Choiseul

Mission Work In Lonely

FRIENDS of the Rev. J. R. Metcalfe, who has been a Methodist Mission ary on Choiseul, BSI, for many years, will be interested to learn that he has made good progress in the diffi cult task of rebuilding the work of the mission.

He had a serious illness last year and was absent in Australia from April to October. He returned to his little-visited island to find that mission work had been carried on well by his assistants, Sister Grace McDonald and Sister Lucy Money.

Welfare work among women and children at the end of 1948 included the care of six infants at the head mission station. This meant extra expense.

“We are glad to learn,” writes Mr Metcalfe, “that at long last the Govern ment is to give us half the cost of milk used for infants. Up to the present we have had to pay for the milk, plus cus toms duty on it!”

Ten lepers were being cared for by the mission, but Mr. Metcalfe thinks there are probably more unsuspected cases of leprosy on Choiseul.

During his absence the gardens of the mission station deteriorated, but he is able to secure vegetables by barter. One legacy of the war years was that of an Australian pontoon which floated up on Choiseul from the direction of Fauro. It has been used as a bridge across one of the creeks.

In its schools, the mission on Choiseul is insisting that education is not for males only. The mission is seeing that girls eligible to attend school do so, and although there has been some opposition

from parents, Mr. Metcalfe says, “matters are now progressing favourably.”

School attendance has been well main tained and there is a big demand for additional teachers. Only six teachers have been supplied although 15 were asked for by villagers.