A PROBLEM AND DEVELOPMENTS, JANUARY-FEBRUARY,.

1951
THE J. RUSSELL MORSE FAMILY AND ASSOCIATES

tions of native congregations, long preaching and evangelizing trips, mak ing an alphabet for the primitive Rawang people and of writing and pub-

many new converts, well attended native Bible-training s^ool^ conven

(Our latest letters from workers in the Yunnan-Tibetan Christian MissiftTig (Kunming, nbing and the Upper Burma region), tell. about

liihing their Primer, a little book about Cluristian living and the story of
Jesus. This great awakening of interest and acceptance of God's plan of salvation among the native peoples is a constant diallenge to our repre

sentatives on &e mission fi^d. They want to go on and on, in spite of

the war. Will you join us in earnest prayer for them?)
OUR PROBLEM-SITUATION

Kunming, CSiina January 9, 1951

J. Russell Morse wired to his agent, Mr. Howard L. Phillips^ of Hong Kong, and he cabled the following to Mrs. Ruth Morse, Tulsa, Oklahohia: "Funds received. Thirteen more baptisms; total, 235 past year. Due to family medical needs, leaving soon after receiving EXIT permit, maybe
month hence."

of the difficulties whiw foreigners seeking to leave China are now en

Mrs. Howard Phillips' letter from Hong Kong, Dec. 13, points out some

authorities. Then too, in other places in (Sina and we suppose also in

countering. "From the trend of Mr. J. R. Morse's letters we believe he will come out when and as soon as he can, but that he has not yet been able to find a reason for leaving Kunming which is acceptable to the

Kunming, a foreigner wishing to leave has to find someone to sponsor him or to be his guarantor. Hiat means that such a person would have to stand in the place of the one who was i^nsored for departure if at a later date any charges were brou^t by the police or the military against

the one who left under such sponsoi^p. In other words, suppose the

police trumped up a charge of the departed being a Nationalist, or an teed for him would be tried in his stead and ptmished in his stead. A Chinese mi^t thus be tried and executed for treason even thou^ he, and

ibn^can ^y, after the missionary had gone, tiien the one who guaran

the missionary also, was entirely innocent, but not there to dSend him

self or the proxy. So it may be that your son is having difficulty in find ing anyone willing to accept the hazardous respon^bility of being guaran tor of a foreigner."
Hong ^ng,

February 3, 1951 thing impredictable. Request ^ecial THrayeri homeiana ctiurcties."

Cable from Wt. Phillips: 'Russell wires, No Exit-Permit yet. Every-'

This is an emergency call, an SOS appeal to all prayerrband individual supporters of the Yunnan-Tibetan missions. Pray that the rul ers of China may speedily grant an Exit-Permit from Ktmming to Hong Ejong for J. Russell Morse. Pray that he may safely rejoin his family and

V \

the other mission associates who are now working in Upper Burma. He is IS much mu( needed there. The Kunming congregations have been greatly

V^ed armies. M

strengi strengthened by the work that Mr. Morse and his native helpers have been s be^ able to do since other members of his family escaped the incoming
Please join in this prayer effort. Pray in faith.

REC:^'

AND REPORTS FROm't^

YUNNAN-TEBETAN MISSION

Miss Jane Kinnett, who has served for five years in the Chinese and Burmetse missions, is now in the States on furlou^. She is available for Los Angeles 5, California. Writing about the reasons for her return to the U.SA., Kinnett stated: "lify Stay-Permit was about to expire; some thing had to be done about it, so I went to-Rangoon, Secondly, I wanted

t^[ks about &e Oriental situation. Her address is 2832 Leeward Avenue,

to see . about Molly's future (the Chinese orphan girl rescued by Drema and Jane from a Kunming jail). I brought her to Hong Kong and placed her in a good Christian orph anage. Then, too, I needed dental work and a thorough physical checkup. Frontier missionary work affects even the strongest of us." Mrs. Isabel Maxey Dittemore and daughter Janet are at home with Mother Maxey at Third and Coral Ridge, Louisville, Kentucky. Her many
years of field-service make her an authority on the missionary situation
on the Burmese-Tibetan border.

Mr. and Mrs. David Rees and two sons, with Melvert Byers, can be reached by addressing them through the post office at Putao, Kachin State, Burma, although they live at Tiliwago which is a sort of headquar ters and receiving station for Lisu Christians escaping from war and polit ical pressures under the present government of China. Miss Dorothy Sterling, R.N., has reached Rangoon on her return from
her American furlough. She returns to the mission area with her threeyear-old foster-son, Mark, a sturdy little Lisu boy, who was at death's door from starvation when Miss Sterling rescued him. Miss Sterling gave the following reasons for her return to a troubled and difficult missionfield.

"You ask where we expect to headquarters when we return, Not at Putao, nor at Tiliwago,
where others have their homes.

We should scatter out.

I would

like to go up in the Asarang Valley near the border of Tibet. None of our folks are up there and there is a large and popu
lous area to be reached from

there. I have had many letters asking me to come there but so far it has been impossible. Now we shall have to act according to war developments.
We are going out just at
this time because our Burmese

Re-entry permit will soon ex pire and might not be renewed. Neither could my Resident per

missionary At a time wlien the

way IS still open for me to go in,

mit

be

transferred

to

another

Dorothy Steeling and Mark

and is closing or closed for so many other missionaries, it seems to me wrong deliberately to let our permits run out just to give physical safety to Mark with a right to live in this country. It seems to me that we

should go and trust ^e Lord to care for us, and make a way in the future

for Mark, rather than for me to try to do it here by my own efforts. AMERICA WILL NOT LONG BE SAFE, any safer than Burma or any other place in the world, IF MORE MISSIONARIES FAIL TO GO. Bombs and war will never settle anything or bring peace between the nations. Perhaps all this makes sense to you. Perhaps not. I sincerely

hope it does for almost everyone else thinks I am being pig-headed to risk not only my life,-but Mark's. I appreciate your love any prayers and
faith in us."

Since Miss Sterling was registered with the Burma government as an established missionary in Upper Burma prior to 1943, she is able to return under a special Burmese permit. We salute a very brave lady!
January 11, 1951

Mrs. Gertrude Morse (Mrs. J. Russell Morse) wrote on her return to Miladi, headquarters for the Eugene Morses:

"It seems so good to be home again after three months of absence! David is growing so fast that he seems quite a big boy. How interesting it will be, when Jonathan comes again, to watch them play together.

THE FOUR MORSE MEN

LaVerne, J. Russell, Eugene, Robert

FIRST 1951 NEWS LETTER

THE J. RUSSELL MORSE FAMILY AND ASSOCIATES

Yunnan-Tibetan Churches of Christ

"Where China, Tibet, and Burma Meet"

A Co-operative Association of

Undenominational Direct-Support Missionaries

"Trust in the Lord, with ail thine heart: and lean not unto thine own under*

standing, in aii thy ways aclcnowledge IHim, and He shall direct thy paths.**
Proverbs 3:5, 6

THE CHINA SITUATION

The problem of Brother J. Russell Morse receiving his .exit and getting Crom Kunming to Hongkong has been on the hearts Of his family and friends. Many Christiansindividuals and groups;are in prayer for him. Several letteirs have been received within the past moilth. We do" praise the Lord
that he has thus far been keipt in safety. We quote from his several letters. To Mr. Howard Phillips, missionary firiend in Hongkong:
January 27, 1951 Kunming, Ciiina

"My appiication for permit to travel from Kunming to Hongkong, via Ciiungking and Hankow, was submitted on January 12tli. Experience of others
has been that it takes 3^ weeks to get permits after appiication, then 10 days or two weeks for iocai requirements and WAITING FOR A PLANE. So probably I will not get away before February 25th.

"In writing to my family, ask them to pray very specially for me in these*
times ahead. The depths of my lonesomeness are beyond expression, and in the face of many unprecedented situations, I often get as fainthearted as a little child who wants to run to his mother. But perhaps really the trouble with me is that I am not the kind who runs away readily, so long as I am on what seems the line of duty. Now I feel a great need for the companionship and help of MY OWN FAMILY, but it now seems that I should have left here some months ago to rejoin them. I'm sorry that be cause of their Inability to get letters through to me, I failed to realize the

magnitude or urgency of the needs there for my medical ministry among the churches and my family, too. I pray their forgiveness for not being there to share their heavy burdens these past months. God helping me,
I'll join them soon as possible."
(To his mother Mrs. Ruth Morse in Tulsa, Oklahoma) March 1, 1951 "My dearly beloved Homefolk, both in the U.S.A. and Mission Field.

