For many years members and friends of the Mission have longed to see a religious community of women at work in the Islands, bringing such hopes of permanence, stability, and unification of effort as only a community can furnish, and contributing their help to the various branches of work amongst our women and children,--educational, medical, and evangelistic. We have watched admiringly--and wistfully--such work in other lands and other missions, and not a few of us have been praying and waiting for the way to be made clear for this advance in Melanesia.
And now we are able thankfully to announce the near prospect of the beginning of a Melanesian Mission Community. At present it is only a very small beginning, and plans for the future have not yet been formulated. But two Sisters of Mercy, who have already had experience in missionary educational work in South Africa and India, have volunteered for work in Melanesia, and have been accepted by the Bishop and his commissaries.
Sister Margaret and Sister Gwen are preparing to sail next February, and Melanesia is preparing to bid them Welcome and God-speed. It is our earnest hope that these two Sisters may in due course be joined in the Islands by other women who believe themselves to be called to (and considered suitable for) active service in the Religious Life.