But I turn from all points of interest in our work here to press once more on the members and friends of the Association the opportunity there is and the need there is for its commencing a
I will venture to assume that much of what I myself have written before about this, and what Jee Gam wrote nearly a year ago, is still remembered. I am glad to say that in the populous districts from which our Chinese come there is now one American missionary—Rev. D.D. Jones—American, though born in Wales. Bro. Jones as a layman at Cheyenne, Wy. Ter., had his heart stirred for the Chinese in that place. Commencing a mission among them, he afterwards went to Chicago to do like work there, and then to Boston on a similar errand. At length he sought ordination, and went forth, appointed by no society, to become a self-sustaining missionary in China. It is a comfort to me to give to each of our returning Chinese a letter to him, though probably in many instances the probability of their seeing him is very small.
Is it asked: “What would we do by our mission, if we had it established?” We would, first of all, give a cordial Christian greeting at Hong Kong to every Christian Chinese returning from California: we would bring them off ship into an atmosphere warm with Christian love; we would bring them into meetings for prayer; and would then let them go out to their old heathen homes, baptized with the Holy Ghost. In the same spirit we would meet them as they come back on their return to California, calling for reports of their experiences, the temptations they have met, the testimony they have borne, and the results which have followed their words. Then, we would make our mission house at Hong Kong a rendezvous and training school for such of our Chinese as may be fitted or could become fitted for evangelistic work among their countrymen. We ought to raise up many such through our work in California. The wise word, “Africans for Africa,” has double wisdom when you read it “Chinese for the conquest of China for Christ!” They have the hard language already; they know from childhood the ways of the people; they know from personal experience the darkness, the fear, the soul-hunger and the woe of heathenism. It would not be wise to send them forth with no American supervision; but evidently here is a great force at present little used, that, properly directed, might be wielded for the salvation of multitudes, and the Christianization of the greatest empire of darkness the world now knows; perhaps has ever known.