"1 have been happily surprised at how quickly some of my few letters
have reached me. Mother's letter of December 26th reached me February

3rd and Louise's of December 31st was received February 25th. Still no. letters from my family, so I don't. know whether or not they are still In Lisuiand. If I am finally permitted to leave here, I shall be inexpressibly grateful to work with you all again, and want NEVER NEVER again to be separated from you like this. I hope as many as possible will stay by the Work In Lisuiand, but would feel much relieved if Gertrude could get back to the States while transportation is availame. The work which you are all carrying on under such great dlfficjultles and dangers is at least as

Important as any in the previous mission history of nearly thirty years. I can almost see the angels watching, rejoicing over you, just waiting to give you an Inexprestsively rich reward. But God has given our Gertrude such a long and spiritually full and fruitful ministry already, so now when her health and strength are too low to meet the urgent situations that doubtless lie ahead, her ways for several years ahead should be 'beside the STILL waters.' I wish I could be there to give a gently protecting arm, to nurse and cheer her with companionship, such as 1 myself am starving for. ^Still no exit permit My sense of Isolation and loneliness builds up sometimes dangerously near to dismay and to despair (which are delusiorls of Satan), but then I, remember that so many faithful Christians 'outside' are constantly upholding.me in prayer. Surely God will overrule all these
adversities for His glory and my salvation, as He did for Daniel of old.

Perhaps I must resign myself to remaining here, pending a peaceful settle ment of the International situation, or even to prison or death wrongfully. If we never meet again in this life, pleas^ never doubt or forget that i LOVE)

YOU all and my greatest happiness would be to rejoin you and work

together for Christ Jesus. I stayed here simply because ( saw a great need with no other missionary to meet it. For a whole year I had a very full and
fruitful ministry: then during the past ten weeks the tide has seemed to ebb

and iail of you.^ .6ut ,1 suppose I am only one of thousands of missionaries^ who. In ^ese adverse times have shed rivers of tears and crlied to God at seeing genieratipris of loving lato seemingly swept away as by a flood..

away and leave me stranded. I was so preoccupied with the work, h^re that, so far ras my own future welfare Is concerned, it seems to have caused me to 'miss ttie bus' a^^ perhaps mado you all wonder If t still loved you. please, please b'e assured of my most heartfelt love for each

fbrward It to you. 'Trusffh t^ief Lord with all thine heart and,.lean not to thine ow^ understanding."*/V . /"

heavy laden;* is speciajt^y .for.thfr missionarleiB and native Chrlstains now. If WII free," I will try to write' Phillips about once a week and he can

<*Preclo^s iyiother, ststera and^' It Is now March 5th and this pagie has been yvrfttw many interruptions and wi^ a heavily burdened -hear^v <3etfttst word^- "Come, unto me, ail ye who are weary and

Lovingly yours, Runeil > / (To Riutli Mai^aret Mco^ Teire Hante; Intiiaiia.) by the letters (and even t^legidlm) which you havtt sent.me. \lil:ow Aiirh^le I stHr h^ve opportunHy, .! iMR jry to express Ifttle xf the Im^ihsbs .and mtlsfaeUofi-wfiM I of''you. Only a pagfr->^nltf.';.^gH nowf

*'My d^arl/. befoved d^gft^ fMh Margai^: I' have been gi^^ comforted

. 0 March 8,

.1'will s^ ft has been a lovely Brilllaint star In my.life to havctiifl^-devoted'

tian worki ;l have been .deflgMed at the good ^porta of yotir eontlmta|^^ IPi^gress, and I am profoundly girelteful to our dear Oscar W B^m ^lly. Also I want to thank'the A. t. Afttiaus fajnily &nd the Maple Ave'nofr Ohrlstliur

love which you have given,ili^ ':1ftflien you left me to reituni ta^ 4.and of-, Lltiiltte8 Oppofftunities, I M assurance that you Would takW advan^ge. of . such ricl* oppoftimltfea t6 prepare, yourself fdr-.'^We Chrl

Church whefie you have found,qu^ an Ideal CHURCH home.

other letters, so wlH not repeat it her^.

i:: "

feel sure 'Grandma* Morse wHI. pass-along to you the news fronn my
a permit to travel to Hongkong. For one thing, I very much Want to visit

PRAYER^HELP BY ALL OUR CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. I have applied for

I GRCATLV NEED EARNEST

not be able to wait much longer for me. I*m getting almost, to lonesome for endurancel Even the China Inland Mission, largest In China, has decided
to evacuate all its mis!sionaries as soon as possible. .

Mother ag^n and, as she has passed her 90th birthday, I fealike she may

"The work of the churches here went ahead very encouragingly'until about the middle of last December. It Isn't best for me to try to* describe and.
shepherd has been no hireling to run away when the flocks need him. It has been a privilege to be a soldier of love and salvation. 'Also, I have been

discuss developments here. Many of these situations can only be reallz^ after experiencing them. Well, I can iaiways feel a satisfaction, that this-

rtiil has a multitude of true friends, especialFy among the many hundreds 1 have succes^ully treated when sick. Now, dear Ruth Margaret, I will close
for this time."

hsppy to see here the true devotion of many of the Christians. Your Daddy
Lovingly, Daddy Russell Morve
(To Ruth Margaret) March 12, 1951

closing down about two.months hence because there will be few if any British and Americans left in the Province. Meanwhile, God gives me plenty/of work to do every day. It's a consolation to know my life is not useless for God and
for needy humanity."

"No travel permit yet.

And I hear that even the British Consulate will be

REPORTS FROM BURMA

I>avld Reeses, LaVeme M'brse^ and Mel Byers ^ve been working among both the Uau and Rawang peopla The outstanding task of devisii^ la. Rawang alphabet hM been completed :^bert with Mel Byers as his,^worker.

Thrilling reports, .have come from Tiliw^o where the Robert Morses, the

Lois Rees, Mel Byers with Natives at Tiliwag'o

Kobert has been greatly assisted by Tychicus, his faithful Christian Flawaug teacher. One very important phase of thu \vor!< at Tiliwapn was a two mouth
Bible School for both fvisu and V.awanR stu^lenu' Mi-s. J. Russell Morse

^Gertrude), who had l;pon at Miiludi with t]uj;ene and family, came to Till

wago to help with the school.

SIih was ac<'omiianied only by native heQpers

and Robert referred to her trip "the most heroic trip that has been made across this jungle area, TillwagoPutao." Concerning the school Kobert

wrote: "Every morning we have devotions ^or both groupsLisu and Rawangs. Then we have classes, in one of my classes i teach scripture verses'
to the Rawangs. Whatever verses are stressed in other classes, I translate into Rawang (with native help) and teach the Rawang students to memorize, read and write. Pm also translating Mother's study notes for them to copy, so that at the end of the school, the Rawang students will have their notes in Rawang and will be able to read and write in their native language. It reall/ is quite thrilling to do this, and see the marvelous progress they are making.

I am trying to continue work on a more complete 'primer* which will contain approximately 120 p^ges, including about 45 hymns. If I can get this finished by next spring, we may be able to get it printed in Rangoon and brought back up before the monsoon, next year. Meanwhile, if we can teach the people to read with this first booklet, with the 2nd Primer, we can really start work establishing a solid group of Rawang churches by the end of next year, and
perhaps, if the Lord so wills it, we might even cover the whole field of this

tribe with the Gospel.

Our Lisu work grows apace, too, and we are hardly

able to keep up with it." A letter from LaVerne Morse, giving a very enlightening account of the work in the "Triangle" area southwest of Tillwago, was printed in the Chris tian Standard of March 17, 1951. He tells of the very difficult terrain and of many interesting experiencessome encouraging, some heartbreaking. In closing, he wrote: "All too soon, we had to leave the 'Triangle' district, but with the doors opened, as it were, in the two main villages. A number of

students for the Bible School at Tiltwago returned with us, and we pray that they may be used to spread the glad tidings in their own villages when they return. We have also been visited by prominent leaders in other villages
who want their people to iearn how to use the new alphabet and the books which we shall have for them. One reiuest cqme from a neighborhood three

days' walk beyond the farthest point 1 reached on this trip.

