A" S'"’ Stfr C3(cla vTiiirred^up the ’steep hill-rpad that rounded'^el mointahi. As the missionari(£i:^^de the ascent’ t'fyr atterftion of the one in the side /icar was drawn to th^ rugged mountain as it rose almost per- pendicularly rrom the road-side, and cover^ with a thick trdpical ffX^th. At the top of the^ilKAiey made the turn to tKe^gh^;^lf_one could follow it he would find, after two miles of falftp^gooch road, nothing but a mule trail over which the “mozos” drive their cargoed mules to and from the interior as far as Tegucigalpa, a five day trip from San Pedro Sula. Across a deep ravine to the left rose another range equally as high as the first. One might step to the edge of the road and look- ing down many feet see the Chamelecon River dancing its way over its rocky bed. The missionary now brings his cycle full around, and faces the great Sula Plain. The river continues its course and looks like a silver ribbon as it cuts a snake- like path through the fields and is lost to view amid the rich, green sugar cane fields in the distance. Below, stretching from the very foot of the mountain, and for a short distance along the river, lies a village. The tropi- cal adobe houses, and manaca shacks are side by side with the crude white washed frame dwellings. The village store and railway station are close up under the mountain along the National Railroad which has been built from Puerto Cortes to Potrerillos, a distance of sixty miles. The narrow streets look like lanes, and each land owner has built his house whelre he pleased, consequently the general appearance is one of dis- order and irregularity. This is Chamelecon, and may well be named “The Gateway to the Sula Valley from the mountain trail.” Scholar, Teacher, Chapel And The Everlasting Hills Not far from the railroad, on one of the three streets that extend at right angles to it and the street running parallel with it, is the little house our mis- sionaries rented for preaching and Sunday school ser- vices in September, 1924. This was the result of two years’ street preaching when the roads would admit of the mission auto making the trip of six miles from San The Little Brown Church In The Vale — Chamelecon Pedro Sula. By the Spring of 1925 it was self evident that the little house was too small. The interest had grown in spite of persecution, ridicule, and boycotting until eight families had banded themselves together for special instruction. With the need of larger quarters more and more apparent, one of the believers, Don Poncho Erasco, (the first man of the congregation who asked for a Christian marriage) came forward and offered a vacant lot for $175.00. This ground was on the same side of the street between the little Sunday school hall and a frame dwelling which was unoccupied. Don Poncho became impatient waiting for mail to pass between San Pedro and Washington, so one day he came offering his land as a gift and to transmit the offer of the men among the believers of one week’s work free for the erection of a chapel. His offer was accepted. It became known that the unoccupied building adjoin- ing was to be rented for a saloon, but our four un- married missionaries purchased the property for a few hundred dollars, thus protecting our interests. Today if you stood in the road on top of the hill where it rounds the mountain, we could point out on that lane-like street the little chapel which was dedi- cated September 12, 1926, at which time eight adults and seven children were baptised. The total cost of building and equipment was $1,650.00. On Sunday the same bell that once called a certain group of our Evangelical people to worship in the U. S. A., is calling our Evangelical people to worship in Honduras. And the same organ that once led a certain group of Evangel- ical people in singing songs to the praise and glory of Jehovah in America, is leading the singing of these songs of praise and glory in Central America. With the religious awakening has come the desire to read God’s Word; but alas, many of these people cannot read. They have asked our missionaries for a teacher, to whom their children may go for instruc- tion during the day, and to whom the parents may go for evening classes. Whom can we send? The mission- aries’ hearts are saddened because they have no one to send. Is the little group holding true? “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Out of that little congre- gation have come two young men to our mission sta- tion in San Pedro Sul a, that they may be taught to become native workers. Let us win the native for Jesus Christ, and we have won a Native Evangelist. That will be ‘‘The Third Step.” » FOREIGN MISSION BOARD— EVANGELICAL SYNOD 2951 Tilden Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. U. S. A. H4-10M.12. 26 FREE