Page 108 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

10 NliCtUiCTlU) ARAM A

cities and villages, tcachiny in their synagogues, and prcachimj the gospel
of the kingdom, and lira liny every sickness and every disease among the
people.” Work has been done among men; among women ; among hoys
and girls and among babies. Their bodies have been healed from many
diseases; their minds have been awakened to new knowledge; their souls
have been presented to the Gospel message. God grant that the seed may
some day bear abundant fruit.

THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
"And He sent them to preach the kinydom of Cod and to heal the sick ” (Luke
9:2.)
With the opening of the Men’s Medical work in Matrah the number of i
the Mission’s hospitals has been increased to seven and a great amount, of
work has been done the past year. \
In ^marah our northernmost station, the work has proceeded against
much difficulty and open hostility and persecution. As Dr. Moerdyk puts
it "The story of the past year of work in the Lansing Memorial Hospital
’ truly be spoken of as a ‘trial of our faith.' " The detection of the man ,
can
in charge of the liible-Shup gave the Moslems great fervor and made life \
Especially difficult for the other converts and inquirers and in fact tor any-
body in the Minriiin'ii employ. I)r. Moerdyk felt keenly ihe dtnqwnUQ d
ell oils of Ihe upping forces lo corrupt Ills huspllul helpers whu were .j
cursed, abused, ustrucised and even forbidden to enter the tea and codec
shops. Still they stood firm and refused to desert their posts. Other
friends, too, surprised the doctor by their persistence in coining to the ■
4
hospital when the doctor was preached against by the religious sheikhi *
who also did not scruple to forbid the people from having treatments ami %
?5
spread false reports about him and his work. To quote Dr. Moerdyk: \!
"One specific instance of a friendship well founded will probably he appre­
ciated and help you to understand some of the encouragements in the midst .
of discouragements. There is one young chap in Amarah about twenty- !
five years of age of whom I have written before. A sufferer from pleurisy
followed by beginning tuberculosis, in turn succeeded by dysentery and
mucous colitis, he has been under my care for a long time, and has at timet »
come td our services and mejlises. At the onset of'the trouble described
he was taken to task by his religious sheikh and told not to go to the Ameri- .. ■i
can doctor for treatment. His answer was that he had been saved from . I
serious illness several times by the American doctor and no one could 3
keep him from seeking medical attention at his hands. He was then for-. • ]
bidden to come to me to attend religious services or otherwise. He asked 3
the religious sheikh whether he had ever seen him enter his mosque. When
answered ‘no’ he told his religious adviser that he had nothing to **y
about his life, that the American doctor was like a brother to him, and
that the American doctor’s religion was one only of service to humanity
and the teaching of good morality and good principles for the worship of IT
God. In the future he would do as he pleased. Would that he felt that ^
the Christian religion was his only means of salvation or if he did fed
thus he would openly accept Christ’s salvation as offered to him. Sit** cSj
thru lit* huN been pointed out often um u ProtcHunt and \m been oiitr&ciiaj Sil

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