Come Over Into Macedonia

One morning a few weeks ago I awoke with a great burden on my heart for a small community about three and a half miles from our home. A few days later, an old gray-haired lady who was trying to hold a little Sunday School together there , came to our home. I told her of the burden we had for this place, and in a trembling voice she told us how she had been praying for help. Then she asked "Won't you come and help us?"

Last Sunday when we arrived at this little school house in which the Sunday School is being held, we had eleven people packed and jammed in the old car. The front and back seats were filled to overflowing, someone holding someone else, even the driver was holding a child on his knees.

This work was started quite some time ago by a denomination that seems to have lost about all interest in it. Then too, there has been some dissension in this community, and as a result the Sunday School has been going down—down. Last Winter, Frances taught a Bible class once a week in this school building, and so much good has been done through her prayers and efforts.

This was not a regularly organized Sunday School, that is, there was no roll call, reports, collections, or records kept. It seems as though the folks just met there any time between 10 and 12 A.M. on sundays, and had some singing, prayer, and someone read the lesson or scripture from the Bible.

On last Sunday, which was our second Sunday there, we divided the school into two classes— Frances teaching one, and I the other. We asked the kind old lady who was so much concerned, if she would help, but she insisted that we take control and let her listen. And so again God has placed the workers of the Blue Ridge Mountain Bible Mission in another gap, to His honor and glory. This will not be just another Sunday School conducted on a cut and dried program, with so much time for this, and not time for our Lord and Savior—but this time will be used in teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, stressing the plan of Salvation, and our sole aim will be that of leading souls to the Cross.

Many of you, I am sure, would like to visit this community. Leaving our home, we follow a mountain trail which winds along the side of, and crosses in many places, a beautiful clear stream of water. About a mile along the trail we come to a fork in the road; also another stream which we cross on a small foot log. These logs are place at different crossings along the way to accommodate those who travel up and down the valley on foot. We continue through the valley for a short distance, then the road leads off and up around the mountain side, then back again to the little stream; and soon we come to a beautiful cove surrounded by the mountains, in which is located the school house.

Many paths lead to the different cabin homes which are built along the valley or up on the mountain side, many of which can be reached only on foot. This place is really "back in the woods." It is about five miles from the post office and nearest store. It is also the last Christian outpost in this particular direction towards the state line and hills of Tennessee.

I have been told it is not unusual to hear the call of the wild animals as they pass from one mountain to another, hunting food. Just recently, a wolf was reported seen near some of the homes in this section.

Then, too, we hear other reports that are sordid, base, and of the very lowest. One of these is of an unmarried mother who is little more than a child that was led astray by a married man who is old enough to be her father.

I recently heard of a young man in the community who, while serving in the capacity of Deputy Sheriff, was also moonshining and bootlegging liquor under the protection of the badge of law and order.

A young girl who lives in this section told us of a large rock near her home that they had named "Liquor Rock." She said that when her father and brother brought liquor home from the still or bootlegger, they would leave it where the mother could find it, and she and the girls would carry it to this rock and break the jugs or bottles by throwing them against this stone.

Then another story comes to us of a small group of people that were gather together for a prayer meeting, and while an old lady was kneeling alongside of a chair in prayer, some drunken brute kicked the chair away from her.

Please pray that God will use us to establish a place of worship in this.