This Is very

tItPilHfift- to: tlioer Offus^ whor worfc here and wHa^ tons', for the. cleanaiifd^ of evir
In-! th68. remote plteea* ''There iff much to bfr done,- Md so few of uoespecfafiy^ so -fttw who- know

the native languagesl

We ne^ far more native evongeiista in: ikiisu and

Rawang to answer these reqiu^a for Gospei teaehing/'

The Burma work is described as: consisting of tb^. "eastern" seetop with
the missionaries based at Tiliwago going out from tbere into Rawang country and other unevangelized areas, and then there is the "western" or Ft Hrtz sector with the miasionaxies based at I^Culadi^ These two areas represent two distinct phases of the work. This is brought out in a letter froin Mrs.
Eugene (Helen) Morse: ^The work- iiere is a little different than the iwork

at Tiiiwago. We are in tlie midst of Lisu Christians, most of whom are} refv-'

gees from the Saiween Valley. There are probably not more tlian thi^e or
four non>Christlan famliies among the Lisu of this area. When we d have' baptisms, they are, for the most part, younger members of the Chi^stlan families and are Just reaching the age of decision. Consequently, there are
not the striking changes in their lives, having been taught Christian ideals all along, that there is in those coming directly out of heathenism. The work in this area is more the task of strengthening churches and individual Chris*tians and trying to prepare some to be preachers, elders, etc.so that the church will be able to stand on its feet and not have to depend orv the mission)? aries. There are many church problems which arise in which they need help in finding the. Scriptural solution. But then they have a precedent and can go ahead alone another time, we hope. One purpose of this school Is to teach eiders and teachers. It's hard to classify this group according to the regular ideas. They lead the singing, preach or teach occasionally, and do personal workreally sort of an assistant preacher. Usually though, they haven't- had the chance to attend the Bible Schools like the regular preachers have. Since we are dealing with folk who are already Christians, we don't have the outstanding and unusual experiences. It Isn't perhaps as satisfying as working with people who have never heard the Gopel before, but it is a
necessary work if these churches are to endure.

Three preachers who went with Eugene up to Lomedo, then went on to the Taron Valley churches, returned a few days before the school started and
brought thirty-five students for the school. Most of them are from fourteen to sixteen dayis away. The boys were gone about a month and a half and

reported two hundred baptisms while they were up there.

"During the first two weeks of the school, they are studying the Life of Christ. With a good knowledge of that, they'll be better able to understand the other classesActs, Genesis, etc. It's hard to realize how little thelse people know of Bible teaching. Spiritually, they are just children and must

be taught as such with lessons presented very, very simply. We are planning a preachers' school for March and April. LaVerne and Dpvid Rees expect to be here to help, and perhaps Robert pnd Betty. They are planning a tour of Rawang territory, then will circle back this way. They plan to be here for
a little while during the latter part of the school.
out here.

This will be the first time

the boys have been together since we were all in California, packing to come

''We feel that these schools are very important just now, and that it is very urgent to train as many as possible and as well as posslblei, in order that they
may minitster to their own people."

Letter from Betty (Mrs. Robert Morse) to her folks In Baton Rouge, La.
Tiiiwago, N. Burma

January 1, 1951 "Dearest Mother, Daddy, and ail the other loved ones in Baton Rouge: "How is everybody? IHope you folks are all well as I am. Really, I feel tops. I guess my blood Is good since I got rid of that crazy old malaria.

M "

.!
' t ^ I f I

seases, but none', ...so peskyl ^ When you first get it, you think
y" about to die. Atter a

honestly, there afe worse :di8>

tfii A

few days you almost wish you were.... Robert is away on another preaching trip to the
Ra^'vangs. He left December 26th and will be gone about a
month. We had our Christmas
celebration after our school was

before everyone had to scat*

ter. On the 19th of December was. Then LaVerne

first.
mother)

Then Mom (Robert's

went
Robert and Mel

present.

back to MuladI Eugene and .family ar

H||H||HH|^^9n|||^H||^^^^^B'- t-o>r th' lisu. Christr ns.

but l

Byera left a week ago- and the' Thursday. Jonni and I all by ourselves, except
have it ^ulc'ii sgain.. Wlsb- Robrt h^ro

to .enjoy it W{th> me,

cooking for u^ twv Cant cooking oyer

an open fire7 it Is not so hatd*." t made myself 9 stove and ait'
the natives cMne and stare at.

'^TDNNT" JUXNINI

wish they weri gg smart they as i. Because tho

Johnathan Russell (J, Russell Morse smoke

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Morse.

makes everything so

house. For the stove i had a

frame made about 2x3 feet and

waist heightthen had It filled In with dirt. Then I dug two ditches or trencheis on the top for fire trenches. Isabel's old stove had two grills so i took them and put them on toj3 of the trenches. It is realty satisfactory and for some reason doesn't get the whole place smoky. I guess it's because of' the height. With the fire raised ?bout three feet high off the ground, the
breeze can quickly blow the smoke away.

"The Rawang language is coming much easier for me than the LIsu.

From

all appearances, it looks like we are meant to work with the Rawang people.
"I just now ran out doors to watch some horn bills fly over. There were eight of them. They certainly are interesting to watch and they sound so strange. JonnI surely gets excited. when they or other birds fly over. He

laughs and yells while they are overhead, then begins to cry as' they go out of sight. If one is not too busy to notice, they find that many interesting
things happen every day.

"Jonathon cries for his daddy. The natives here know what 'daddy' means, it tickles them to hear him yell for Robert and call for him all day. Jonni can walk up and down hills now. He wilt be fifteen months old January 8th.
"You've just got to send us some pictures. I can't imagine what you all look like now. What pictur.es do you have of us? You know, we never even
got our; wedding pictures.'''

"I love you all very much,

Betty."

Mrs. J. Russell

(Gertrude)

Morse, Drema, and Mr. and

Mrs.

Eugene

Morse have been at Muladi, near Putao, since they came into Burma almost a year ago. After helping with the school at Tiliwago, Mrs. Gertrude Morse returned to Muiladi where she, Bugene, and Drema held a school for new students, elders, deacons, and teachers. Mrst. Morse wrote: '^Our school

has been going now for a little over two weeks. There are around seventy students. We have studied the book of Luke, and now we are starting on Acts, Genesis, M I Ml iPrimer), music, reading, and writing. We taught Luke for about eight hours a day. It really was wonderful to study hour after hour. Eugene and Drema are teaching, too. We are planning a two months* school for preachers in iVIarch and April. LaVeme expects to be here to help and also David Rees. Robert and Betty will probably be here for the last month of it. It will be so nice to have the three boys together
again."

Further nefws of the school was received in a letter to Ruth Margaret fromi
her mother:

Muladi, February 14, 1951

"My Precious daughter:

I'm so hoping that Daddy gets out to Hongkong soon.

not for evil.

I am praying

that the Lord will turn the hearts of the officials toward him for good and

We have been having measles in the school, and about twelve of the students had to go home. We now have only about forty-five students in stead of more than sixty. After this week we will have just one more week
of this school. Then most of these students will return to their homes, pnd after one week of rest we will start another school, the Lord willing. That will be for the preacher group and will be more advanced.

"Eugene has been working hard for over six weeks on the new bamboo house as well as teaching in the school. He is quite worn down. Helen and Eugene and David have moved over to the new house which is near the
church where we teach. Drema ?nd I also eat over there but have not moved

yet. Eugene has done good work. I wish you could see It. It is nicer than the Pugeleh house. It is level here, and that madfe it easier. The room Eugene and Helen had here was badly eaten by termites so that the place was always covered with dust They are enjoying their new room so much I'm glad they have it Must go to my class now. Lots of Love,
"Mother."

The folks wrote that Helen was taking care of the medical work and con centrating on her study of Ldsu while the others, who know thei language, did
the teaching.

Miss Dorothy Sterling, R. N., who spent five years in China and Burma, recently returned to Burma to continue her work among the Lisu and other tribespeople afteir a year's furlough in the States. Miss Sterling and Mark, her three year old Lisu fostefP-son, left Rangoon for Putao on March 26th, according to a cablegram received by her mother Mrs. C. R. Sterling in Chula Vista, California. While in Rangoon, Miss Sterling wrote that she was expecting to make the trip to Putao by plane, which would mean a one day trip instead of an arduous overland, journey with many possible delays and difficult problems of help and, transportation.

Miss Strling is hoping to work in the Asarang Valley near the border of Tibet. She had received many lettei-s asking her to comie intc this area. It

had been impossible before her return to the States and now, of course, will

depend on local conditions, and the general development of affairs affecting

that locality.

Miss Sterling's return to the mission field at this time should be an inspira
tion and a challenge to all of us.

Robert Morse Receives Complete Support

In our last newsletter we mentioned the fact that Robert Morse's living We are happy to reiport that this has been met. The First Christian Churcih of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has "pledged twentylink support was inicomplete.
five dollars a month toward Robert's support.
pledged twenty-five dollars a month.

Under the sponsorship

of Hettie Flint, a Bible Class in the Chui'ch of LaHunta, Colorado, has also
On behalf of Robeoi; we want to thank these two groups. Burma where there are still so many who have not heard. We fcnrvw the

Lord will richly bless them as. they have a part In proclaiming the Gospel In

Tuiea 3, Oklahoma

April 15, 1951

To the Loyal Rope Holders of the Morse Mission

NOTICE

Thei% are many calls for help now, especially for the new missionaries

going into the fields.

I want to tell you that I believe I have enough on hand

to pay the Morses' way home in case they are forced out.

faithful in sending their support, the Morses will not need any extra money for the next three months. By that time Robert will have some Rawang
Primers ready to be printed which will require additional funds.
you know when such funds are needed.

