Page 182 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 182
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
the mountains was the Han from which Hanzhong got its name, and from the top we could see where
it left the mountains and meandered across the plain until it was our of sight in the distance. To walk
through those lovely mountains was marvellous because the scenery was so magnificent and the air
so fresh and sweet that we felt full of energy.
As we finally reached the Chicken’s Head Pass and descended to the lovely Hanzhong plain, Dr.
Xiao’s five little sons came to meet us and to welcome their father home. He didn’t often take such a
long trip away from home and their welcome must have warmed his heart.
Fred Smith had been in Hanzhong looking after the accounts and general station work till we got back.
Now he lost no time in getting ready to go to the coast himself and meet his Marjory in Shanghai.
They would be married there before returning together to South Shaanxi. Marj had been with me at
MBI and at the Language School and we were good friends, but after Language School she had been
sent to Yunnan in the far south west. Now we were to gain an extra worker for South Shaanxi when
she married Fred.
Percy and I moved into the Super’s house and looked after things till his parents returned from
Shanghai, after Doug had returned to Chefoo. It was during this time, when we were beginning to get
used to living together that we made a decision which affected all the rest of our lives. We decided
that, with all the interruptions which came each day into our lives and often hindered us from a regular
language study time, we were never going to have any time for regular Bible study or prayer unless
we made time. Percy suggested we set the alarm for 5 am and every morning have prayer together
first and then separate for our own individual Bible study and prayer before the business of the day
caught up with us. I knew he would have no trouble getting up, but because I was afraid I might just
drop off to sleep again, he promised to bring me a cup of tea to wake me up! It was a discipline which
we kept up from then on until it became no longer a discipline but a necessity and a pleasure that we
never wanted to do without.
The Moores got back about the end of February and then we only waited to see the Michells and talk
with them before we moved on to Xixiang to take their place. This had been decided while we were in
Shanghai. Headquarters had not forgotten that all of us who came out in 1931 were part of the Two
Hundred specially called to pioneer work in China. It was the very unsettled state of the whole
province at that time, with communist movements both to the north and the south, and large bands of
brigands entrenched in the mountains, which made them hesitate to send us there till things were
quieter.
Just before we left for Shanghai, Percy had had a strange adventure. He had taken a trip with the
Chinese bookseller to Luoyang where we hoped we might be able to work together as it was the
country town to which Percy had been designated when he was in Language School. The two men
had been confronted at one rather lonely and wild area by a band of soldiers in uniform who wanted to
know where they were going and for what purpose. The two men explained who they were and that
the bundles they carried were Christian books, some of which they gave to the leader of the band.
Percy asked about bandit movements and whether it would be safe to go on. The Captain assured
him it would be quite safe and then scribbled a few words in Chinese on his card and told them that if
they were held up, to show the card and they would have no trouble. They thanked him and moved
on, but as soon as they were out of sight, they stopped to examine the card more closely. To their
amazement they had been talking to the bandit chief himself, notorious in all that district, and it was he
who was guaranteeing them a safe journey!
182
Amy Moore
the mountains was the Han from which Hanzhong got its name, and from the top we could see where
it left the mountains and meandered across the plain until it was our of sight in the distance. To walk
through those lovely mountains was marvellous because the scenery was so magnificent and the air
so fresh and sweet that we felt full of energy.
As we finally reached the Chicken’s Head Pass and descended to the lovely Hanzhong plain, Dr.
Xiao’s five little sons came to meet us and to welcome their father home. He didn’t often take such a
long trip away from home and their welcome must have warmed his heart.
Fred Smith had been in Hanzhong looking after the accounts and general station work till we got back.
Now he lost no time in getting ready to go to the coast himself and meet his Marjory in Shanghai.
They would be married there before returning together to South Shaanxi. Marj had been with me at
MBI and at the Language School and we were good friends, but after Language School she had been
sent to Yunnan in the far south west. Now we were to gain an extra worker for South Shaanxi when
she married Fred.
Percy and I moved into the Super’s house and looked after things till his parents returned from
Shanghai, after Doug had returned to Chefoo. It was during this time, when we were beginning to get
used to living together that we made a decision which affected all the rest of our lives. We decided
that, with all the interruptions which came each day into our lives and often hindered us from a regular
language study time, we were never going to have any time for regular Bible study or prayer unless
we made time. Percy suggested we set the alarm for 5 am and every morning have prayer together
first and then separate for our own individual Bible study and prayer before the business of the day
caught up with us. I knew he would have no trouble getting up, but because I was afraid I might just
drop off to sleep again, he promised to bring me a cup of tea to wake me up! It was a discipline which
we kept up from then on until it became no longer a discipline but a necessity and a pleasure that we
never wanted to do without.
The Moores got back about the end of February and then we only waited to see the Michells and talk
with them before we moved on to Xixiang to take their place. This had been decided while we were in
Shanghai. Headquarters had not forgotten that all of us who came out in 1931 were part of the Two
Hundred specially called to pioneer work in China. It was the very unsettled state of the whole
province at that time, with communist movements both to the north and the south, and large bands of
brigands entrenched in the mountains, which made them hesitate to send us there till things were
quieter.
Just before we left for Shanghai, Percy had had a strange adventure. He had taken a trip with the
Chinese bookseller to Luoyang where we hoped we might be able to work together as it was the
country town to which Percy had been designated when he was in Language School. The two men
had been confronted at one rather lonely and wild area by a band of soldiers in uniform who wanted to
know where they were going and for what purpose. The two men explained who they were and that
the bundles they carried were Christian books, some of which they gave to the leader of the band.
Percy asked about bandit movements and whether it would be safe to go on. The Captain assured
him it would be quite safe and then scribbled a few words in Chinese on his card and told them that if
they were held up, to show the card and they would have no trouble. They thanked him and moved
on, but as soon as they were out of sight, they stopped to examine the card more closely. To their
amazement they had been talking to the bandit chief himself, notorious in all that district, and it was he
who was guaranteeing them a safe journey!
182
