*

During those early pioneer years, when laying the foundation of the
Changte Church, my own weak faith was often rebuked when I saw the
results of the simple, child-like faith of our Chinese Christians. Some
of those answers to prayer were of such an extraordinary character that,
when told in the homeland, even ministers expressed doubts as to their
genuineness. But, praise God, I know they are true. Here are two
concrete examples.

Li-ming, a warm-hearted, earnest evangelist, owned land some miles north
of Chang Te Fu. On one occasion, when visiting the place, he found the
neighbors all busy placing around their fields little sticks with tiny
flags. They believed this would keep the locusts from eating their
grain. All urged Li-ming to do the same, and to worship the locust god,
or his grain would be destroyed. Li-ming replied: "I worship the one
only true God, and I will pray him to keep my grain, that you may know
that he only is God."

The locusts came and ate on all sides of Li-ming's grain, but did not
touch his. When Mr. Goforth heard this story he determined to get
further proof, so he visited the place for himself, and inquired of
Li-ming's heathen neighbors what they knew of the matter. One and all
testified that, when the locusts came, their grain was eaten and
Li-ming's was not.

The Lord Jesus once said, after a conflict with unbelief and hypocrisy:
"I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto
babes."

Our little Gracie became ill with a terribly fatal disease, so common in
malarious districts--enlarged spleen. The doctors pronounced her
condition quite hopeless. One day a Chinese Christian woman came in with
her little child, of about the same age as our Gracie, and very ill with
the same disease. The poor mother was in great distress, for the doctor
had told her also that there was no hope. She thought that if we would
plead with the doctor he could save her child. At last Mr. Goforth
pointed to our little Gracie, saying: "Surely, if the doctor cannot save
our child, neither can he save yours; your only hope and ours is in the
Lord himself."

The mother was a poor, hard-working, ignorant woman, but she had the
simple faith of a little child. Some few weeks later she called again,
and told me the following story:

"When the pastor told me my only hope was in the Lord, I believed him.
When I reached