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Show H JOHN S. EVANS Hjj Writes an Interesting Letter Bj About His Missionary B Labors. Hj Kopu, Now Zealand, I'd). 17, 1000, Hj Kditor of IUnnrh, i Loli!, Utah. R Dear Sir: Hnvlnn received n number Hh ol copies of your paper, .hire laboring H in this foreign land Among BtmngorB, I Hj nastiro you Hint It gives mo nuicli plcna- H tiro to read tho iiowb, I tlml rcrorded in H; pftinc. I fenl to thank you und nil, wlio H aro connected with tlio paper, for tlio H; klnducsByou liftvo shown towards mc B byeending ineyotir paper. Hi Thinking porhnps it Mould bo inter- B cBting to the readorB of Tub IUnnkk to B heiir from tlio Now Zealand mission, H niul having spent two years in tlio mis B tlun und principally among tlio Mnori B people, It afords mo much pleasure in H writing you concerning my miastuii and K misalonary experiences in Maori land. H As I liavo raid, I had spent two years B niuoiig the Maoris, mid can say truth- t fully that 1 am iujoylng my labors among them. I havo been blessed with enough of their languiwo to ireach the t Oofpcl unto Ilium in their language I which I am thankful to our Heavenly Tlio llrst nlno mouths of my mission I spent In tho Mnlknto District, where Hro. Trancis Kirkham spent most of his mission. 1 II i id Uro. Kirkham made an ' impression among tho Mnori people that Is surpassed by 'civ, If any. After speud'ng nine mouths in inld part, was trnnsfered to tho Manrnki andTauranga Districts of which I una appointed pre. riding Llder. Wo elders laboring B anions tho Maori people livo right with tliuin, cat their food and sleep at their BBS homos. Wo llnd by doing so wo are on- BBBB nblod to do much moro with them than HBBB noini) other deunminallo'iH that hold BBBB themselves above tho Natives, I had BBBB tho privilego of attending our annual BBBB conference which was held 11 and 12 BBBB inat. Thero were present at the con- BBBB fcrcncc twenty-fivo Elders of Zion, tins BBBB being about one half of tho number ol BBBB Kldcra in the mission besides two Sisters BBBBj from .Ion, who aro doing missionary BBBBJ woik among tlio Maoris. Thera were BBBBj 'about U00 peoplo In attendance at the BBBB conference. Tho gospel wns preached BBBBf in power und plainness unto those who BBBBj had assembled themselves together, for BBBBL tho occasion. Many of the Hlders and BBBBJ Saints bore strong testimonies .to the BBBBt trutlifuluess of tho gospel and to the BBBBI divinity of tho mission of Joseph Smith. BBBBj Wo Elders travel from village to villngo BBBBf explaining tho gospel wherever oppor- BBBBt tunity permits We are highly respected BBBBJ among the Maoris nu J I ilaro say theie BBBBJ isn't another raco of people on tho faco BBBBJ of the earth that surpass tho Maori BBBBJ' peoplo for hospitality and love towardi BBBBl their fellow men. Time nnd space will BBBBf not permit ino to give an account of BBBBflr their customs, howovcr the most of BBBBI them aro pretty well civilized and n good BBBBC many of them aro living in mansions BBBBb with tho finest kind of (uinlturc. As BBBBS n peoplo they nro apt in learning, for BBBB some of tho smartest moil in New Zoa- BBBBK . mid aro to be found among tho Maoris. BBBB W3 have about 5,000 followers among BBBB tho Natives. Tho annual report for the BBBB year ending 1005 shows 181 baptisms BBBB and 180 children blessed, making an BBBB nvtiagc of about !I)y memberi for ench BBBB Klder laboring in tho mission. Wo are B going to hold another conference bc- BBBBK ginning April Uth. My companion and BBBB . I aru going to walk to conference a dia- BBBBBJ tance of 350 miles and do inlssioiinry BBBBt work iib wu go. Thanking you again BBBBBj for your paper. I will close with kind BBBBB regards to BBBBB BBBBB Johnfi. Evan. B kopi.fxt!zf Hf i. - -. - iin-- i |