Modern Persia | Page 2

Introduction of Mission Work 181-83
II. Method of Work 183-86
III. Development of Mission Work 187-90
IV. Religious Education--College--Ladies' Seminary---Medical
Schools--Country Schools--Translation of Books 190-201
V. The Gospel and Temporal Improvement--Temperance--Conversion
to Mohammedanism--Morals Elevated 201-10
VI. Mission Work among Moslems 210-11
[Illustration: M. G. DANIEL.]

LIFE OF MOOSHIE G. DANIEL IN PERSIA.

The ancestors of M. G. Daniel, a true stock of the Nestorian sect and
Syrian nationality came down from Kurdiston mountain in 1740 and
settled in Persia at Oroomiah district. The one family now increased to
fifty, all live in villages near to each other. G. Daniel with his four
brothers settled in a small village four miles east of Oroomiah city. The
inhabitants of this village are composed of fifty Mohammedan families
and twenty-eight Nestorians. His parents had four sons and two
daughters, all died in their childhood. Daniel was their seventh child
born in 1861. His native village was visited by Rev. G. Coan, D.D. and
Dr. Perkins, missionaries from America who preached the gospel
message to the Nestorians of that village, at the same time also started a
school for their children. At this time Daniel was thirteen years old.
The parents were very glad to send their children to this school which
increased to thirty students.
Daniel was very anxious to attend this school. This desire was
encouraged in every possible way by his earnest, self sacrificing
Christian mother, Rachel, who came of high and noble lineage. But his
father vigorously objected for fear his son would change from his old
Nestorian faith. When Daniel saw other boys going to school he would
often cry and pray that God would change his father's heart and lead
him to send his son to school. This earnest desire on the part of the
young and earnest lad led to an earnest discussion and difference
between his parents as to the future policy with their boy. Finally after
two month's earnest prayer on the part of the mother and her son the
Spirit of God reconciled the opposition of the father and made him
willing to send his son to school. Daniel continued his studies in this
school four years and read a chapter of the Bible to his parents every
night. The father thus became interested and in the second year sent
Daniel's two sisters and brother to school. He soon became the first
student in the school. Rev. G. Coan when visiting the school embraced
Daniel and his sisters and kissed them with the holy kiss of joy as the
first fruit of his labors.
After four years this school closed on account of lack of students. There
arose a dark cloud of sorrow and disappointment to poor Daniel. What
shall I do to continue my studies, was the despairing cry of the

consecrated boy. But his strong will soon found a way. He was now
sixteen years old. There was a small village of three hundred families
called Golpashan two miles distant from his home town. Golpashan
contained a high school and a Presbyterian church of three hundred
members. Daniel decides to go to school at this place, but again meets
opposition from his father, who wants him to stay at home and work for
him. But his mother met his father with the strong argument that she
had consecrated her child to God before he was born, because God
gave him to me after the death of my six children. But the mother lived
in continual fear that her son would be devoured by wolves on his way
to school and then she said, "I will go down to my grave in a miserable
condition." But the son, willing to sacrifice even life itself for study,
said, "I will go, mother, trusting in God and your prayers." Events soon
proved that the mother's fears were well founded. Once, very early in
the morning, while on his way to school he was attacked by a large,
ferocious wolf. But he made good his escape up a tree near by. But he
received such a shock from this attack that he was prostrated three
months and his life was despaired of by all his friends. But God
graciously restored him to health for His holy ministry. Daniel always
believed in the out-stretched hand of God that snatched him from the
wolf. Hundreds of times he thanks God in his prayers for this
deliverance.
When Mr. Daniel was seventeen years old he reached the greatest crisis
of his life. His parents decided to marry him to a girl a few steps only
from his residence, because the parents of the couple had decided when
they were children to marry them to each other. This was in accordance
with a foolish custom of the Nestorians. His father had