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LUTHERAN GROUP 97been held simultaneously at all our main stations and outstationswere a great success this year (1915). We hadexcellent weather and great crowds everywhere. In someplaces we had not room for all those who wanted to attend.In Changsha district we used tickets. In spite of therestriction however the services in this district alonewere attended about fifteen thousand\>ypeople.RHEINISCHE MISSIONSGESELLSCHAFT(RHENISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY) (1847)H. RiekeStations with dates of occupation -.Kiimngtnng: Hongkong(1899), Kangpni (1H9S), Simtong (190P>), Taiping-Fumun (1898),Tongtowha (1886), Tungkun (1890).Missionaries 17, Employed Cliine.se Staff 99, Communicants l,74->(1914).At the beginning of the year, out ofthe War thirty-five foreign missionaries only seventeen were in the mission field. Three wereprisoners of war in Japan and the remainder were on furlough, and detained by the war from returning to their work.In consequence of this out of seven central stations, only threeat the present time have resident foreigners. The work atthe three inland stations, now without foreigners, is carriedon successfully by our Chinese fellow-workers under thesupervision of a missionary, but diurch and school work atHongkong are left entirely in the hands of the Chinese, who,as far as we can judge from here, have proved faithfulworkers and quite able to bear the responsibility thrownupon them so suddenly.The rather small mission staff has been further reduced.Owing to failure of health, Miss Smithson had to takefurlough after eight years of school work at Taipeng.The first class of the Middle and Normal School(five-year course) graduated in January. Five successfulstudents have been appointed as teachers, thus enabling usto open some more out-stations. One of these has been builtentirely by the Chinese, without any financial help from theMission.A 12