Christmas in Africa. 
WHEN December month arrives Tm sure all of 
you look forward to Christmas Day. And 
quite right too ! But in your enjoyment of cakes 
and gifts brought by Santa Claus, you must not 
forget why you rejoice. When I first went to live 
in the Oron Country I found the people made no 
difference between December 25th and any other 
day. It was not to be wondered at. The story of 
the birth of Jesus in a stable at Bethlehem was 
quite unknown to them. But when its message was 
understood by those who came to the mission 
churches — built of mud — they were just as anxious 
to keep it as a holy day as we are. All sorts of 
questions they asked about the Christmas fashions 
(ways) of white man's country. Then they tried to 
keep Christmas themselves. From the first they 
felt they ought to go to church in the morning-time 
for worship. But the day before they scoured the 
bush for pretty leaves and flowers with which to 
decorate God's house. At Jamestown they decided 
they would go carol-singing. From compound to 
compound the men, women and children of our con- 
gregation went singing the songs of God. They 
sang of the birth of Christ and they sang also of 
their conversion : Usen oru otim ofon,'' that is, 
**0 happy day that fixed my choice." I can see 
them now coming up the path to the mission-house 
all dressed in their Sunday best, and looking as 
