The people of the Philippines, their religious progress and preparation for spiritual leadership in the Far East,

224 THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES

TOURING
The road builders are very important missionaries. What
they have saved of time and energy cannot be computed. Picture Miss Elizabeth Parkes making a trip of twenty-six miles
out of Cabanatuan on roads so muddy that once the vehicle
turned over in the mud; a few minutes later, she says, "the
horse got out of his depth and I thought I was done." Finally
darkness came down and the journey had to be finished the
following day. To-day Mr. Bunday's Ford covers that same
distance in fifty minutes. Miss Parkes had used up the better
part of two days on the way and was too nearly exhausted at
the end of the journey to give her best service; to-day her
successor can visit a half dozen places, hold services, and be
home the same evening. He is saved the hardships and real
dangers of exposure, of polluted water, and of unsafe food.
It is significant that the two districts in which the most wonderful development of churches has taken place in the Philippines
are both supervised by men with automobiles. Mr. Housley,
the superintendent of one of these districts, wrote that he could
reach any part of his territory, and return on the same day,
and he carries a cinematograph with him.
"The auto," exclaims Mr. Housley, "is a real gospel car, and
we can make double the places we otherwise could reach. We
pull the wind brake up and use it for a pulpit, and place a baby
organ in behind and make a choir out of the back seat!" A
man like that, who makes progress every day, can say, "It is
glorious to be on the advancing battle line for God." The
automobile does not solve every problem, but it saves such
a vast amount of energy and time which would be consumed in
walking or traveling by bicycle that the missionary finds
strength to reach out to the more distant districts. The joy of
great achievement for God comes to the man who can touch
large numbers of people, and increases his enthusiasm and
faith, so that he is far more valuable than he would be if
compelled to drag along at carabao speed.
Almost every mission has tried its experiment with
launches-and sooner or later they have sold them. Traveling