Published in the "Tabor Beacon" newspaper
Tabor, Fremont County, Iowa, January 27, 1910

Miss Effie Chambers tells of her work in Kessab, is thankful for Tabor Congregation.

letter from Miss Effie Chambers of Kessab, Syria was received by Prof. M. C. Gaston last Wednesday. In beginning her letter Miss Chambers says, “Yours of September 23 reached me in good time and was eagerly read as letters from home always are, and I thank you for it and for the draft it contained, which I used to give seed wheat for the next years sowing for the young men who have fields, who were in defense of the village. So with God’s blessing you have made their wheat – their bread sure for next year, and they are so thankful.”

She tells of her decision, after considering all the facts of the situation, to remain with those people and help them as she alone can. She feels that the work that has been done would all go for nothing, if she should leave this place and make her headquarters in another part of Turkey. She tells of the efforts of the people to rebuild their village and to recover some of the privileges, which they enjoyed before the massacre. A reading room had existed before the trouble came, but it was destroyed and the books were carried away. One day a few young men came with some money and wanted her to send for some more books and arrange to have a reading room again. She asked them where they got the money and learned that they had saved it from the small amount allowed them from the government’s funds. It meant so much for them to have the reading room that they sacrificed the necessities of food to obtain it.

They attempted to repair the old church, which had been burned but found it too expensive and indeed too small for the growing congregation, so they are now building a new structure. She says, “The people are doing all they can in work and money, and will continue to do so to the end, but they can not do it all and therefore we beg all of God’s people to help us and let us have a church building as soon as possible. Our roof is to be of tile and each costs ten cents.” This would be a worthy object for some society or individuals to take into consideration.

Those who contributed to the fund which was sent to Miss Chambers will be glad to know that she received it all right, and may consider, when they read this, that they are each thanked for their share in helping relieve the need of those people.

Courtesy of Danette Hein-Snider
The Niece of Miss Effie Chambers