Page 52 - Malayan Story
P. 52
MALAYAN STORY
CHAPTER 15 “SUPER’S DAYS”, SABBATICALS AND HOLIDAYS
While we were home in Australia in 1956, the Lord gave Percy a vision of what he called “Super’s
Days” as an answer to the problems of how to visit each station, and make his visits more effective.
This seemed to be a good way to have fellowship with every member and keep in vital touch with
the progress, needs and problems of the work in each place. He drafted a set of guidelines (See end
note) which he sent to every missionary together with a personal letter.
Every Super’s Day was different as it was up to each missionary or group of missionaries as to how
the day was used. Percy liked me to go with him as so many of the workers were single women and
this was in line with the Mission guidelines as well as the fact that sometimes they found it easier to
talk to another women about personal problems. While we were away we left Percy’s Secretary in
charge and needed extra help with the housekeeping for which I was normally responsible.
We used to arrive the night before so that we could start in good time in the morning. Usually the
first morning was spent in Bible Study and prayer, and the afternoon in talking over the work and
its needs and problems. Sometimes we finished the day with a Communion Service and there
were times that we also had a meeting with all the church members.
As early as April 1952 Percy had been looking at the question of giving the missionaries a short
break away from the village work. If the British Army soldiers needed time for R & R, so did the
soldiers of the Cross. Several alternative ideas were mooted. Maybe a room could be set aside in
Singapore at the Mission HQ, or they could visit another village for a holiday. Our Kuala Lumpur
house was not suitable for this as there was not enough room and there were usually some language
students living with us.
While this problem remained unsolved, Pastor Yap of the Singapore Presbyterian Church contacted
Percy and told him of his son Yap Oon Tham who was a teacher in the government language school
in the Cameron Highlands and a Christian was very keen to have missionaries working in his area.
Through his father he sent a warm invitation and a promise of support. The advantage of having a
centre for work in the Cameron Highlands and also a place that could be used as a holiday home,
appealed to all our leaders, and by the end of February 1953 we had leased a place from Mr.
Cornwallis in Ringlet and appointed Ruth Dix and Margaret Heale to open it as a Mission centre for
work, but also to be prepared for it to be a holiday home for tired missionaries. If it was suitable,
after a seven months trial perion, the Mission was prepared to renew the lease for a longer period.
Prior to this, George Williamson who was in charge of the Anglican Field in North Malaya, had
been invited to be the Chaplain of the Military Forces stationed in the Cameron Highlands and also
to act as Chaplain for the school for children of the Military Forces stationed there. So there had
been a prior presence there. Percy encouraged the village missionaries to go there for a break rather
than to the more expensive government rest houses, and it soon became a popular holiday centre.
The higher altitude provided a cooler climate and a welcome change to the heat of the plains.
52
CHAPTER 15 “SUPER’S DAYS”, SABBATICALS AND HOLIDAYS
While we were home in Australia in 1956, the Lord gave Percy a vision of what he called “Super’s
Days” as an answer to the problems of how to visit each station, and make his visits more effective.
This seemed to be a good way to have fellowship with every member and keep in vital touch with
the progress, needs and problems of the work in each place. He drafted a set of guidelines (See end
note) which he sent to every missionary together with a personal letter.
Every Super’s Day was different as it was up to each missionary or group of missionaries as to how
the day was used. Percy liked me to go with him as so many of the workers were single women and
this was in line with the Mission guidelines as well as the fact that sometimes they found it easier to
talk to another women about personal problems. While we were away we left Percy’s Secretary in
charge and needed extra help with the housekeeping for which I was normally responsible.
We used to arrive the night before so that we could start in good time in the morning. Usually the
first morning was spent in Bible Study and prayer, and the afternoon in talking over the work and
its needs and problems. Sometimes we finished the day with a Communion Service and there
were times that we also had a meeting with all the church members.
As early as April 1952 Percy had been looking at the question of giving the missionaries a short
break away from the village work. If the British Army soldiers needed time for R & R, so did the
soldiers of the Cross. Several alternative ideas were mooted. Maybe a room could be set aside in
Singapore at the Mission HQ, or they could visit another village for a holiday. Our Kuala Lumpur
house was not suitable for this as there was not enough room and there were usually some language
students living with us.
While this problem remained unsolved, Pastor Yap of the Singapore Presbyterian Church contacted
Percy and told him of his son Yap Oon Tham who was a teacher in the government language school
in the Cameron Highlands and a Christian was very keen to have missionaries working in his area.
Through his father he sent a warm invitation and a promise of support. The advantage of having a
centre for work in the Cameron Highlands and also a place that could be used as a holiday home,
appealed to all our leaders, and by the end of February 1953 we had leased a place from Mr.
Cornwallis in Ringlet and appointed Ruth Dix and Margaret Heale to open it as a Mission centre for
work, but also to be prepared for it to be a holiday home for tired missionaries. If it was suitable,
after a seven months trial perion, the Mission was prepared to renew the lease for a longer period.
Prior to this, George Williamson who was in charge of the Anglican Field in North Malaya, had
been invited to be the Chaplain of the Military Forces stationed in the Cameron Highlands and also
to act as Chaplain for the school for children of the Military Forces stationed there. So there had
been a prior presence there. Percy encouraged the village missionaries to go there for a break rather
than to the more expensive government rest houses, and it soon became a popular holiday centre.
The higher altitude provided a cooler climate and a welcome change to the heat of the plains.
52
