In his Autobiography John G. Paton tells of the death of Kowia, a converted cannibal chief on the island of Tanna. Kowia knew he was dying and came to say farewell to Paton, whom he called 'Missi'.
"Farewell, Missi, I am very near death now; we will meet again in Jesus and with Jesus!" . . . Abraham [Paton's faithful helper, another converted cannibal] sustained him, tottering to the place of graves; there he lay down . . . and slept in Jesus; and there the faithful Abraham buried him beside his wife and children. Thus died a man who had been a cannibal chief, but by the grace of God and the love of Jesus changed, transfigured into a character of light and beauty. What think ye of this, ye skeptics as to the reality of conversion? . . . I knew that day, and I know now, that there is one soul at least from Tanna to sing the glories of Jesus in Heaven - and, oh, the rapture when I meet him there!What a difference the gospel makes. Let us never forget the power of the simple proclaiming of the gospel to transform even the most hard hearts. The gospel can and does transform the most unlikely people and their societies.
