Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

saved."
cometh."
medicine."
out."
there may be "added unto the church
daily
such as
should be
The return of the Dr. and Mrs. W. W. Weir
to the island was one of the high points of this last
month. The esteem in which they are held by the
people of Cyprus was shown in the fact that their
arrival was mentioned on the evening news report
with a statement of the amount of money raised for
the Academy Building Fund.
Many people were looking forward to their re
turn and they have been kept busy receiving guests
and calling on others, as well as assuming their
school and church duties. We are glad to welcome
them back to Cyprus.
Mr. Thomas Edgar, who has been Acting Di
rector, this year, has consented to continue his work
as Assistant Director of the school, with Dr. Weir
as Director. This will leave Dr. Weir freer to con
tinue his work on the Academy Building Fund.
I was sorry not to be up and out of bed to greet
the Weirs. I was put to bed on the Saturday before
they arrived, with yellow jaundice, where I have re
mained for two and a half weeks. Thanks to the
Great Physician, I shall be able to be out again the
last of this week. I could enjoy Dr. Taggart's edi
torial telling of his sickness, as our experiences were
somewhat alike, except I could sit up in bed most
of the time after the first five days. I was thus able
to grade all of my First Semester Examination
papers. Thanks to the Weirs and Dr. Edgar and per
haps some others, my classes are being attended to
this week. Rev. Copeland, already bearing a heavy
load, has taken some of my preaching schedule.
We are expecting, Hussein Hassan Memour,
our young Turkish boy, to return to Cyprus this
summer. He has been three years in the European
Bible Institute and will complete his work this
spring. We ask your prayers for him that he will be
used of God in a real way in Cyprus.
Two welcome visitors in Cyprus during the past
month were Dr. J. Elwyn Wright of the World As
sociation of Evangelicals, and a Mr. Keck, a Chris
tian farmer from Ohio. They were on a world tour
in the interests of W.A.E. At a Christian Workers
Fellowship meeting, Dr. Wright told us of their
work and offered to send us a gift of Christian
books which they have received as donations in
America, for our Church and School Library.
The Nicosia Girls' Academy new building is
progressing nicely, according to reports. By the end
of February the entire building should have the flat
cement slab poured over the entire first story. It
is hoped that they may be able to use it by Septem
ber.
Plans for the dedication of the Larnaca Aca
demy's new building, on April 30 are being made.
It is very fitting that Dr. and Mrs. Weir will be here
for it.
The urgency
of the Lord's work for 1955 is
upon us. One month is past. Let us pray and work,
"For we know not the day nor the hour when the
Son of Man
Syri1a
A New Year in the Near East
By Mrs. H. A. Hays
The low horns of the freighters and firework
display from freighter-passenger ships ushered in
the year 1955. Little did we realize that many young
people were walking along the sea front at that time.
New Year's eve was warm and moonlight, more like
a midsummer night than New Year's eve.
Newr
Year's morning we attended church and af
ter the service all the missionaries met in the home
of Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Hutcheson to receive callers.
We took an hour off for lunch and met again to
finish the day. The children stayed at home waiting
their yearly treat, that of being entertained by the
monkey. The monkey and his master comes around
every New Year's day to receive a few francs. The
children look forward to this every year.
We had to start calling early Monday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Hutcheson went one way
and Miss
McClurkin and we went in the opposite direction. We
started visiting in groups a few years ago, as some
of the homes, one room sparsley furnished, cannot
accomodate us all at once.
Schools opened on Tuesday, and on Thursday
which was Armenian Christmas and the feast of Bap
tism which is observed by the Greek Orthodox, we
had another vacation. We visited Greek Orthodox,
Protestants and Armenians on that day.
In one home, that of Adell Yocoub for the 'bene
fit of those who know her, they were busy making
dinner, Kibbie Lebaniyeh. A plate was put in front of
us, the three of us ate all but three Kubbies. The
214
mother and daughter wouldn't let us go until we fin
ished it. I then ate one, Miss McClurkin followed up
and of course Mr. Hays could do nothing else but fin
ish it. The mother laughed and laughed and said,
"How happy you made me on this day!" "A merry
heart doeth good, like a
We returned
home after that for lunch, but all we could do was to
sit at the table and pretend, you know! As we visit
the homes from year to year we notice the improve
ment in living conditions which is very encouraging.
The same day we received word that an English
lady died aboard the "Cyprian Prince," a boat in har
bor, and had to be buried in the afternoon. Due to
government regulations, making of the coffin and
other arrangements, the funeral had to be postponed
until the next day. They were to bring her ashore
and had to have a place to put her until morning.
The church was being used, as it was the week of
prayer so we had them put the coffin in the south
hall of the school, downstairs. Miss McClurkin seldom
disturbs us with pounding over our heads, but that
night she was pounding. The pounding came from the
south end of the building and was low and rather
muffled. Judy looked at me and said, "Maybe the
lady isn't dead, and is trying to get It may
sound foolish to you, but had you heard the stories
we have heard about people being buried before the
body gets cold and even sometimes stiff ,
her wonder
and amazement was not out of place. We heard the
pounding off and on, finally Mr. Hays went down-
COVENANTER WITNESS