Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

Book Room. He has since grown much in faith andknowledge, while his zeal for witnessing is apparentalmost every week by one or two, or even four, whomhe has contacted and brought to church.Mr. Tamada has also had Christian influence inhis home, though not of a strong nature. Just recently he was instrumental in making an opening for aBible class in his home village, which Mr. Boyle isteaching on Tuesday evenings.Two of the three children baptized were Mr.Takehara's, and the other was Bruce Spear, son ofRev. and Mrs. Gene Spear.With the passing of time, some of us even findthat the language we first thought was only variousstrangesounds,now gives forth with an occasionalword which we can understand. Being taught by thedirect method, our vocabularies consist of a few ofthe words commonly used in the everyday languageof the people. Each week there are a few more wordswe can recognize in the church services. The Spearsand Mrs. Hansen have just had their first languageexamination at the Y.M.C.A. where they are havingclasses. Mine comes tomorrow, as I am going to another language school.Every missionaryon the field is engaged ineither full time or part time language study, withthe hope that we can all do our work in the languageof the people directly. The ones establishing the workhere in Japan were so over-burdened with work thatthey could not give the needed time to the languagestudy, so have not been able to use the language inthe meetings. Now, with more workers on the field,they are studying with a private teacher part timewith the hope of teaching and preaching in Japanesein a few months. Please pray that this may be possible. We new ones have been limited to one Bibleclass a week this first year, that we might be freeto study and avoid the situation which the othersfound of time being filled with everything but language study.The Lord has provided sufficiently for my needsso that it is not necessary for me to take on outsidework. I would like to express my appreciation to anyand to those who havewho have had a part in this,been so faithful in prayer support. I know it has beendone unto the Lord and He will remain faithful inHis promised blessings to you.Do continue in prayer for these people to whomGod is still continuing to send His messengers. Thereare those who are actively witnessing for Him, thosewho are new-born babes, those who are standing justoutside the door, and others who have barely heardthe Gospel or never heard it. Pray with us and for usthat the Lord's work may go forward in word and inpower.American Academy, Larnaca, CyprusMEMORIAL HALL The first building of theschool, erected in 1911, now to be called MemorialHall, in memory of the late Mr. Peponiades of Nicosia, Cyprus, whose gift made possible the construction of the building ; and the home of the Rev. Walter McCarroll, D.D., the founder of the Academy.Suitable plaques are being placed on the wall atthe entrance of the building.The Academy was founded in 1908.The enrollment is 488 in the current year. Thestudents come from 92 cities and villages of Cyprus,December 7, 1955and from Ethiopia, Egypt, Lebanon, Arabia, Turkeyand the Sudan. The number of boarding students is141.Factions Which Tangle The Problemsof CyprusMay I comment on Prof. Saloutos' stimulatingarticles on the Cyprus issue ?During a recent visit to the island I was givenall the opportunity I could desire to analyze thiscritical situation on the spot.Archbishop Makarios granted me a long interview and helped with introductions. So did the MuftiDana, and so did the British authorities. I talked tohigh and low in many parts of the island, and couldat any rate form some tentative conclusions.The question to which I sought an answer waswhether there was really as strong a movement forenosis the union with Greece, as seemed generallyaccepted, and what if anything could possibly bedone by United States public opinion about the vociferously expressed demand for self-determination.My first conclusion, accepted by many Britons,was that indeed British policy in Cyprus has to accept some of the blame for the unrest which prevails :Great Britain has from the very beginning of her administration left public education very much in thehands of the Greek and Turkish communities, respectively.As a consequence there has been no education ofCypriots, but only education of Greek and Turkishpatriots often bitterly hostile to each other. Theonly exception to this was provided by the Britisharmy during the recent war, when many Cypriotsserved and, in many cases, received the only generaleducation they had ever enjoyed.These Cypriot veterans form an important pro-British element of the Greek-speaking population.Moreover, Great Britain has milked the island economically for long periods of her administration. Efforts are now being made to improve this condition.My second conclusion was that even that part ofthe Greek population which is most vociferous in itsdemands for enosis is not united. Many are piousmembers of the Greek Church, but many also areCommunists.Three of the larger and predominantly Greekcity administrations in the island are Communist led.At present it is considered good policy by theCommunists to embrace the Greek nationalist causeit offers more opportunity for mischief, and it is somuch more convenient to put the blame for strikesand acts of violence on "patriotic" elements.I think it is the realization that there is onlya violent minority and not a responsible majority infavor of enosis which has prevented Archbishop Makarios or any of the Bishops from taking a publicstand against the acts of violence which have beenso much in the news during recent months.As far as the Turkish population is concernedtheir interests and the policy of Ankara are identical.From the Turkish point of view the Soviet Union,Bulgaria and Syria represent the elements of Communist encirclement.The addition of an uncertain if not CommunistCyprus 40 miles from the Turkish shore would mean375