Page 258 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 258
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
Percy had an unexpected visitor while I was away. George Bolster was Maida Contento’s brother and
had come down from Gansu to stay with them for awhile after a broken engagement. Maida and Paul
Contento were now living in Chenggu especially for work among students. Percy had met George at
Chenggu when he was returning last time from Hanzhong and, thinking how miserable he looked,
invited him to come and stay with us for a bit if he would like to. He turned up just after I had left with
Ina. Percy and he had some good chats with the result that by the time he left again, the Lord had
obviously done a work in his heart. The two of them had looked after the children and, though I found
some of their clothes on back to front and looking as though they had not been changed as often as I
would have liked, they all seemed as happy as sandboys when I got back. When George left he was
supposed to be going back to Gansu, but after he reached Chenggu, he wrote and asked permission
to remain in South Shaanxi. He wanted to work with the soon to be commenced preaching band
under Pastor Guo and Percy, not as a leader but as a student worker. He did return to Gansu, but
only to pack his things and come south.
War news from Australia did not come through very frequently. Both my brothers, Jim and Jack had
joined up and Jack at this time, after joining the RAAF seemed to spend most of his time peeling
potatoes. Later he applied to join the RAF and went to England where he became part of a group who
flew people and arms and supplies under cover to occupied countries. He made some good friends
among those he flew with. Jim was sent to Papua New Guinea, but that was later when we were at
war with the Japanese. In Canada, Percy’s brother Doug joined up, became a lieutenant and was one
of the Canadian groups stationed in England at the time of Dunkirk. Just prior to his men being sent
across the Channel, he contracted a stomach ulcer and was put into hospital in Hereford. Somebody
else took his place at the head of his men and was one of the first to be shot down. Uncle Percy and
Auntie Elsie Tassell had three of their sons in uniform, two of them overseas. Cliff was in the Army
and Harry in the Navy on the ‘Sydney’. The latter had been through some heavy fighting in the
Mediterranean, but returned home to a tumultuous welcome in Sydney. It was not long before they
were off again, but with the news of the sinking of the ‘Hood’ with only three men saved out of 1300, I
knew that Auntie and Uncle would have anxious hearts.
Raymond’s letters were coming through fairly regularly, one week to Mummy and the next to Daddy.
“Of course they don’t give us much news,” I wrote, “and I just ache to
see him sometimes. It isn’t easy to part with our babies so early in
life, and I often wish on Saturdays and Sundays that he were near
enough to at least come home for weekends. I know that there are
many other mothers at this time who are facing prolonged
separations from their children because of the war, especially in
England.”
A note from Ailsa Carr in one of his letters was a joy to us.
“It’s nice to get a note about him from somebody sometimes,” I wrote,
“just to give us some news of our little son. He seems to be getting
on alright and has quite a good time by all accounts. How I wish we
could get him home for holidays, but the routes in and out are more
restricted than ever with the Burma Road closed by rains.”
It was still two full years before Alan was due to start school, and our minds were much occupied with
what we should do. Should we go to Chefoo for the long summer holidays next year and then let Fred
Smith take Alan the following year when he would be taking Ridley? In that way we would see
Raymond sooner, but it would be very hard for him to see us all leave again at the end of the summer
258
Amy Moore
Percy had an unexpected visitor while I was away. George Bolster was Maida Contento’s brother and
had come down from Gansu to stay with them for awhile after a broken engagement. Maida and Paul
Contento were now living in Chenggu especially for work among students. Percy had met George at
Chenggu when he was returning last time from Hanzhong and, thinking how miserable he looked,
invited him to come and stay with us for a bit if he would like to. He turned up just after I had left with
Ina. Percy and he had some good chats with the result that by the time he left again, the Lord had
obviously done a work in his heart. The two of them had looked after the children and, though I found
some of their clothes on back to front and looking as though they had not been changed as often as I
would have liked, they all seemed as happy as sandboys when I got back. When George left he was
supposed to be going back to Gansu, but after he reached Chenggu, he wrote and asked permission
to remain in South Shaanxi. He wanted to work with the soon to be commenced preaching band
under Pastor Guo and Percy, not as a leader but as a student worker. He did return to Gansu, but
only to pack his things and come south.
War news from Australia did not come through very frequently. Both my brothers, Jim and Jack had
joined up and Jack at this time, after joining the RAAF seemed to spend most of his time peeling
potatoes. Later he applied to join the RAF and went to England where he became part of a group who
flew people and arms and supplies under cover to occupied countries. He made some good friends
among those he flew with. Jim was sent to Papua New Guinea, but that was later when we were at
war with the Japanese. In Canada, Percy’s brother Doug joined up, became a lieutenant and was one
of the Canadian groups stationed in England at the time of Dunkirk. Just prior to his men being sent
across the Channel, he contracted a stomach ulcer and was put into hospital in Hereford. Somebody
else took his place at the head of his men and was one of the first to be shot down. Uncle Percy and
Auntie Elsie Tassell had three of their sons in uniform, two of them overseas. Cliff was in the Army
and Harry in the Navy on the ‘Sydney’. The latter had been through some heavy fighting in the
Mediterranean, but returned home to a tumultuous welcome in Sydney. It was not long before they
were off again, but with the news of the sinking of the ‘Hood’ with only three men saved out of 1300, I
knew that Auntie and Uncle would have anxious hearts.
Raymond’s letters were coming through fairly regularly, one week to Mummy and the next to Daddy.
“Of course they don’t give us much news,” I wrote, “and I just ache to
see him sometimes. It isn’t easy to part with our babies so early in
life, and I often wish on Saturdays and Sundays that he were near
enough to at least come home for weekends. I know that there are
many other mothers at this time who are facing prolonged
separations from their children because of the war, especially in
England.”
A note from Ailsa Carr in one of his letters was a joy to us.
“It’s nice to get a note about him from somebody sometimes,” I wrote,
“just to give us some news of our little son. He seems to be getting
on alright and has quite a good time by all accounts. How I wish we
could get him home for holidays, but the routes in and out are more
restricted than ever with the Burma Road closed by rains.”
It was still two full years before Alan was due to start school, and our minds were much occupied with
what we should do. Should we go to Chefoo for the long summer holidays next year and then let Fred
Smith take Alan the following year when he would be taking Ridley? In that way we would see
Raymond sooner, but it would be very hard for him to see us all leave again at the end of the summer
258
