Page 27 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

An Evangelistic Clinic
Rev. H. A. Bilkert

« OW does the missionary actually carry on his work,” is a
question which is frequently asked. There are a good many
phases of the missionary's work, but here arc some suupshuis
of interviews in wlmt might bo called "the clinic19 over the
course of two days.
first on the list is a Jewish boy. He appeared one day and announced
lhat he wished to become a Christian. That was good news, of course,
but the experiences and disappointments of the years leave their mark
one does not enjoy that same trustful confidence in his fellowtnen
which he once did. So before entering the name of the new candidate in
(he church roll one generally tries to find the motive for this very.
radical step. Our Jewish friend .was without work and had only recently
co<nc from Baghdad. That looked suspicious to begin with. But he ad-
tiiiced no other requests and we took him at his face value and began
reading the Gospel of Matthew together. The boy has persisted and we
had gotten as far as the section on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount
og die day I have in mind. So his lesson was one on prayer, the meali­
ng of prayer in general and a study of the model prayer of our Lord in
uirticular, in which prayer he falteringly joined at the end of the lesson,
number one.
Next appears a Christian of Armenian extraction. He is one of the
*hoolboys and assures me he can get a position in the railway offices if
1 will only give him a letter of introduction to the traffic manager. The
tuy is a dullard and it is hard to know how to write so tactfully that the
boy is satisfied and the traffic manager not deceived. Incidentally the
pumber of such letters one writes in the course of the year is not incon-
loiuciitial. Positions are secured, and often only secured, by the means
j an intermediary in a way that outrages our western ideas whereby
ocry man stands or falls on his own merits. But here a letter to Mr.
SNUid-So is looked upon as the open sesame to sure success.
Cane number three is an ulmulutc stranger. Ilia turban indicates a
I honorable birth and probably a merchant of some'stunding. The
0*JI u
formalities and courtesies of greeting accomplished be begins with the
rather enigmatic question, “Did you get a letter?" It then develops that
4 Mission colporteur in Baghdad had promised to write to me concern­
-•
ed the new arrival. His interest in Christianity had been awakened in
Alidad and for several months he had been an attendant at the Mission
i wading room and the Sunday services. His relatives had become aware
\ U this interest and began taking steps to bring him back to the “true
!aith." He perhaps magnified his danger, but in any case he fied to
Kurali. We extended to him the heartiest welcome we knew how to :
! p\c and arranged to see him frequently.
A Kurdish captain in the Arab army is the next to enter. Kurdistan
• divided geographically between Iraq and Turkey so there are a good
Kurdish officers in the Arab army. They are merely marking
: **ny
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