Page 19 - The Malaysia mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church
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mined to establish a foreijiii mission, and the name of ^^'i^iam
F. Oldham was read out in the list of appointments as mis-
sionary to Singapore.
Mr. Oldham, Indian born of English parents, was in many
ways admiral)ly adapted to accomplish the difficult task
mapped out for liini. He had served under the Indian gov-
ernment as a civil engineer, but after his conversion
A Prepared felt the call to service in the Church. Realizing the
Leader need of further education, he, with his wife, came
to America, where he remained several years in at-
tendance at one of our
colleges. At the time of
his appointment to Singa-
pore he was on the ocean
on his way to India to
take up the work there
under the Methodist
Church.
With scarcely enough
money to pay for their
passage Dr. Thoburn, Mr.
Oldham, Mrs. Thoburn.
and Miss Battle started
for Singapore. Mrs. Old-
ham remained for a time
with her mother in India,
but her later presence
and work were of much
value in the early pe- REV. WILLI.\M F. OLDHAM, D.D.
riod of the new mission.
When the little company reached Singapore they were
met at the wharf by Mr. Charles Phillips, an earnest Christian
who had been so impressed by a dream in which
A New he had seen a ship coming in with a party of mis-
Macedonian sionaries on board that he had gone to meet the
Vision ship, and there recognized the faces seen in his
dream. Mr. Phillips took them to his home and
entertained them during their stay.
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