LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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284 TO EUROPE AND AMERICA AGAIN. constant prayers the foundation of the Christian church was soon laid. After some years' experience all the missions en~ gaging in the field unanimously adopted one general policy as the best posBible method for prosecuting the evangelical work there; that is, to train the native Christians for the Christian ministry. There now are more than half a dozen schools of that nature in the country. Men thus raised on our own soil have gone out here and there to found new churches, and what they have already achieved in converting many souls to the new faith within a short period seems to us a fact greater than mere human agency could have ac~ counted for. "God is fighting for us," might be our cry. The mission, started in the central part of Japan under the auspices of the American Board only sixteen years ago, has been much blessed and has lately reached the joy of a great harvest. The last report informs us that there were 33 churches with 3, 000 communicants, 14 ordained pastors, and 9 acting pastors. A missionary in the field wrote to the BoaJ'd last July, stating thus: "Six churches have been or~ ganized in connection with our mission since January, an average of one a month." Through the wise guid~ ance of the brethren, the missionary spirit has been much fostered among these churches. They have al~ ready organized a Home Mission Society, and also an Educational Society, to cooperate with the mission of the said Board for carrying out the gospel work. It is a small start. But a desire for self~support is already manifested in their attempt. I am glad to mention here that most of OGr churches are self-sup­porting, and some of them have never received any pecuniary aid from the Mission from their very begin-

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