Where they are located, they build only bamboo houses. The famine con dition is over for the present; so, if the Living Link Churches continue to be

I will let

Respectfully,
Mrs. Ruth Morse

From MRS. RUTH MORSE,

Sec. 34.66

P. L. & R.

Forwarding Agent,
114 South Denver Avenue

Tulsa 3, Oklahoma

Return Postage Guaranteed

/^5/
COPY OF LETTER FROM. J. RUSSEtX MORSE TO HIS

DAUGHTER, RUTH MARGARET MORSE

J. Russell Morse and His Mother, Mrs. Ruth Morse

Kunming, .China, March 12,1951.

Our dearest beloved daughter Ruth Margaret:

I hope you received the two pictures and letter I sent you in the
last Air Mail. Now I have selected five more pictures, but I have trouble collecting my wits to write a letter. No. 1 & 2: Two pictures of "Grandma" Ruth Morse and Drema Esther, taken in Tulsa. As MY OWN mother may not be with us much longer, every one of these pictures are very specially precious so please take specially good care of them. I think they are really GOOD, also those of Esther. Ruth Margaret, I wonder if you reahze what a TRULY GREAT and GOOD character my little old Mother is, and if you write often to her and try to give her plenty of love and appreciation? Do you realize she was already PAST SIXTY when she first sent me away as a foreign mis sionary in August, 1921? How wonderfully rich and full and fruitful for the Kingdom of God these past 30 years have been, both for her and for the family of her son J. Russell, for whom she has been the power of a "one-little-woman missionary society." Her ministry and
influence in foreign missionary work has been a blessing to TENS OF THOUSANDS during these what are often called the "Twilight years of life." Her joyful reward in heaven will be great indeed when she
meets the MANY THOUSANDS of souls who have been saved

through her influence but I should like her to get more appreciation while she is here in this life also. She loves you dearly, her name

sake, and I hope you will sit right down and write her a letter of
loving gratitude, NOW, before it is too late.

No. 3: Another picture of "Grandma Ruth Morse", petting a dog in the back yard of our Tulsa home. I like this picture. She always

had ^lidh a lively interest in dogs, as well ^ flower-gardens. Maybe this was a cany-over from her life before she w^ 45, which was spent
mostly on the farm in South Dakota. She never lived within herself, but always had a world of lively interests outside herself, the great wonderful world of our Heavenly Father. Nos. 4 and 5: Two pictures of you, Ruth Marg^et, with our truly great friend W. K. Chamberlain, during that last summer in Los Angeles while we were finishing preparations for our return to China. Not only do I like these pictures of you, but I treasure the memories of the Chamberlains, and hope that you will write to them also, SOON. Do not be deceived by the humble unpretentiousness of such people for they are truly GREAT characters and the "salt of the earth" about like the Oscar ^d Julia Myers family in Terre Haute. The reason they do not inake great pretensions is because they live in the presence of Ae King, and because they think of OTHERS in whom they see so much that is worthwhile. In times past I have been imable to express my sincerely great appreciation of all thie Chamberlain family have meant to all of us, so I hope you will write them at least one letter on my behalf. No. 6: A little color picture of you and Drema Esther eating water melon in the yard of our Tulsa home. You can always remember me as a fruit-fancier, one who loves to grow; and eat and SHARE WITH OTHERS the fruits of which I consider watermelons as being one of the choicest. I heartily wish I could be in a family reunion tibis next summer, just anjnvhere in the States and that we could split several watermelons like we so often did in Tulsa and Los Angeles, - Anyway, if I am not with you this next summer, please remember me every time you enjoy a watermelon. PRAY for God to take special care of
me, for I foresee I shall need it.

, March 12.No travel pennit ye;t. And I hear that even the British

Consulate will be closing down about two months hence, because tkere will.be few, if any, British and Americans,left in the Province. ^Meanr while. God gives me plenty of work to do every day. It's co^olation to ]^o^ my -life is not useless for God and for needy humanity., '
'

Loyingly, your Daddy,

""J.R. Mo]^. ^

Tulsa 3, Oklahoma, June 22,1951.

>

De^ Co-workers for Christ:

,'

I want to thaiak all who have contributed to the work of the Morses

in Bur^na. Robert and Betty were in the jungles, ten days trip oyer
the mpxmtains from the post office; at least twenty days round frip to the post office, therefore we sent nothing of value because they did
not always receive our letters. I, could not get money to them, and if I couH have, our money would have meant nothing to the natives. As a result, I had to hold every offering until they could come down to civilization, then Robert

wired for New York ^afts to pay for their flight from Putao to

Rangoon, Burmai and'also to buy supplies to send back to the others who remsuned on the field. Then they bought round trip flights, to

the U. S. A. as they plan to return to the mission field in September.

All of this costs, but I th^k God that you had it in the bank here so

that I could send it immediately. Please if there is any mistake let

ine know and I wiU make it right. ' i Some folks may think it foolish for Robert to come home to attend the Linguistic College, but as I see it, it was God's plsm; The money was ready for transportation, a little from here and a little from there. They never disked for money, God supplied. I thank you and all that made it possible for him to come. You may ask and rightly, "What
did he come for when it costs so much?" "TOat is money for if it is

not to help those who cannot help themselves? (Ask Mel Byers what he thinks of Robert Morse's work among the Rawang tribes^) This is the situation. The Rawang Tribes people are a Wild, unciv
ilized! jpebple that never have had a chance. Hiey had heard about white people who were teaching in the Salwan River valley, so they

sent lyiessengers asking that they, too, might be taught of the living God'. iP^ally Robert Morse went ten days journey ovierthe mbitntains
Uid hills. No roads. He was the first white man they had ever seen,

liqbert took one of the Lisu evangelists with him to interpret for him.

gent. , ^ey had to leam the I4su language in order to understand.

Hiey Parted to teach in Lisu. "fte Rawang tribes people are intelli

wentTfie was in their hands. They could kiU him if ihey so desired, fie w^ thus greeted, "You come?" Then the head man pointed to a
pHe of sticks and straw saying "Burn, that." Robert had to obey. Then; the man told him; that that was the home ?6f the Spiirits of ^ eyarigel^t, to teach them God's, truths, with no books.
months he had no bed, no decent food. beheye that he would. .

ilie head man, two days further on in the jungle sent for Robert, saying, "Gome over here, I have something to say'to you." Robert

Idols. "Now you tea(^ us." They had Robert and ^ey kept him for

ei^t months. He did his best with the help of God and the Lisu
For eight
Robert saw &eir great desire

w^ (tp ledn of our loving God. He asked to be allowed to go back to his people, promising that he would return, but of course they did not

Robert attended the Linguistic College while in the U. S. hoping to be able to help them when he returned. By studying their Wguage
day ^d night he has been able to produce a primer for them. Then
hymns. Aiid how they can sing! They are praising God in song. Rob^. says that they are happy when they are singing. Then Robert

translated a .first reader, lliese books are now; being j)rinted in Rangoon, Burma! Eugene Morse is setting the type as,the faithful ^wang evangelist, I^chus reads it to him, as Eugene cannot read Rawa^. La Verne Morse is also helping, so Ibat he may have some of the -books to take back with him when he returns to Putao, Burma.

and Betty return. Somay^ you now see why Robert.Morse made
the lesfpensive tirip back to attend the Linguistic College? In order that he may be able to translate the Gospel for the Rawang Ixibes, as perfectly as it is possible- for him to do. Please pray, for his success, ^e College is at Norman^ Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma. Now a word about Robert Morse as I know him. He is a linguist. He talked in eight languages before he tackled the Rawang. Not one in <ten;thousand could do what he is doing. Robert is like his father, J. Russell Morse, my precious son, inUiat he has perfect faith in God

Eugene and wife will stay imtil September, possibly until Robert

and tries to do fiis will at all times. He desires your earnest prayers

for 1^ to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Robert wants to get the Gospel printed as soon as he can possibly finish it for the printers, so

he can get it to the Rawang tribes before the Missionaries are forced
out of Burma. He will tiira feel that they have a guide even if the white teacher has gone. The;printing is expensive. Do you want to

send one book to those poor people? Ask God what he wants you to do so the money wiU be ready when the printing is done. Prayerfully and lovingly, your co-worker for Christ,
]V[rs. Btjth Morse.

Pray God to bring J. Russell home safely.-RIM;

LETTER FROM BETTY TO GRANDMA MORSE

Tiliwago, N. Burma, February 22,1951.

