Page 141 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 141
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
In Fengxiang they were entertained in the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens who had lived and
worked there for many years. Arthur and Esther knew them well and they were all glad to have a few
days rest before going on. Percy’s father paid off the trucks which could go no further as there were
only mule tracks for the rest of the trip over the mountains to South Shaanxi. He then set about the all
too familiar task of hiring mules for men and luggage and a mule litter for Esther to ride in. When all
was loaded and secure, the long cavalcade began its nine day journey over the Qin Ling range down
to Hanzhong in South Shaanxi where their arrival was being eagerly awaited by the missionaries and
the Chinese church alike.
SETTLING IN TO SOUTH SHAANXI
With the summer over, Arthur prepared to visit each station in the district before all met in Hanzhong
for the conference he had called for November. He had not met the three new lady workers in
Chenggu with Miss Cooke nor did he know many of the other older workers, so he felt this was a top
priority. Early in November he had to be back in Hanzhong for a three day Church Conference at
which he had been asked to speak. Esther wrote to Jessie in Toronto:
“The Church is well filled with Christians and enquirers from all the stations on the
Plain. Dad is taking the main meeting each day, and is giving some wonderful
messages. The Holy Spirit is surely speaking through him. I can see more and more
that the Lord has surely brought us here at this time to use Dad to be a blessing both
to the Chinese and missionaries. It was hard to pull up roots again and leave the
Linmingguan folks, but I believe that if we had refused to come it would have been
thwarting God’s divine purpose for us. There are difficulties ahead. Some of the older
workers are hard and exacting on the new workers. They expect too much of them
and it is not right. Pray that as Dad and I get older we may not have this spirit but
may mellow and grow in grace. I’m glad we are here to help and encourage the
younger ones. Next week is our Missionary Conference and we are praying much.
There is a lack of love and unity among the older workers which should not be.”
That was the Conference where
Percy and I met for the first time.
Esther was always sensitive to
atmosphere and, where her children
were concerned, had a kind of sixth
sense about what was going on in
their lives. She and Percy were
always close and she told me later
that she knew from the beginning
that Percy was interested in me, so
it was no surprise to her when he
told them he was corresponding
with me.
141
Amy Moore
In Fengxiang they were entertained in the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens who had lived and
worked there for many years. Arthur and Esther knew them well and they were all glad to have a few
days rest before going on. Percy’s father paid off the trucks which could go no further as there were
only mule tracks for the rest of the trip over the mountains to South Shaanxi. He then set about the all
too familiar task of hiring mules for men and luggage and a mule litter for Esther to ride in. When all
was loaded and secure, the long cavalcade began its nine day journey over the Qin Ling range down
to Hanzhong in South Shaanxi where their arrival was being eagerly awaited by the missionaries and
the Chinese church alike.
SETTLING IN TO SOUTH SHAANXI
With the summer over, Arthur prepared to visit each station in the district before all met in Hanzhong
for the conference he had called for November. He had not met the three new lady workers in
Chenggu with Miss Cooke nor did he know many of the other older workers, so he felt this was a top
priority. Early in November he had to be back in Hanzhong for a three day Church Conference at
which he had been asked to speak. Esther wrote to Jessie in Toronto:
“The Church is well filled with Christians and enquirers from all the stations on the
Plain. Dad is taking the main meeting each day, and is giving some wonderful
messages. The Holy Spirit is surely speaking through him. I can see more and more
that the Lord has surely brought us here at this time to use Dad to be a blessing both
to the Chinese and missionaries. It was hard to pull up roots again and leave the
Linmingguan folks, but I believe that if we had refused to come it would have been
thwarting God’s divine purpose for us. There are difficulties ahead. Some of the older
workers are hard and exacting on the new workers. They expect too much of them
and it is not right. Pray that as Dad and I get older we may not have this spirit but
may mellow and grow in grace. I’m glad we are here to help and encourage the
younger ones. Next week is our Missionary Conference and we are praying much.
There is a lack of love and unity among the older workers which should not be.”
That was the Conference where
Percy and I met for the first time.
Esther was always sensitive to
atmosphere and, where her children
were concerned, had a kind of sixth
sense about what was going on in
their lives. She and Percy were
always close and she told me later
that she knew from the beginning
that Percy was interested in me, so
it was no surprise to her when he
told them he was corresponding
with me.
141
