, how you 
 will be very glad for Christ. 
 
 As to school the people begin to build 
 the school now. ‘They got some post ~ 
 to the school place; in a few days I 
 think school will finish. Some time I 
 wrote about to stop school until the 
 school (house) finish, and you tell I 
 must stop; but I think in my heart it is 
 better to learn every day so that I have 
 school in my house. 
 ~ Remember Paung Shwin and _ his 
 household your prayer. As well as I 
 
 _ canl try in write English. Please know 
 
 what I meanas well as you can. 
 Your obedient servant, 
 SHWE ZAN, 
 
 8. 1 Ed..10M.-11-4. Sample copies free; 25 eents per hundred. 
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