Dearest Grandma: i We just came in from, pur trip to Rawang country. David l^ee^,^ going to liAuladi so he will take this letter today. ;,r" r
We want you to knowthat we think of you every day, we love ypu so(very much and we know that no one else has helped us as you haye.
Jonathan is sweet and likes to kiss us. He likes to show off, top.

his fingers at us. Then we iget ticHed and ca^'t finish'scolding him.

lii\^en we scold him, he puts his hands overhis face, and peeksthrough ^e can say quite a few words ani really understands a lot. He can
bring things to us now^ . We tell him to bring a shoe or sock or go

He dances around and jumps and giggles to make the natives laugh.

imder the table for a,pencil and he does it real good. He hkes the bpok you sent1^ and Kas pnl^ one page. Rbbert is a wonderful

and many Scripture verses into R^Wang. He has worked very hard
to do it in such a short, time. iAnd it is thorough^not helterTskelter;

"daddy" and Jbnath^ loves him .so much. YPu ican be proud pf RobeiH:. He has translateid around 27 hjnnns nowall the diiirth doctrines
.1 dress native aU the 1;ime now. I love the Rawang idress and the

girls and women really like to have me be one of them. Even the men call me their Rawang teacher ii^tead of the "white skiniieii teacher." I can't talk a lot but when there are just a few people ^i^ound ^d I don't iget confused, I c^ say a lot and imderstahd. Robert can talk
abpiit ahjrthing for an hour at a time. He got to go on a tiger hunt, he Euid Mel, and it sure will make a gpod story! . We wiU go to Putao in a;bout a week. Please kieep writing to us, Grandma,yoin* letters always have meant so much to us. We don't Imow why you or my family in B. R. haven't received any mail from
us since Jime. We have written so^c. . We will be writing a good

long newsletter soon,so that ou^t to make up for ^e long silence.

Almost ,all the letters We get mention you and how hard you work
for us. We siu-e do thank you. Rbbert and Mel went into the "Triangle"wild Rawang coimtry

on the ^vitation of,17 head villages. Altogether on their trip there

were 90 Baptisms. I stayed here. Thank God we have Jonathan and that he is so fat and healthyand smairt. We don't want to lose him, and God will keep him for us, we know. There is such a big differ ence between him and the native children his age. He siiigs and waves his arms like the preachers do and even got up on the platform in Chiurch, 18 months old, while the native kids won't let their mother take them off their backs, and cry if they are put down.
Be sure and write to us. We love you. .
Mrs. Robert Morse.

..dife;

i: v;

The New Mission Home at Muladi

This is our house, as seen from the church yard, across

on the roof when this was taken. The near house is the kit

the road. They hadn't quite finished trimming the grass

chen wing; the far one the bedroom wing. You can'tquite see
the passageway between. The long shed at the left backisin two sections: the one to the left is for chickens, pigs, etc. the "barn;" the other side is washhouse, and part has been partitioned off for storeroom, study or whatever it might be
needed for could be used as a bedroom if necessary.

SECOND

1951

NEWS

LETTER

The J. Russell Morse Family and Associates

Yunnan-Tibetan Churches of Christ

"Where China, Tibet, and Burma Meet"

A Co-operative Association of Undenominational Direct-Support Missionaries

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

(EXERPT FROM LETTER FROM J. RUSSELL MORSE TO HIS DAUGHTER, RUTH MARGARET MORSE)

J. Russell Morse and his mother, Mrs. Ruth Morse

Kunming, China
March 12, 1951

Our dearest beloved daughter Ruth Margaret:

I hope you received the two pictures and letter I sent you in the last Air Mail. Now I have selected five more pictures, but I have in Tulsa. As MY OWN mother may not be with us much longer, every one of these pictures are very specially precious, so please
take specially good care of them.

had trouble collecting my wits to write a letter. The first two pictures are of "Grandma" Ruth Morse and Drema Esther, taken

and GOOD character my little old mother is, and if you write

Ruth Margaret, I wonder if you realize what a TRULY GREAT

often to her and try to give her plenty of love and appreciation. Do
you realize she was already PAST SIXTY when she first sent me

away as a foreign missionary in August, 1921? How wonderfully rich and fruitful for the Kingdom of God these past 30 years have been both for her and for the family of her son, J. Russell Morse, for whom she has been the power of a "one - little-woman missionary society." Her ministry and influence in foreign missionary work has been a blessing to TENS OF THOUSANDS during these what are often called the "twilight years of life." Her joyful reward in
of souls who have been saved through her influence, but I should like her to get more appreciation while she is here in this life, also. She loyes you dearly, her namesake, and I hope you will sit right down and write her a letter of loving gratitude, NOW, before
it IS too late. . .

Heaven will be great indeed when she meets the MANY THOUSANDS

. . .Please PRAY for God to take special care of me, for I

forsee I shall need it. Please write me.

Lovingly, your Daddy, J. Russell Morse (According to reports received. Brother Morse was arrested just four days after writing
this letter. There are no details, but all Christian brethren are entreated to trust and

PRAY that it may be God's will for him to be released and that in ALL things God
may be glorified and His Will be done.)

RUTH MARGARET MORSE is making her home with

the Oscar Myers family (parents of Mn. Eugene

-Helen-Morse). 2024 N. 14th St., Terre Haute, Ind

WHILE IT IS DAY...

Lisuland

Prayer
Letter
by ROBERT MORSE
DARU TRIBESMEN

THE Tibetan-Lisuland mission con

tinues to function in that highly

mountainous area where China, Ti

bet,

Burma and India meet,

among

many different tribes of which the

Lisu form the backbone. Manythousands of Christians are living in this area today under primitive condi
tions. Over 120 native churches are

Certainly the Lord had a purpose during the past two years in the building up in the faith of four native congregations there, with around 300 baptized believers. Many may think
that most of this is lost, but we be
lieve that whom the Lord called out

to be His own, He will strengthen to

continue.

established in the faith,

and now

carry on under their ownleadership, with some help and guidance from the
missionaries. Over 40 of these churches are

Yes, many years of fruitful effort

MAY be lost, ONLY if WE fail in our
PRAYER SUPPORT. The Christians

within Yunnan, China,

and continue

steadfast in spite of difficulties. Around 20 are among the aboriginal Daru tribe scattered high and wide in the Himalayan fastnesses of the
Tibetan border. The other 50-odd churches are scattered over a vast

in China heed our prayers today more than ever before; they have notfailed us, but rather we them. Again, we

especially request that Christian friends everywhere pray in faith be lieving, for the soon release of Mr. Morse, one of the most faithful min
isters of the cross thatwe have today.
No news has been received from this field since last March, soweneedto
remind ourselves that our Christian

area of the north Burma jungle, ex tending from the China border full

18.days' travel west to the Indian

border.

A partial report indicates over 1000 conversions during the past year alone, with about 20 new con

brethren there still need our spir itual intercession and prayers. And again, may we especially request that you pray for Mr. Morse, that

gregations established. Interest in the good news" continues to grow; many calls keep coming to us frotr the surrounding heathen areas. A practically unknown tribe of Northern Burma, the Rawangs, by
the hundreds are hearing the Gospel

the Lord may uphold him at all times,' give him courage, wisdom, strength, and the health to withstand all the trials which may come upon
him?

THE WORK

for the first time, and the growing work among them is almost more than we can keep up with. MEANWHILE, we must not forget
the work of the Lord in Kunming,
where J. Russell Morse s t i l l is.

MANY CONVENTIONS were held

throughout the Lisuland churches last April, but the biggest one was
at Muladi near the Indian border,

lasting three days and nights, and at tended by over 1300 Christians.

Muladi is where one of the mission

bases is located, and is where Mrs.

Russell Morse and Esther, Eugene and Helen, are now working. Muladi is also the site of the biggest native
church in Lisuland, and it was a thrill

than we would have proposed. Truly the Lisuland church is beginning to stand on its own feet, and forge
ahead.

to see that many fervent Christians come together from as much as sixdays' journey away, for the services,
which were sometimes held inthree

With a greatly enlarged field and an expanded program, it will indeed

be a strenuous job for the mission aries to try to meet all the demands
and needs.

languages-Li su, Rawang, and Kachin.

It was a wonderful time of bless

ing and fellowship; hour after hour

between sermons, songs of gladness

and praise were to be heard from

various parts of the village. Some

non-Christian officials who visited

the convention were very much sur

prised that a group of what they considered near-savage aboriginals could conduct themselves so well, and in such a creditably civilized manner. Having always considered them half fearfully as undependable, treacherous jungle folk, they were amazed to find them so friendly, helpful, and happy in a grand fellow ship ! Please pray with us that this witness of our Lisu and Rawang Christian brethren may have the good effect of opening the hearts of the un responsive "civilized" tribes.

Many more missionaries could be kept busy, and are sorely needed. We have been asked not only to con tinue our present program of Bible schools and teacher training, but to expand it further to meet the needs not only for church leaders and pas tors, but for all the Christian youth in the widely scattered areas. For this we must push the workof
translation of Bible school text ma

terials,

primers,

gospels and

hymnals for the Rawang tribe and

for the Lisu. It was for this reason

that Robert and Betty, together with

son Jonathan, returned to the States
for the summer so he could com

plete

in linguistics necessary to do the job

post-graduate

courses

of Bible translation.

