Kare Kare April 5, 1822 Revd Sir The Active has been here since Sabbath day last being the last day of last month and since I have heard of her arrival I have been preparing my journal to forward by her to you however I have not succeeded in copying the whole of it and I shall therefore leave it till another opportunity. In the mean time I must not neglect an opportunity of forwarding a few lines to you by her in addition to those I have already written— Every day Sir brings fresh needs and lays open to view what may have been heretofore hiden [sic].— Would to God that we could say as much of good as we can of evil but this divine providence seems good to leave for another Season. Nevertheless I cannot but express my firm persuasion that this day is not far off for sure I am that the word of Life carries with it a divine power which all the powers of Hell shall not stand against— O that all the Servants of the Lord employed as Directors and Labourers in and for this Mission may attend to the plain and powerful means of propagating true Religion and true Civilization and I dare in the name of the Lord bid defiance to all who may stand up to oppose— But alas! We must all acknowledge our defficiencies [sic] in point of duty I Sir (and would speak to my shame) have misspent many hours, which might have been usefully employed!— I have done many things directly opposite to the work I am engaged in yea and I am sure that without grace I shall make shipwreck of faith and be a Curse rather than a blessing to the poor benighted heathen among whom I have the great honor to dwell. [f] I am going on slowly but I trust sure and if I am wrong may the Holy Spirit of the ever blessed God convince me of my evil and turn me to the path which leads to his Kingdom of grace. I am indeed Sir in a very barren wilderness where little else is to be seen but bramble and thorns. Oh that the time may soon come when the desert shall blossom as the Rose. I am getting on a little with the Language and I hope you will pardon me and endeavour to shew me otherwise, if the Language is not likely to open a means for greater usefulness than any thing I could attend unto. It strikes me forceably that one of the Gospels translated into the Language of this people is likely to do more real good than the Labours of all of us here for our life-time should we attend to the temporal good of the Natives only. It seems to me that Civilization is as certain an effect of Evangelization as that good works are the fruits of faith in Christ— But I speak of my own judgment only. I have had a very fair crop of wheat this year 20 Bushels of which I have gotten threshed and bropught to Kare Kare. I should I think have 30 Bushels in the whole if the Rats had not destroyed a good deal of it. I may have 6 or 8 Bushels yet to thresh which I shall thresh as soon as I may have opportunity. You will most assuredly hear of Mr Kendalls most base conduct and I need say but little to you of him some serious steps will I am sure have to be taken in order to rid this Mission of such a scandelous [sic] person— But I am sorry to say he is not the only one— Sam Butler is [f] beyond all doubt his Brother in wickedness. He has lived with Native Women I believe nearly all the time he has been down here. I have often thought that his evil conduct is a sort of judgment upon his father for his evil advice given relative to your Letter which you sent to his father— Wether [sic] you received the letter again or not I know not this I know that Mr B— advised Samuel to seal the Letter and send it you back again— Samuel is talking of going to the Colony for a Wife I feel for the poor unfortunate person who may fall into his hands— I have had a good deal of conversation with Samuel of his evil ways and though I have seen enough to convict him he dares to swear my kind reproofs to his father. Such persons Sir are doing all they can to [defeat] the Societies objects— They are indeed the {Devil’s] Servants O that this Mission were rid of her [enemies] those who profess themselves to be friends— Mr Hall will leave here soon and I hope he will not shun to declare the whole truth relative to this Mission. I hope Sir I have a concern for the welfare of New Zealand and I thank God that my concern does not decrease— May all who have the welfare of this place at heart be enabled to scend [sic] up continual prayers to the God of the Heathen so shall their prayers be heard and the Heathen shall be given to Christ for his inheritance. I have till now forgot to say that we are at peace with the Heathen they behave better than I can reasonably expect. Yours respectfully James Shepherd