Page 137 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 137
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
first experience of God supplying his need which nobody else knew about, and of knowing that God
really cared for his physical welfare.
‘Auntie Grace’ (Miss Grace Downie) was one who did much for him during that year in Scotland. An
ex-girlfriend of Arthur Moore’s she would probably have become his wife had she not felt her duty was
to her aged mother, rather than to China to which Arthur had so clear a call of God. She remained a
loyal friend to him and to Esther and their children. When Percy came to Scotland, she tried to help
him in every way she could. She often took him for long drives in the beautiful Scottish countryside,
drives which he sometimes recalled with much amusement later. They used a huge Daimler car with
a chauffeur at the wheel, and always with them was little Mrs. Downie, Grace’s mother. She reminded
Percy of Queen Victoria, very regal, dressed all in black, but the picture was spoiled a little by her
constant catarrh. For this she kept a box of tissues and a small tin carefully by her side, and many
times through the trip she would clear her throat very daintily, spit delicately into a piece of tissue, and
stuff it into the tin. The others were not supposed to see what was going on, but it never failed to
amuse Percy who got on very well with the old lady! It was in Scotland that he learned to play golf,
first at Crieff and later at St. Andrews.
CANDIDATES COMMITTEE
Having already had a year at the Toronto Bible College, Percy was only required to do a year at the
BTI Glasgow so, by July 1931, his time there was coming to an end and the great decision would have
to be made; would the China Inland Mission accept him as a candidate? The Candidates’ Committee
in Scotland was notoriously severe in their choosing of new missionaries, and it was with fear and
trembling that the China candidates at BTI faced their interviews with them.
Apart from the prospect of facing the Council, Percy had been facing his own personal problems.
Over in Canada, Barbara had been before the Candidates’ Committee and had been turned down, so
in accordance with their agreement, she had sent his ring and other gifts back to him as a sign that
she considered their engagement at an end. It was a severe blow to Percy, but it never occurred to
him to withdraw his application to the CIM and join Barbara in some other kind of life in Canada.
Their engagement and future marriage had been dependent completely on both of them being
accepted for China, and if one of them was rejected the other would accept that as the end of their
engagement. I might add here that Arthur and Esther who, because of Percy’s friendship with
Barbara, had come to know Mrs. Beal fairly well, felt she may have pulled a few strings to keep
Barbara back on health grounds, but that was never confirmed.
So Percy faced the Council with a sore heart, but with no doubt in his mind that God had called him to
China. It was with a sense of shock that he heard one of the Committee suggesting that his ‘call’ was
only because his parents were there, and because he had spent so much of his life in China he just
wanted to go back. When he could find his tongue again he denied the suggestion, and indeed such
an idea had never occurred to him, but the Committee member kept probing his motives. It was Dr.
Taylor who had known him from childhood, who came to his rescue. He said, “Percy knows China
well. He knows all about the dirt, the smells, the beggars and the dangers, and he knows from first
hand experience that he will never get rich as a missionary in China. He would have done far better
in the bank in Toronto. In spite of all this, he feels that China is where God wants him, and he is
prepared to go back.”
The ordeal was not over yet. “What about Barbara?” was the next question and, before he was finally
accepted he had to literally bare his soul as he not only told them of the mutual agreement between
them, but even had to read to them some of the letters which had passed between them since her
137
Amy Moore
first experience of God supplying his need which nobody else knew about, and of knowing that God
really cared for his physical welfare.
‘Auntie Grace’ (Miss Grace Downie) was one who did much for him during that year in Scotland. An
ex-girlfriend of Arthur Moore’s she would probably have become his wife had she not felt her duty was
to her aged mother, rather than to China to which Arthur had so clear a call of God. She remained a
loyal friend to him and to Esther and their children. When Percy came to Scotland, she tried to help
him in every way she could. She often took him for long drives in the beautiful Scottish countryside,
drives which he sometimes recalled with much amusement later. They used a huge Daimler car with
a chauffeur at the wheel, and always with them was little Mrs. Downie, Grace’s mother. She reminded
Percy of Queen Victoria, very regal, dressed all in black, but the picture was spoiled a little by her
constant catarrh. For this she kept a box of tissues and a small tin carefully by her side, and many
times through the trip she would clear her throat very daintily, spit delicately into a piece of tissue, and
stuff it into the tin. The others were not supposed to see what was going on, but it never failed to
amuse Percy who got on very well with the old lady! It was in Scotland that he learned to play golf,
first at Crieff and later at St. Andrews.
CANDIDATES COMMITTEE
Having already had a year at the Toronto Bible College, Percy was only required to do a year at the
BTI Glasgow so, by July 1931, his time there was coming to an end and the great decision would have
to be made; would the China Inland Mission accept him as a candidate? The Candidates’ Committee
in Scotland was notoriously severe in their choosing of new missionaries, and it was with fear and
trembling that the China candidates at BTI faced their interviews with them.
Apart from the prospect of facing the Council, Percy had been facing his own personal problems.
Over in Canada, Barbara had been before the Candidates’ Committee and had been turned down, so
in accordance with their agreement, she had sent his ring and other gifts back to him as a sign that
she considered their engagement at an end. It was a severe blow to Percy, but it never occurred to
him to withdraw his application to the CIM and join Barbara in some other kind of life in Canada.
Their engagement and future marriage had been dependent completely on both of them being
accepted for China, and if one of them was rejected the other would accept that as the end of their
engagement. I might add here that Arthur and Esther who, because of Percy’s friendship with
Barbara, had come to know Mrs. Beal fairly well, felt she may have pulled a few strings to keep
Barbara back on health grounds, but that was never confirmed.
So Percy faced the Council with a sore heart, but with no doubt in his mind that God had called him to
China. It was with a sense of shock that he heard one of the Committee suggesting that his ‘call’ was
only because his parents were there, and because he had spent so much of his life in China he just
wanted to go back. When he could find his tongue again he denied the suggestion, and indeed such
an idea had never occurred to him, but the Committee member kept probing his motives. It was Dr.
Taylor who had known him from childhood, who came to his rescue. He said, “Percy knows China
well. He knows all about the dirt, the smells, the beggars and the dangers, and he knows from first
hand experience that he will never get rich as a missionary in China. He would have done far better
in the bank in Toronto. In spite of all this, he feels that China is where God wants him, and he is
prepared to go back.”
The ordeal was not over yet. “What about Barbara?” was the next question and, before he was finally
accepted he had to literally bare his soul as he not only told them of the mutual agreement between
them, but even had to read to them some of the letters which had passed between them since her
137