Also Eugene and LaVerne are now in Rangoon, together with Helen and David, printing a preliminary edi tion of 1000 Rawang primers, and 3000 Rawang books of fundamental doctrine and hymns. They are also

procuring a new shipment of over

the total that have been taken into

3500 LisuNew Testaments, bringing

the field in the past several years of New Testaments - over 5000. This

of course does not include the 7000

hymnals that were taken into the field

during 1949 and are now in the pro

cess of distribution.

fi
EUGENE. LA VERNE, AND ROBERT MORSE WITH
SOME OF MOST ACTIVE NATIVE LISU LEADERS

The attempt, made over two years ago, to spread the gospel further by use of phonographs with gospel re

cordings,

sponsored by the First

Christian Church in Long Beach California, has proved of such ines

timable value, that we have decided
to work further in that line. This does for the mission field what the

Justpreceding the convention, lea

ders and elders from the various
Christian communities round about

spent several days conferring to gether on various church problems.

For the first time, church leaders

got together to plan a definite indig enous missionary program, to reach three or four large unreached areas.
We who conferred with them were

gospel by radio does elsewhere, and perhaps more effectively. For this purpose we have brought the total of Lisu gospel records up to over 40 sides, with more being processed,
and have made over a dozen records

greatly thrilled to see their interest and earnestness in trying to win the lost. For once, we didn't have to
take the initiative. The native lea

in the Rawang language also. Two more of the languages spoken in our
field are also recordedwiththe Gos

pel message, and will be taken back

ders led out with plans and thinking which probably would have been more

and used. Hence this will do a great job to fill the gap where we have in
sufficient teachers to answer the

calls, and we ask your prayers for

One area which we had worked for

this project also. Missionary phono

are purchased in the States for $10 a

50, because there is such a terrific wear due to constant usage.

graphs especially made for the job

macnine, and each record is dup licated in quantities of approximately

many years, but in which the Gos pel never really took hold, has been reached effectively with the help of the phonographs. The "natives of this area had been very much opposed to the Gospel, and the teachings of love, honesty and uprightness. The

r..

LISTENING TO "THE LITTLE BOX THAT TALKS OUR LANGUAGE" few Christians who were won in the

area were constantly under a barrage

language ?"afull explanation on our part gave wonderful opportunity to

teach the love of God for every in dividual, and their need for a Savior.

of persecution, and there were con stant backslidings also. Teachers

would be ridiculed, mocked, and

openly threatened, when teaching in the area. Of all the places in the mission field, we were always the
most unwelcome in this area.

It wasn'tlonguntil we hadmore and more prospective converts in this

area which had once been so difficult
to reach. When native workers sent

in reports that they were teaching

The natives thronged around to beg for medicine and anything else they could see, but never stopped five minutes to listen to a Gospel mes

in that village, 50-60 in another, we

were at first doubtful. Time has told,

groups of 30-40 in this village, 10-2Christians has been raised up inthis

sage. In home visitation work, many host's family all disappearing on

various pretexts, whenever we star

however, and today, a large bodyof

area. It still remains our most dif ficult work, and needs constanttea-

a time we would be left sitting all by ourselves in the guest room, the

ted talking about the "Jesus Way." But now, a lot of this has changed, and the attitude of the people is no
ticeably changed. With the introduc tion of the phonograph, "the man in a box" always commanded attention,

ching, but we can truthfully say that the gospel recordings were the key
to a closed door. Now we have two

and the message of t^e Gospel gotan

opportunity to get to work.

full time native evangelists working in the area, and they have called in two more assistant pastors, to help meet the great need. Will you pray with us that this work may continue, and truly be established on solid groundon Christ?

In many a place, it was to our ad vantage to seem reluctant or indif ferent to the playing of the records, with a correspondingly greater re

Another line of proposed expan

sion, at the urgent request of the many native churches, is our pro gram of community clinics, inaugur
ated in 1949. Teachers and leaders

sponse on the part of the natives.

Once their curiosity was fully aroused"How can that box talk in our

throughout the field are trained in the

use ot certain essential, basic med

icines, provided in smallkits byus.

Even so, however, the mortality rate is extremely high due to the various tropical fevers. Since last year,
malaria has taken on new, more se

vere forms, which do not respond to the usual types of treatment. This
calls for some fast and drastic ac

tion on our part.

Now our friends know that the Tibetan-Li suland mission has never

the Rees family returned on fur lough. Pray that they may be able to return. In the absence of the young er Morses duringthe summer, Mrs. Morse and Esther have the heavy responsibility of meeting the needs of the whole field by themselves. Dorothy Sterling has recently ar
rived back on the field, and is

had a socialized gospel, avoidingthe building-up of any institutions, and has constantly emphasized the spir itual gospel. However, it must be

arranging a working base in the area in which the Reeses worked. Pray that each of these may be especially
strengthened during these svmimer months - our most trying months in

admitted, that when you have a group

of primitive native Cnxistians, num bering over 10,000 scattered widely throughout the jungle, dependent completely upon tiie missionary for any medical aid, the missionary has a great responsibility. We have tried

the tropics. Again, pray that Mr.

Morse will be strengthened and up

held during these days of extreme trial, and that he may soon be de
livered to continue work elsewhere.

to meet this responsibility over the

years in many ways. To date the at^ tempts to get a doctor into the field have had to go ahead with a program
and all of the missionaries.

of community clinics, manned by

Malaria however, continues to be

among the many Rawang tribes, and practically no workers who speak
the language. But we already nave some material printed in the lan guage; all of that must be taught in areas as much as 15 days' walk apart! 1! Who will do it ? ? Pray that the work among the Ra wang s may continue to grow., in spite of a great shortage of workers. And pray that the Rawang printing now being undertaken in Rangoon will
reach the field without delay; that

We have a great and growing work

native personnel as well as by each

our big problem, since it causes each year over a 3 percent mortal

ity rate. All of the missionaries are

afflicted with it; some have been to

the brink o f death from it, during the past year. Hence we are planning to take back into the field a large supply of medicines. The several thousands of dollars which we plan to spend, however, will not give us

more than a year's supply. Eugene

and Robert are both working on this project now.

THE CHALLENGE

the preparations for further transla tion work may not be hindered, but
blessed of the Lord. Remember that

over 40 congregations are trying to carry on in Chinese Li suland, that

Bible schools to train their young folks, that they are hardly able to meet in their own church buildings, which have been taken over by the

^ey are trying to hold their own

CONTRARY to the popular thinking

of this country, the Lord's work in

South Central Asia has NOT been

entirely lost, least of all in Lisuland. The many Christians, regard less of the type of government over
them, have not turned their backs

And that in spite of all these and

many other difficulties which we are
not able to mention, the church IS

new regime as public assembly halls.

upon God, or denied Christ. This important fact needs more than or dinary stress at this time, because
of our tendency to give it all up as lost, then to forget about it. In the Tibetan-Lisuland field, prayer has

CARRYING ON. Pray for the Chinese Li suland churches, their leaders, the many new converts.

And most of all, may we ask you

also, to pray that the many native
church leaders, whether deacons

always been the key to growth, and the great need in these more than
critical times i s more than ever,

and elders, or teachers and pastors,

constant prayer on the part of faith ful supporters here in the States.
Some of the workers have had to

may not lose their vision for souls and a growing church, that many more souls maybe saved daily from damnation, being brought to a saving
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is all and in all.

leave; recently Mel Byers and then

What is the Purpose

Of a Missionary Publication?
MISSIONARY NEWSLETTERS are getting to be quite a common thing nowadays, and would seem to have various and varied reasons for their existence. Perhaps we are naive, but we never understood the original purpose of these mission papers to be promotional. Yet today, that is what they are all classified as being. In this we would like to make our position clear. We would make no apologies for promoting the cause of Christ as a whole; or the cause of missions in particular, by means of printed literature. Whether this purpose is best served by printing
of individual mission literature, or of one central missions newspaper is beside the point here. In eitiier case, the pirinting of literature which

promotes the general cause of missions is legitimate. If the church is to disregard missions - home and foreign - we feel it has no right to exist as a church of Christ's. God's work is promoted in a real sense, by the Spirit of God working through His people. We do not believe that any mission literature should be purely promotional for any individual or for any particular field.

In following this line of thought, we are also of the conviction.that an individual or mission should not make any "appeal for ftxnds" for their own work. We realize that we have been guilty of doing this in the past, but we are sincerely sorry. We do not feel that the Lord's cause was in any special way forwarded or lifted up by our so doing. And we shall try to be guided more by principle in uie future, looking only unto the Lord, knowing that He will supply our every need, having known of it
before we ask, if we are faithful. We feel that without this, we have no right to call ourselves faith missionaries - which is what we are called
tolse.

