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Show PITIFUL PLIGHT OF PORTO RICAN CHRISTIANS Misses Florence Mills and Fannie Carlton, missionaries to Porto Rico who have been at home on furlough, eached United Society headquarters at Indianapolis, Ind., on a hurried return re-turn to their mission field because of the storm there a few days ago, and when asked for a statement, gave out the following: "On the crests of the hills of Porto Rico were little white and green chapels which have long been centers of religious and social influence in the lives of a people who know little of the joys of life because of their extreme poverty. Some of these communities com-munities have been completely trans formed by the Gospel that has h"en preached in these places. Today little remains of these chapels and the homes of the people have been demolished de-molished and their crops dcstrn ',!, thus cutting off all means of shelter and support. And not only the present pres-ent crops destroyed, but the trees and ,.fiVe plants which will require several sever-al years to get back to normal. "The report from the Porto Rico mission comes to us that the mi.-sio:-a ies are safe, but that most of the mission property, consisting of " churches and 8 homes, is destroy: !. That means that the homes of the pastors and missionaries are seer, s of great suffering. "What can we do? Give of our means without delay, for every day counts. When people are dying from hunger and exposure they cannot wa:t our help sometime next year. Now is the accepted time. Let us show oui appreciation for their faithfulness as loyal sons of God." Associated Press despatches state that 700,000, or practically half the population of Porto Rico, are homeless and that the island is devastated from coast to coast by the hurricane. It will take at least 550,000 to provide pro-vide shelter for our missionaries native pastors, and homeless congregations con-gregations and to make possible the continuance of the work. |