Page 247 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 247
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
Percy was in demand as soon as we got back for a Bible teaching ministry in the Churches, and
especially in the smaller groups scattered through the mountains and out in the country. We had not
been long back when he was called to an eight day Conference at Yang Xian which left me to do his
work at Xixiang as well as my own. Sadie Custer came down from Xinci where she was working with
Bertha Silversides to help me.
Helen Dalton Sadie Custer Bertha Silversides
As I had to take Percy’s Chinese/English classes with the girls, I was glad to hand the housekeeping
over to her. We found plenty to keep us both going and I was very thankful to have her there when
one of the girls, Ina Tebbs from New Zealand, had a bad attack one night with vomiting and pains in
the right side. They gradually got worse until I decided to send a telegram to Hanzhong for help and
advice. Dr. Max Gray happened to be spending a few days there on his way to Sichuan from Gansu,
so he and Norman McIntosh got on their bikes and came straight down, arriving here on Friday night.
Max examined Ina and decided it was probably an appendix, but if it wasn’t, it was serious enough to
need attention, and he thought she ought to go up to the English Baptist Hospital in Xi’an for an x-ray
and possibly an operation. Sadie was leaving on the Monday for Hanzhong, so Ina got ready to go
with her and from there Norman Mac would take her on to Xi’an. I felt sorry to have this happen and
Ina’s study interrupted so early, but I was thankful to the Lord that Max was there when we needed
him and that Norm could escort her to Xi’an.
It was April before Ina got back, but it had proved to be an appendix and the doctors in Xi’an were able
to remove it. Helen Dalton who was my nurse when Alan was born, was on her way back to
Hanzhong, bringing with her a lovely Norwegian girl called Annie Skau, so they escorted Ina back and
brought her all the way to Xixiang where they stayed with us for a few days. Both Helen and Annie
were big tall girls and the Chinese used to look at them with amazement when they walked down the
street together. They must have seemed like giantesses, but Annie’s bright smile and loving ways
soon won their hearts.
During the early months of the year, Percy’s old teacher, Mr. Chang, who had been such a help when
we first came to Xixiang, was taken ill and died. He was a Beijing man and had no family in this part
of the world. He was actually in Shiquan when he became ill, but as soon as we heard, Percy sent
someone down to bring him back to us where we could care for him. He was glad to be ‘home’ and
brightened up at first, but soon relapsed again and died. I was struck by the contrast between his
247
Amy Moore
Percy was in demand as soon as we got back for a Bible teaching ministry in the Churches, and
especially in the smaller groups scattered through the mountains and out in the country. We had not
been long back when he was called to an eight day Conference at Yang Xian which left me to do his
work at Xixiang as well as my own. Sadie Custer came down from Xinci where she was working with
Bertha Silversides to help me.
Helen Dalton Sadie Custer Bertha Silversides
As I had to take Percy’s Chinese/English classes with the girls, I was glad to hand the housekeeping
over to her. We found plenty to keep us both going and I was very thankful to have her there when
one of the girls, Ina Tebbs from New Zealand, had a bad attack one night with vomiting and pains in
the right side. They gradually got worse until I decided to send a telegram to Hanzhong for help and
advice. Dr. Max Gray happened to be spending a few days there on his way to Sichuan from Gansu,
so he and Norman McIntosh got on their bikes and came straight down, arriving here on Friday night.
Max examined Ina and decided it was probably an appendix, but if it wasn’t, it was serious enough to
need attention, and he thought she ought to go up to the English Baptist Hospital in Xi’an for an x-ray
and possibly an operation. Sadie was leaving on the Monday for Hanzhong, so Ina got ready to go
with her and from there Norman Mac would take her on to Xi’an. I felt sorry to have this happen and
Ina’s study interrupted so early, but I was thankful to the Lord that Max was there when we needed
him and that Norm could escort her to Xi’an.
It was April before Ina got back, but it had proved to be an appendix and the doctors in Xi’an were able
to remove it. Helen Dalton who was my nurse when Alan was born, was on her way back to
Hanzhong, bringing with her a lovely Norwegian girl called Annie Skau, so they escorted Ina back and
brought her all the way to Xixiang where they stayed with us for a few days. Both Helen and Annie
were big tall girls and the Chinese used to look at them with amazement when they walked down the
street together. They must have seemed like giantesses, but Annie’s bright smile and loving ways
soon won their hearts.
During the early months of the year, Percy’s old teacher, Mr. Chang, who had been such a help when
we first came to Xixiang, was taken ill and died. He was a Beijing man and had no family in this part
of the world. He was actually in Shiquan when he became ill, but as soon as we heard, Percy sent
someone down to bring him back to us where we could care for him. He was glad to be ‘home’ and
brightened up at first, but soon relapsed again and died. I was struck by the contrast between his
247