But this does not mean that we cease from writing or printing mis
sion news. For the missionary is but the representative of those in the homeland, who wish to see that particular job of missionary work done. As such, he reports of the work, the many ways in which the LORD has worked, back to the churches, so that they may give praise and thanks unto the Lord, and be reassured of His continuing mercies and providence. Also, as a representative of a large group, the missionary worker should write back to the homeland workers, telling of the many problems,
difficulties, needs, NOT IN AN APPEAL FOR MONETARY HELP, which is of man, but in an APPEAL FOR PRAYER, for SPIRITUAL HELP,

which is of God. When needs are stated, and supporters take them to the Lord in prayer, the Lord may lead some just to continue with much extra time in intercessory prayer. Another may be lead - not of man, but of the Lord - to send some money. Another might be lead, praise God, to offer his life and services to help fill the need expressed. Others may

than "promotional material. "

their own community. For this purpose then, is the missionary news letter justified. And as such, we prefer to call it a prayer-letter, rather

be lead to follow the example, and do more missionary work right in

^ (concluded in center of last page)

MULADI
LETTER
by Mrs. J. Russell Morse

May 27, 1951 GREETINGS to you from Lisuland!

My, how very far away from you we seem, and how we long to hear from you! Our Bible Schools have
now closed and the students have re turned to their homes. Also the
Easter Convention has come and

rain and leeches. So my return trip was really quite pleasant.

THE BIBLE SCHOOLS

gone. Robert and Betty have leftfor

America where Robert will attend

JUST A WEEK after my return to Muladi, we started our Beginners Bible School, with about seventy
students, About half of them were
19 or 20 from churches in the area

Wycliffe Linguistic Summer School

fet help in his translation work in the

Robert and Betty the week after the

at Norman, Oklahoma, sothathe can

awang lan^age. LaVerne left with

convention. LaVerne had to go to Rangoon to get glasses as he had broken his and his eyes were needing them badly. As Eugene was to print the Rawang Primer, he and Helen

days journey away, where we have been unable to preach until this year. Many had never attended a Bible School before and could barely read

their Bibles. We taught the Gospel

of Luke, verse by verse, from six to seven hours a day, and finished it

left for Rangoon (24 May). That

leaves Drema Esther and me alone

before starting the other courses. This foundation proved very satis factory for the later courses. If they
knew little of the life of Christ, how

here to carry on the work here in

the mission station. It really does seem empty here after so many have
left.

could they get much from Acts and

other studies?

I'm sorry it is so long since Ihave

written, but I have been just so very, very busy. On January 5th I returned from my trip to Tiliwago where I went to help Robert and LaVerne
with a Bible School for two months

as you perhaps remember. On this return journey, it was much easier than the trip up because I did not

have to walk the whole ten days. I

rode LaVerne's horse when the road

was good. Also the roads and bridges had been fixed up just recently for

Then in January there is almost no

the yearly trip of the magistrate.

THE PREACHER TRAINING BIBLE SCHOOL

CLASS - 1951 AT MULADI

Except for an epidemic of mea

sles which caused 11 or 12 students

to miss a week or two, we got along very well. The Lord blessed in the school and we could notice real spir

itual growth in the lives of the stu

dents. At the close of the school, the

elders from the surrounding chur ches brought in food for a farewell
feast for all the students. It was a

time of fine Christian fellowship.

Just a week after the close of this

beginner's school, we started our two months' preachers' school,with a little larger attendance than the
first one. It was really a precious

DUE TO DIFFICULT TERRAIN (SEE BACK

privilege to meet again some of our

GROUND) MOST TRAVEL IS ON FOOT

old preacher boys whom I had not

seen for about five years, as they had been holding pastorates in dis tant parts of the field. Robert and
LaVerne had been in their churches,

CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION

TWO WEEKS before the end of .the school, the elders came for their

however. We had two months of pre

cious fellowship as we studied Luke, Acts, Romans, Hebrews, the Church, Genesis and hymn-singing together. There was very little sickness and again the Lord blessed us richly, for
which we do thank Him.

teaching on qualifications of elders

and their workj also inspirational sermons, and then a forum where church problems are discussed in the light of Bible teaching. A paper
of recommendations was drawn up
ches in distant areas. At this tinie

conference.

In these we try to have

for the help of the elders and chur the various congregations sent in their requests and needs in the way
of teachers, and after having had

Many of the students lived too far away to bring their own food and they had no money with which to buy, so
the mission furnished the rice, and

also notebooks, pencils, pen-points and ink. They were very apprecia tive of this help.
FAMILY RE-UNION

private conferences with them to de

termine their needs and wishes, the

preachers were paired off with the

congregations.

THIS LAST two months' school was

Not.all of the congregations can support a preacher; in other places

congregations helped support more
than one teacher. And for the first time, the Lisu churches planned a

also a sortof family re-union time.

LaVerne arrived to help in the school after a very hard two-and-a-halfmonths o f preaching i n unworked territory far to the north on the
Tibetan border.

definite missionary program of their

own, planned for and helped support the sending of Lisumissionaries out
into distant unevangelized areas ! !
The Easter Convention for this

From a trip deep into the Rawang

part of the mission territory was

held here at Muladi at the end of the

country, Robert came down here to

be at home while he continued his translation work. Of course, Betty and Jonathon came too. As Eugene, Helen and David and Drema and I

school. It rained up to the time the convention started and some folks walked three or four days to get here,
attended.

yet there were a little over 1300 who

The new bamboo church

were already here, we had quite a

large family. How we did wish our

been with us ! ! ! Mr.

Daddy and Ruth Margaret could have

came down from Tiliwagoto teach a

with Drema as his interpre

David Rees

building was pretty well filled. There were seven preaching services and much singing around the fires in be
tween the services. The students from the Bible School furnished all

ter. Mel Byers stayed with us for

two weeks on his way home.

class,

of the special music with LaVerne,

their music teacher, directing.

ica for the last ppirt of the school.

Mrs. Rees with the two children came about the time the school

thy Sterling arrived here from Amer

Doro

Really, it sounded beautiful. Lisu people are good singers. We had a good convention and the Lord was
with us.

closed, so we had quite a happy time.

spire'dby the large number attending.

The

Christians were in-

them. We hope to hold a children's

school when the children are free to

attend. Please pray for us in this needy field. I received a nice little surprise package from you at Springfield when Miss Sterling arrived. I do thank you so much for the lovely things. It helps to brighten our pathway and to encourage our hearts by reminding
us that there are friends standing
with us in this work for Christ.

A TYPICAL LISU FAMILY LIVING NEAR MULADI THEY ALL ATTENDED THE CONVENTION

Sometimes we feel sofarawayfrom you. Please do write us. We get al most no letters although mail does come through now. It has been ter rifically hard not to hear direct from Russell this past year, but we have
been warned not to write. We are

On Monday morning, after a short prayer service, we had the final

farewell handshaking.
to have been present.

It made an

immense circle all around the ex

praying God to lead, him out soon. Our Lisu Christians are also pray ing. Please will you also pray for
him?

tensive church grounds. It was good

The convention offering which was taken at the first service on Sunday

morning amounted to about 155 rupees (about $35 U. S.). It was all given to the preachers going to the

Surely the coming of Christfor His bride must be very close at hand. I really believe so. May God grant that His lieople everywhere may be prepared to meet Him! Please pray
for all of the Lisu Christians, espec

weaker churches and to those going to the unevangelized areas. Some of the nearby churches gave gifts to

help in this missionary effort. The

final missionary offering, I believe,

ially those on the China side of the field. Also please pray for the elders and the preachers. Nowmaythe Lord bless your work there. Please do
write to me.

was 220 rupees (A truly noble effort

for a people so utterly poor as these

(signed) Gertrude H. Morse

P.S, A whole family of tigers has been bothering our village this week, giving rise to quite a bit of excite ment. A colt and a goat have been killed by the tigers, and one small

tribespeople. Some of them don't see a rupee - about Zl^ - within a whole year. And this offering was merely
the cash offering. More substantial, and telling, are the varied offerings in kind, from eggs and chickens to

tiger has been caught in a trap so far.

Three more continue to raid the vil

hand-woven clofii, grain and vege

tables. And besides this,

several

hundred guests were fed free of charge during the three-day conven
tionall the food for the convention

lage at night. One of the Christians brought in a nice piece of barkingdeer meat, so we'll have another
mealwithmeat. This tastes like beef, and is so good. Just now I heard one

feeding of the 1300 being donated by

the various churches, including rice,

vegetables, meat, salt and tea).

PERSONAL MATTERS

barking ofi in the jungle (we have so right in the jungle).

many wild animals close about us, as we are living in a small clearing
All of us here in North Burma may

IT SEEMS that Drema Esther and I

be addressed as follows:

are left to do the work at this sta tion for the summer. There are lots

c/o P. O. Putao
Kachin State, Burma

of sick people. I do hope we can help

Eugene and Helen Morse announce the birth of their second son, Thomas Eugene, July 22, 1951, in Rangoon, Burma.

