Page 82 - moondani kyema
P. 82
ndani kyema, My Story - Ray Moore 82
was 1952) I had almost forgotten the children and that they were
feeling it too.
I glanced at the three boys, each
in his own way, Frank at 12, Alan
at 14 and Raymond at16, trying to
put on a show of carelessness
and indifference to cover what lay
deep in their hearts. Then I
looked at Dorothy, who was not
even trying to cover up – just to
understand. How do I explain to a
nine year old the “Why?” of the life
of faith? I put my arm around her,
trying to reassure my own heart
too as I said, “Darling, I don’t
know why. I only know this is
what God wants us to do, and because we love Him, we must.”
In the year that followed I too asked “Why?” many times. I was trying
to cope alone with bringing up of four children in Australia, while their
father struggled with the responsibilities of beginning a new work in
post war Malaya.
A letter from the General Director of the China Inland Mission, Mr JO
Sanders, written at the close of a conference of CIM directors in
England, gave us the answer we had been looking for. His invitation
from the directors was for Percy to go to Malaya as the first
Superintendent of a new work in a new field for the Mission. Sir Gerald
Templar, the High Commissioner for Great Britain in Malaya, was
opening the door wide for missionaries who spoke the Chinese
language, to go and work in “New Villages” which were being created
and were populated mainly by Chinese people, in an attempt by the
Government to counteract communist guerrilla influence.
As we read the letter together, there was very little conflict in our
reactions to it. It was almost as if we had been preparing for this all
through the past two and a half years. It was clear to us both that
Percy must go. But it was equally clear that I must stay, with both our
elder boys facing important school exams at the end of the year. By
the end of 1952 we hoped that there would be a Hostel for teenage
children of missionaries and I could settle the children there before I
too set out for Malaya.
Early in 1953 we completed our move from Sydney to Melbourne.
Raymond was to live in the CIM home in Hawthorn while Alan, Frank
and Dorothy would be cared for in the Hostel for Missionaries’ children
set up by the Mission in Kew. Both Kew and Hawthorn were
neighbouring suburbs in the east of Melbourne. Then I had the pain of
parting from them. In my heart I agreed with those who said, “Your
own children need you,” or “This is the time in their lives when parents
should not be separated from their children,” or “You have given twenty
was 1952) I had almost forgotten the children and that they were
feeling it too.
I glanced at the three boys, each
in his own way, Frank at 12, Alan
at 14 and Raymond at16, trying to
put on a show of carelessness
and indifference to cover what lay
deep in their hearts. Then I
looked at Dorothy, who was not
even trying to cover up – just to
understand. How do I explain to a
nine year old the “Why?” of the life
of faith? I put my arm around her,
trying to reassure my own heart
too as I said, “Darling, I don’t
know why. I only know this is
what God wants us to do, and because we love Him, we must.”
In the year that followed I too asked “Why?” many times. I was trying
to cope alone with bringing up of four children in Australia, while their
father struggled with the responsibilities of beginning a new work in
post war Malaya.
A letter from the General Director of the China Inland Mission, Mr JO
Sanders, written at the close of a conference of CIM directors in
England, gave us the answer we had been looking for. His invitation
from the directors was for Percy to go to Malaya as the first
Superintendent of a new work in a new field for the Mission. Sir Gerald
Templar, the High Commissioner for Great Britain in Malaya, was
opening the door wide for missionaries who spoke the Chinese
language, to go and work in “New Villages” which were being created
and were populated mainly by Chinese people, in an attempt by the
Government to counteract communist guerrilla influence.
As we read the letter together, there was very little conflict in our
reactions to it. It was almost as if we had been preparing for this all
through the past two and a half years. It was clear to us both that
Percy must go. But it was equally clear that I must stay, with both our
elder boys facing important school exams at the end of the year. By
the end of 1952 we hoped that there would be a Hostel for teenage
children of missionaries and I could settle the children there before I
too set out for Malaya.
Early in 1953 we completed our move from Sydney to Melbourne.
Raymond was to live in the CIM home in Hawthorn while Alan, Frank
and Dorothy would be cared for in the Hostel for Missionaries’ children
set up by the Mission in Kew. Both Kew and Hawthorn were
neighbouring suburbs in the east of Melbourne. Then I had the pain of
parting from them. In my heart I agreed with those who said, “Your
own children need you,” or “This is the time in their lives when parents
should not be separated from their children,” or “You have given twenty
