Page:Village life in Korea (1911).djvu/279

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What Christianity Is Doing for the Village.
239

In these meetings men get the idea of salvation for their fellow-men and freely offer themselves for service in preaching the gospel to their neighbors. Often hundreds and thousands of days are pledged to be given to the work without money and without price. Some men give as much as three or four months; while others can afford to give but a few days or weeks, as the case may be.

With a Church willing to make such sacrifices as the village Church is making, it is no wonder that for the past six or seven years there has been a continuous revival throughout the bounds of the Church in Korea. This revival is far-reaching in its power and influence. Drunkards are changed into sober men, and gamblers giva up their games and go to work at honest labor. Husbands and wives who have been quarreling and fighting confess their sins and pledge themselves to love and help each other. Just here I recall one man who attended one of these revival meetings, having walked about thirty-five miles for that purpose, and was so blessed that he returned to his home and entered into a solemn agreement with his wife that there was to be no more "loud speech" in their house. Thieves confess their crimes and restore the stolen goods or pay back the money which they have stolen. One poor fellow came into one of these meetings and confessed that he was a murderer, and asked what he should do. He was told to accept Christ as his Saviour and trust him; also to go to the official and confess his crime. This he did, very much to the astonishment of that gentleman, who had never heard