TULSA LETTER By Forwarding Agent Mrs. Ruth Morse

Tulsa, Oklahoma

July 23, 1951

Dear Co-workers for Christ:

year, some of them over 20 days' round-trip to the post office.

I want to t^nk all of you who have contributed to the Lord's work in Burma and China. That is where the Morse family has been the -past

Recently some of them came out to civilization. Then they wire<^for a large sum of money to pay for various items: supplies and equipment,
tember. All of this costs, but I thank God that YOuhad it in the bank here

medicines, printing projects, and plane tickets for Robert and Betfy to return to the U. S. A, from Burma, where liiey plan to return in ^pso that they could make use of it immediately.
Some folks may think it foolish for Robert to come home to attend

the Wycliffe Bible Translators' Summer Institute of Linguistics, but as

come for when it costs so much?"

I see it, it was God's plan. I thank your church groups and all that made

it possible for hjm to come. You may ask and rightly, " What did he

This is the sitiption. It was for the Rawang tribe. The Rawangpeople are a wild, uncivilized people that never have had a chance. Some years ago they had heard about the white people who were teaching across the border in the Salween River valley, and they saw the life of some Chris tian Lisus round about them. Finally, they sent messengers asking that

along with him, and they started to teach in Lisu. Sometimes they could get an interpreter for the Rawangs, but mostly the Rawangs had to learn

the first white man they had ever seen. Robert had a Lisu evangleist

toey too might be taught of the living God, and as all tiie others were busy in other work, Robert made the ten days' walk back over the mounteins and jungle. In many places there were no roads; elsewhere he was

the Lisu language in order to fully understand the Gospel message.

grinted in Rangoon, Burma by Eugene and LaVerne Morse, with the

elp of the informant, Tychicus, who is also a Rawang evangelist.
translated into Rawang. For this, further training is needed. So - maybe you can see now why Robert and Betty made the expensive trip back to attend the Bible translators Institute? Please pray for their success, in order that they may be able to translate the Gospel for the Rawang mbes as perfectly as it is possible for them to do. They have faith in 'try to do His will at all times, and desire your earnest prayers that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit. glasses, and stayed on in Rangoon to help with the printing of the Rawang books. Eugene, Helen, and David will stay on until September, possibly
'

hrams and a first reader, with the help of the Rawang informant-teacher whom the Lord raised up. These are the books which are now being

has been able to produce a primer for them. Then Robert treuislated

1948 Robert and Betty attended the first year's course of this liMuistic school, hoping to be able to help the Rawang people when they returned. Nov; by studying their language' continually this past year, he

Now, at least portions of God's Word, the Gospels, still need to be

, LaVerne came out with them as far as Rangoon, because he needed

until Robert and Betty return.

living in darkness.

MeanwWle, Eugene works daily on the second Rawang primer and 1+ ? All of this work is expensive, ^ hymnal, which been translated. but with have your already help, these books are being printed, and will be gotten to those poor people still

(concluded on top of last page}

are arising. In brief: aside from the costs of transportation (not only
for tte missionaries, but for the books and other equipment, which will

currently incurring, whatprojects are being undertaken, and what needs

Many people have written to ask just what expenses the mission is

cost around $5000 before the year is over), a recent letter from Eugene
lists some of the following expenses : paying for 3500 copies of Lisu New Testaments, composing and printing 1000 copies of the RawangPrimer, composing and printing 3000 copies of the Rawang Bible teachings and

hymns, purchasing a large quantity of urgently needed medicines, procural of mimeograph equipment and paper, gettine audio-visual aids for

the main part of the field, including three sets of religious slides and projectors, procuring adequate Gospel recordings in Lisu and Rawang.
I praise and thank the Lord that He has not only lead them to go ahead

with these projects, but with your help, is providing the necessary funds.
I praise the Lord for these advances, and ask your prayers with us that all of this may be greatly used and blessed of the Lord. Prayerfully and lovingly, your co-worker in Christ,

(signed) Mrs. Ruth Morse

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A MISSIONARY PUBLICATION?

(editorial began on page seven)

thereof - mayhelp the missionary in discerning the Lord's will. For we believe, through our own experience, that the Lord answers all hidden

If a missionary reports a need and does not appeal for money, only those who are lead of the Lord will respond. The response - or the lack
needs, as well as advertised ones. Therefore, we feel that not only are

we taking away from the wonderful graciousness and Glory of God, by appealing for funds, but we are also knocking down our own foundation
of faith.

beg your forgiveness. And will you remember that these letters or bul
partly on yoilr behalf.

May we say then, that if we fail in this principle in the future, we

letins which are put out from time to time are primarily prayer-letters ,

giving news of developments and the missionary work which is being done
to use, find out about the various missions, the many new worKS planned
or undertaken, and first ask the Lord where He would have you send it,

If you have some money of the Lord's which it is your responsibility

to getthe Gospel TOALL THE WORLD, if possible in THIS GENERATION.

Robert Morse

and then do as the Lord guides. And by so doing, may we work together

Mailed by Mrs. Ruth Morse

114 South Denver Avenue

Sec. 34. 66 P. L. & R.

Tulsa 3, Oklahoma

Return Postage Guaranteed

Oopy of letter from

Ruth Margaret Morse.

Russell Morse to his daughter,

Kunming p Ohina Maroh l, 1951

our dearest beloved dau^ter Ruth Margarets

X hope you received the tm pictures and letter I sent

you in the last Air Mail. Now I have selected five more

picturesp but I have trouble collecting my wits to write a letter. No. 1 & St Two pictures of ''Grandma*' Ruth Morse and Drema Bather, taken in Tulsa. As OWi Mother may not be with us muoh longer, every one of these pictures are very specially precious, so please take specially good care of

them.

I think they are really QOOD. also those of Batherf

Ruth Margaret, X wonder if you realize what a TRULY GREAT and GOOD character my little old Mother is, and if you write

often to her and try to give her plenty of love and ap preciation. Do you realize she was cdready PAST SIXTt when she first sent me away as a foreign missionary in August,
1921. How wonderfully rich and full and fruitful for the

Kingdom of God these past 30 years have been both for her and for the family of her son Russell, for whom she has been the power of **a onelittle-woman missionary society**. Her ministry and influence in foreign missionary work has
been a blessing to TSHS OF THOUSAt:ds during these what are often called the "twlight years of life." Her Joyful reward in heaven will be great indeed when she meets the MAI^IT 1E0TJSAND8 of souls who have been saved through her izifluence but I should like her to get more appreciation while she is here in this life, also. She loves you dearly, her name sake, and I hope you will sit right down now and write her a latter of loving gratitude, HO?t, before it is too late.

No. 35 Another picture of "Grandma" Ruth Morse", petting a dog in the back yard of our Tulsa home. :&cept
that the kimono makes her look five times bigger than she really is. I like this picture. She always had such a livel; interest in dot^s, as well as flower-gardens. Maybe this was a carry-over from her life before she was 45, which was
spent mostly on the farm in South Dakota. She never lived

within herself, but always had a world of lively interests outside herself, the great wonderful world of our Heavenly

Father. No. 4 & 5. Two pictures of you, Ruth Margaret, with our truly great old friend W.K. Chamberlain, during tha last summer in Los Angeles while we were finishing prepara
tions to return to China. Not only do X like these pictures

of you, but X treasure the memories of the Chamberlains,

and hope that you will write to them also, SOON. Do not be deceived by the humble unpretentiousness of such people
for they are truly GRSAT Characters and the "salt of the

earth" about like the Oscar and Julia Myers family in Terre Haute. The reason they do not make great pretensions is because they live "in the presence of The King," and because they think of OTHERS in whom they see so muoh that is worth while. Xn times past X have been unable to express my

sinoerely great appreoiatloa of all the Ohaiaber lain family have meant to all of ua, so I hope you will write them at lo
least one letter on my behalf.

Ho* 6 A little oolor picture of you and iOrema Esther eating watermelon^ in the front yard of our Tulaa home* 7ou can always remember me as a fruit*faneier| one who loves to grow and eat and WASE WITH OTEl^S the fruits of which I con sider watermelons as being one of the choicest* I heartily wish X could be in a Family Reunion this next summer, just anywhere in the states, and that we could split several
watermelons like we so often did in Tulsa and Los Angeles*

Dear ones, THAT K^GHT come tp pass*

I will try for it*

Anyway, if i am not with you this next summer, Please remeoiber me every time you enjoy a watermelon, and PRAT for God to take special ca3?e of me, for I forsee I shall need it

travel permitf yet*

And I hear that even the Brit

ish Consulate will be closing down about two months hence, because there will be few if any British and Americana left in the Province* Meanwhile God gives me plenty of work to do every day* Xt*s consolation to know my life is not useless for God and for needy humanity* Please write me*
Lovingly, your Daddy

/O JUys

J* R* Morse*

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