CHURCH NEWS

SCHOOLS

Our hearty thanks; I received the first 100 dollars for the organizing of schools of our own churches. May the Lord incline the hearts for this so necessary undertaking. That many would follow this example, and may the Lord grant His blessing over it in the future.

WANTED

Principal Wanted — For New Christian School. For more information contact — Rev. A.M. DenBoer

Main St. P.O. Box No. 42

E. Norwich, Ontario,

Canada

Telephone 519/863-3316

NATIONAL - INTERNATIONAL RELIEF FUND

A disaster fund was set up 2 years ago as a result of a synodical decision. As was previously reported in the Banner of Truth, we were able to send some relief to flood and earthquake victims.

In the spring of 1974, several states were hit by devastating tornadoes leaving many families homeless and lacking the basic necessities of life. Our congregations sent $3,000.00 to the American Red Cross disaster fund to aid in their relief operations.

West Africa has been stricken with drought since 1968. The Sahara desert has been moving further south taking in thousands of acres which formerly had been under cultivation. After five years of drought, about one hundred thousand people and some 20 million head of livestock have already starved to death, and the end is not in sight. Our congregations sent $4,000.00 to World Vision International to help these famine stricken people of West Africa. It is our prayer that the Lord may use these feeble efforts to His honor and glory. We are a nation greatly blessed in material goods but what are we seeing, but more and more spiritual leanness. The last chapters of Deuteronomy tell of the blessings promised to the obedient but also the curses on the disobedient. May the Lord open our spiritual eyes to see the judgments of the Lord round about us.

As a committee, we wish to thank all the congregations for their liberality and for those who have not yet contributed, they may do so by sending their gift to the treasurer of this committee. G. Deur, Sec. - Treas., 540 Crescent, N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

A REPORT ABOUT THE SAD EVENTS IN NIPSAN

(For the benefit of the English-speaking mission friends, the report of Rev. A. Vergunst in the Saambinder is given in an abbreviation form.)

In order to keep you informed of the events which have taken place in Irian Jaya, we shall give you some of the information received in a rather extensive report from Brother Henk Looyen. The letter is dated May 28 and is written from the area where these events took place. You are perhaps wondering how this is possible since the landing strip was blocked up. Well, the government had sent a number of soldiers, who, after a difficult march of three days, had arrived on foot in Nipsan. They cleared the landing strip so that a plane could again land. Among the first to visit the post was Brother Looyen.

Among other things he wrote: “The buildings were completely destroyed; the only building in which we had any shelter from the rain was the stable where the animals were kept. The walls were badly burned in three places, so that also this building is of little value. After walking about the area, we found the head of Herman, badly mangled. (Herman was the man to whom the leadership of the post was entrusted in the absence of Rev. Kuijt. He was an extremely trustworthy and capable young man. Last year when the deputies had visited the mission post, they had personally thanked him for his exceptional dedication.) From one of the survivors who had fled, we heard that they had wanted first of all to kill Herman. Near his home, which was completely destroyed, we found where he had been killed, as other parts of his body were still lying there. It appears that he had seen no opportunity to reach the radio; for that matter, it would have been of no use, for the radio had been removed from the shed and hidden under a stone.

Orpah, the wife of Abraham, had succeeded in hiding for almost a week, and had reappeared when the police arrived. (Abraham was a Bible school student who lived with his wife at the Nipsan mission post.) She had been wounded by six arrows. Her husband Abraham had been killed and eaten. He had been on his way to the village of Nipsan to preach there on Sunday. (Nipsan is the name of a village, but also the name of the mission post serving that area.)

Another survivor was Matthias. (The baptised Christians usually took a Bible name at the time of baptism — therefore these familiar names.) For three to six hours he was able to defend himself with bow and arrow, and when it became dark he fled. His wife Dogwareke and small son Marcus had been sheltered behind Matthias for quite some time, but had finally been killed. A third survivor was Asaph, who had also been behind Matthias, and had succeeded in defending himself with stones. His wife Endahambik and his daughter had not managed to escape. Asaph arrived about a week later in Kosarek; there was no skin left on his feet, so that he could walk no further.

Philip was the fourth one who had managed to escape. He was protected by one of the leaders of Nipsan, whose wife had been taken just a few days before to the hospital in Angguruk. In this way Philip had managed to flee and had hid in the water, behind a waterfall, near the hanging bridge. Saturday and Sunday he had held onto a stone, with his head just above the water, thus managing to stay hid. Other than an arrow in the calf of his leg, he had arrived uninjured.

When I finally returned to the people of Pass Valley to tell them of these events, it, understandably, fell as a bomb among them. The people were very angry that I had not told them sooner, but as there had been no means available, this had not been possible. Then they requested that I would arrange for them to fly to Nipsan so that they could take revenge. It was most diffucult to make them understand that this was impossible. “

We must consider that the great losses experienced by these young congregations (Abenago and Landikma, where most of the Bible school students were from) is a heavy trial, also for the faith of these young congregations. The enemies of God ‘s Word make use of it; and in such situations they sometimes find an open ear. From the list of the slain it is evident that the loss was great and caused much sorrow, since it included six Bible school students, three wives, and four children.

The Bible school students had not the slightest suspicion of the situation. Those slain were each killed in a different little village of the area, and from the survivors it appears that in each village a student had been invited for the Sunday service, so that each one could be slain separately.

Perhaps later we can write more about this. We conclude with the request that our mission be remembered, our workers there, especially the bereaved congregations of Abenago and Landikma, but also the people of Nipsan. They did not know what they were doing. When Stephen, the deacon of Jerusalem, died, his last words contained the prayer: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Let us also think thus of the people of Nipsan, and with increased effort endeavor to proclaim to them the gospel of God ‘s grace.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen