Page 18 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
the words, 'Remember that the work of the Lord is the Lord's work', emphasising that I was not to be
occupied with the thought of what I would do for the Lord, but rather with what the Lord would do
through me."
Throughout his life George Andrew recalled with delight his friendship with Hudson Taylor. Nor was
the General Director's trust in him misplaced, for he served God in China for no less than 49 years.
He was one of those faithful men upon whose lives and teaching the worldwide church of later times
was founded.
GOD'S PLACE
George and Arthur Eason were designated to work together in the far distant province of Yunnan in
south west China. This part of China had been completely closed to foreigners until after the murder
of Mr. Margery in 1875 when he was trying to open up a trade route through from Burma for the
British. The signing of the Chefoo Convention which followed permitted the residence of foreigners in
any part of the Imperial dominions.
In 1877 Mr. John McCarthy of the CIM took the very first missionary journey across China and Mr.
J.W.Stevenson and Mr. H.Soltau were the first to cross the country from west to east.. The province
of Yunnan was touched on each of these occasions and in 1881 Mr. George Clarke proceeded to
Dalifu to try and open a settled work there.
He met with a lot of opposition but when the house which Messrs. Stevenson and Soltau had already
rented for the Mission there was refused to him, he and his wife moved into the only other place they
could get; a small attic in which they remained for six months. They suffered many trials but stood
their ground and were at last allowed to move into part of the Mission house where they started work
in earnest and opened a school for boys to try and break down some of the opposition in homes in the
city.
PREPARATIONS IN WUZHANG
On March 7 1881, Mr. Coulthard, one of the older missionaries, was writing from Ganjing, "I leave here
today for Wuzhang with Messrs. Eason and Andrew who seem like sterling missionaries prepared to
endure hardness."
The time in Wuzhang opposite Hankou (Wuhan) and well up the Yangtze River, was a busy one for
the young men as they prepared for the long journey of another 1000 miles into the interior. They
would have to be outfitted with Chinese clothes and buy stores and literature and other necessities for
the work to which they were going.
Mr. Hudson Taylor caught up with them again here before they left to travel through the potentially
hostile province of Hunan. On the last evening, after all their baggage had been transferred to the
long narrow boat which was to be their home for the next three months, missionaries and friends met
in the modest Chinese house which was the centre of the CIM there. It was described by an LMS
missionary in Hankou as a "lodge by the wayside from which, baptised in prayer and strong in faith
and hope, many young Christians have gone forth to the regions beyond to do their part in winning for
Christ the far west of China."
18
Amy Moore
the words, 'Remember that the work of the Lord is the Lord's work', emphasising that I was not to be
occupied with the thought of what I would do for the Lord, but rather with what the Lord would do
through me."
Throughout his life George Andrew recalled with delight his friendship with Hudson Taylor. Nor was
the General Director's trust in him misplaced, for he served God in China for no less than 49 years.
He was one of those faithful men upon whose lives and teaching the worldwide church of later times
was founded.
GOD'S PLACE
George and Arthur Eason were designated to work together in the far distant province of Yunnan in
south west China. This part of China had been completely closed to foreigners until after the murder
of Mr. Margery in 1875 when he was trying to open up a trade route through from Burma for the
British. The signing of the Chefoo Convention which followed permitted the residence of foreigners in
any part of the Imperial dominions.
In 1877 Mr. John McCarthy of the CIM took the very first missionary journey across China and Mr.
J.W.Stevenson and Mr. H.Soltau were the first to cross the country from west to east.. The province
of Yunnan was touched on each of these occasions and in 1881 Mr. George Clarke proceeded to
Dalifu to try and open a settled work there.
He met with a lot of opposition but when the house which Messrs. Stevenson and Soltau had already
rented for the Mission there was refused to him, he and his wife moved into the only other place they
could get; a small attic in which they remained for six months. They suffered many trials but stood
their ground and were at last allowed to move into part of the Mission house where they started work
in earnest and opened a school for boys to try and break down some of the opposition in homes in the
city.
PREPARATIONS IN WUZHANG
On March 7 1881, Mr. Coulthard, one of the older missionaries, was writing from Ganjing, "I leave here
today for Wuzhang with Messrs. Eason and Andrew who seem like sterling missionaries prepared to
endure hardness."
The time in Wuzhang opposite Hankou (Wuhan) and well up the Yangtze River, was a busy one for
the young men as they prepared for the long journey of another 1000 miles into the interior. They
would have to be outfitted with Chinese clothes and buy stores and literature and other necessities for
the work to which they were going.
Mr. Hudson Taylor caught up with them again here before they left to travel through the potentially
hostile province of Hunan. On the last evening, after all their baggage had been transferred to the
long narrow boat which was to be their home for the next three months, missionaries and friends met
in the modest Chinese house which was the centre of the CIM there. It was described by an LMS
missionary in Hankou as a "lodge by the wayside from which, baptised in prayer and strong in faith
and hope, many young Christians have gone forth to the regions beyond to do their part in winning for
Christ the far west of China."
18
