How Piao-m Learned to Read by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 1, 1910

How Piao-m Learned to Read

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

THE following incident, published in the Bible in All the World for August, should be a great encouragement to our workers in China, helping them to be patient and painstaking in their efforts to teach the message to native believers, with a view to their becoming workers for God. Such efforts will be greatly blessed by the Lord, and will no doubt result in leading many poor wanderers to the Light of Life. One worker patiently teaching a few honest souls will be putting out the Lord’s talents where they will increase manyfold.

Pastor W. D. Rudland, who has labored in inland China, translating the Scriptures into the Taichow dialect, relates the following experience:—

“An old Chinese lady, Piao-m by name, not long after her conversion expressed a wish to give herself to the Lord’s work. But as she could not read, and was well advanced in years, besides being far from bright in intelligence, it did not look as if she were likely to be of much use as a Bible woman. However, my wife undertook to do her best to teach her to read. For several months, day by day, Piao-m had a lesson, lasting for one or two hours. After learning the primer she went on the Taichow colloquial version of the New Testament, printed in Roman characters. For some time she made very slight progress; and even after she began to read a little, she seemed to have made up her mind that it would be impossible for her ever to understand what she read.

“I confess that I was quite in despair about Piao-m. After six months’ steady toil, each sentence being explained to her, there seemed hardly any hope that she would succeed.

“But one day, as she was reading, she suddenly found that she grasped the meaning of the passage; and from that moment she made rapid progress. I shall never forget the look on her face when she came and told me that she was beginning to understand what she was reading in the Testament. And how my wife rejoiced to see at last the fruit of her labors!

“Finding that she could understand what the words conveyed, Piao-m spent a large part of each day reading her book, going to her teacher for the explanation of words and passages which she could not make out. By this means before very long she had made certain portions of the book her own.

“But she could not be satisfied with just reading the Testament for herself; she began to read it to other women, and soon taught some of them to read, too.

“It was not long before she was sent to some of our out-stations to teach the women there; and wherever she went, women were converted to Christ. She is so humble and so self-sacrificing that the people believe in her. Her life is quite as powerful as her words, and she knows how to use the words of the Testament with great effect.

“One day she met with the widow of a small Chinese official, and began to tell her about the Saviour from sin. This was something quite new to the widow, who listened attentively. The result was that eventually she was converted and baptized. She in her turn is now a valued worker, giving her time to the teaching of the female patients in Dr. Anderson’s hospital, and also speaking to the out-patients who come to the dispensary. No doubt many of these will carry the message away to their homes in isolated villages, where no preacher of the gospel has ever penetrated.

“Although nearly seventy years old, Piao-m is still working in one of the China Inland Mission out-stations, beloved wherever she goes. She carries her New Testament with her, and some simple tracts; and while she is ever ready to read to the women from the Book, her strong point is to teach them to read it for themselves. How many she has taught to read the Word of God for themselves I do not know, but it must be a great many.

“In the Taichow district scarcely one woman in a thousand can read the Chinese character so as to be able to understand it: it takes years of study to master. But a few months’ time is sufficient to enable men and women to read and understand the Taichow colloquial version of the New Testament, printed in Roman characters.”

Truly we know not which shall prosper, either this or that; but one thing is noticeable,—God often chooses instruments whom men would pass by as very unpromising, but who, in his hand, lead many souls to Jesus.

Takoma Park, D. C.