90 
GOD'S BLACK DIAMONDS 
OUT missionaries have the postman on Christmas 
Day. Some years ago I was living at Oron with 
the Rev. R. and Mrs. Banham, and on Christmas 
Eve there came to the mission-house two' distin- 
guished visitors from England, the late Rev. James 
Pickett and Mr. F. C. Linfield, M.B.E. The 
best of it was they had come five thousand miles to 
see us. On Christmas morning we walked quite a 
number of miles, introducing them to our black 
friends in the towns of Eyo Abassey, Ukpata, 
Afaka Educk, and Esuk Oron. How eager every- 
body was to see the white chiefs from makara's 
(white man's) country, and how pleased our dis- 
tinguished friends were to see what the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ was doing amongst the people of 
Oron ! And now, in ten, perhaps twenty, times as 
many places is the birth of Jesus celebrated with 
song and prayer by Primitive Methodists in 
Nigeria when Christmas Day comes round. 
