Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

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September as planned. The other day the chief inspec
tor of schools for the Department of Education said
to me, "I am very glad to see you are getting your
new building; for your teachers have had to cope
with almost impossible physical conditions in that
old building." "Except the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain that build it." We have commit
ted it to Him, and we pray for wisdom to use it for
His glory and the realization of His Kingdom.
"Union with Greece" campaigning goes on. The
underworld is getting into activity as well as the
Ethnarchy (central committee of the Greek Ortho
dox Church presided over by the Archbishop). You
may have heard in the news that an attempt to
smuggle dynamite into the island was discovered
not be
by the police last week. This, however, may
as serious as it may have sounded on the radio. We
do not believe the leadership in the movement is in
volved in such tactics. The sad thing about it all
is that those who claim to be the representatives of
Christ in this island are more concerned about this
kind of activity than with the unity of their people
with Christ.
We are glad to welcome the Weirs back to Cyp
rus on January 26. We thank God for what Mr. Weir
was able to raise for the Larnaca Building Fund, a
total of $25,000.00. We believe that God has a place
for the schools in the mission work, and we seek
His guidance in making them accomplish His pur
pose.
"Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel,
and his Maker, 'Ask me of things to come concern
ing my sons, and concerning the work of
my hands
command ye Isaiah 45:11.
Report of Progress
By Chester T. Hutcheson
Dear Covenanter Readers in the U.S.A.
By November our schools were pretty well
started, although still short a couple of teachers.
By the end of the month these were arranged for,
in some instances satisfactorily, and in others not.
But the worst difficulty was lack of textbooks. Even
yet we do not have all textbooks ; neither our school
nor the public schools. The Educational Department
handles the books and gives them to us, at reason
able prices, from their store, when available, on
requisition. The top class, and that is what would
be called about the top class of a Junior college,
had an odd strike a few days ago about it. About
80 students loafed in the halls of the local govern
ment educational building during the daytime and
slept there during the night. The result was only
partially successful for the students. We do not
have this class, so had no students participating.
We are very glad to have Miss McClurkin and
Mrs. Hutcheson back in the mission circle, and with
their shoulders at the wheels in school work. We
miss the Sandersons in this part; and the women's
work is practically at a standstill, with Mrs. Mc
Elroy in the U.S.A. Mrs. Hays has classes in the
Girls school.
We had two social events during the month;
one an evening for the teachers, and the other a
social evening for the High School age students who
March 2, 1955
know English. Both were well worth the effort, al
though heavy rains kept some of the teachers at
home.
Our village evangelism seems to foe going along
undisturbed. Mr. Hays had all his village workers
in for a full day conference on personal evangelism
during November. Pray especially for them, as
people who are working in villages, mostly sur
rounded with non-Christian people.
Political conditions are unsettled as yet, and
especially just now when I am writing the first
week of December. We have had to close our schools
for more than five days already this year. The same
for all schools of the town. They seem to be used
as a political football.
Of our High School graduates last year; four
have gone on to the American Junior college in
Aleppo; one to the American University of Beirut;
one to higher Arabic studies here in Syria; and
one is a teacher in his home village, and intends
to go to college next year, then to the seminary.
The seminary requires one year of successful teach
ing as a prerequisite to entrance.
Perhaps you realize that two of our alumni are
now students in Geneva college, U.S.A. Two more
are expecting to be there the second semester. I
think you will find these four very fine upright
young people, and I hope you will be able to meet
them. One, John Manoyan, who graduated from
Geneva a few years ago, then did graduate study
in Oklahoma University, is now working in the oil
refining department of the Venezuelan govern
ment. He made us a visit here last year,
was on an assignment in Europe, visiting various
while he
oilfields and refineries of Europe; both in eastern
and western Europe.
We rejoice with Larnaca, Cyprus, in their be
ing able to raise so much money for their new
building projects. I was favorably impressed with
their new buildings this summer. Also in Nicosia.
From reports I get from U.S.A. some or maybe
many think that our mission schools are costing too
much. Well, as you know a school cannot stand still ;
it must go forward or backwards. Are not all schools
in your neighborhood increasing their budget from
year to year So we must do also, or drop back
wards. Even so, we have never been able to have
music, athletics, drawing or manual training
teachers in our schools. Perhaps you in U.S.A.
would not send your child to a school that did not
have these
Here is a suggestion for your Christmas greet
ing cards: box them up and send them to us to use
as prizes for the smaller children. We are just about
out of them. Some of our mission stations do not
want them, I believe, but we can use hundreds of
them to good advantage. Here is a human interest
story about one child that shows its appreciation
of a Christmas card given as a present for paying
tuition on time. The next day the child brought the
amount of her tuition, a second time, and said she
brought it for another card.
The mission staff have all been blessed with good
health this year, and are busy
with their respective
duties. We were all able to enjoy a fine Thanks
giving dinner at our house, at the time of this
American festival.
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