Page 263 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 263
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
standing in the middle of the floor with such a funny expression on his face that instinctively I looked
beyond him to the door, and there was Mother’s face peeping round at me. Talk about excitement! It
was such a joy to see them and we spent all the time we could during the few days we had left, just
talking and hearing all their news. Most of it had to be done at night because their days were filled
with Chinese visitors coming and going, and all so delighted to see the ‘Lao Mushi’ (Old Pastor) back
again. I wrote to my parents,
“They really are loved by Chinese and missionaries alike, and of
course it feels like home again to have Grannie and Grandad back.”
They brought us back pictures of Doug and Marj and their families. Doug had his pilot’s licence and
applied for the Air Force. He got through everything including a stiff medical exam, and was so certain
of being accepted that he nearly gave up his job in anticipation. Just as well he didn’t, because after
three months he finally received a letter saying there had been some mix-up and he would need to go
through the whole process again. He was so disgusted that he applied for the Army instead and was
accepted. He was given a commission and was in charge of 200 men.
Marjorie’s husband, Ron McLean, was a paymaster in the Air Force, so wherever he was transferred
to in Canada, she was able to go with him. They had two lovely little children by this time, Meredith
and Archie.
The trip back from Hanzhong was typical of travel by ‘bus’ in South Shaanxi. The bus of course was a
truck piled high with luggage, boxes and freight of all kinds. On top of this we tried to make ourselves
as comfortable as possible after we managed to climb up over the wheels and scramble up on top of
the goods. After welcoming Percy’s parents back, the children and I returned to Xixiang a day ahead
of Percy by bus. He had his bicycle and even if he left a day later than we did, he would probably be
home before us. Our bus had only gone about twenty li past Chenggu when it broke down at the foot
of the hills. We sat there till well into the afternoon and there was still no sign of it being fixed, so
finally the other passengers and I hired two carts pulled by men, piled our luggage and the two
children on top, and walked the seven miles back to Chenggu. The others all stayed at an inn, but I
went round to the Mission Home and spent the night there. Next morning the bus company said it was
fixed and sent another bus round to transport us all back to our derelict. We all got ourselves settled
up on top again and the driver began to start the bus. Nothing happened and, as fast as he fixed one
problem he found another. We were still sitting there when Percy turned up on his bike from
Hanzhong and waited to see us started before he went on. By three o’clock in the afternoon, we were
still there and the bus company finally sent another bus out to tow us back to Chenggu.
We stayed the night there again and in the morning went round to the bus station to see what was
going on. We were told a good bus would be available to take us on. We waited till after ten o’clock
and there was still no sign of our ‘good bus’, but just then a private bus came in from Hanzhong which
happened to have our Xixiang magistrate on board. He hailed Percy and when he heard of our plight,
offered us a lift with him which we thankfully accepted. This really was a good bus and we arrived
home soon after lunch. Percy had to go round to the Xixiang bus station that night and said there was
still no sign of the bus we were supposed to be on, so who knows when the rest of my fellow
passengers reached their destinations.
263
Amy Moore
standing in the middle of the floor with such a funny expression on his face that instinctively I looked
beyond him to the door, and there was Mother’s face peeping round at me. Talk about excitement! It
was such a joy to see them and we spent all the time we could during the few days we had left, just
talking and hearing all their news. Most of it had to be done at night because their days were filled
with Chinese visitors coming and going, and all so delighted to see the ‘Lao Mushi’ (Old Pastor) back
again. I wrote to my parents,
“They really are loved by Chinese and missionaries alike, and of
course it feels like home again to have Grannie and Grandad back.”
They brought us back pictures of Doug and Marj and their families. Doug had his pilot’s licence and
applied for the Air Force. He got through everything including a stiff medical exam, and was so certain
of being accepted that he nearly gave up his job in anticipation. Just as well he didn’t, because after
three months he finally received a letter saying there had been some mix-up and he would need to go
through the whole process again. He was so disgusted that he applied for the Army instead and was
accepted. He was given a commission and was in charge of 200 men.
Marjorie’s husband, Ron McLean, was a paymaster in the Air Force, so wherever he was transferred
to in Canada, she was able to go with him. They had two lovely little children by this time, Meredith
and Archie.
The trip back from Hanzhong was typical of travel by ‘bus’ in South Shaanxi. The bus of course was a
truck piled high with luggage, boxes and freight of all kinds. On top of this we tried to make ourselves
as comfortable as possible after we managed to climb up over the wheels and scramble up on top of
the goods. After welcoming Percy’s parents back, the children and I returned to Xixiang a day ahead
of Percy by bus. He had his bicycle and even if he left a day later than we did, he would probably be
home before us. Our bus had only gone about twenty li past Chenggu when it broke down at the foot
of the hills. We sat there till well into the afternoon and there was still no sign of it being fixed, so
finally the other passengers and I hired two carts pulled by men, piled our luggage and the two
children on top, and walked the seven miles back to Chenggu. The others all stayed at an inn, but I
went round to the Mission Home and spent the night there. Next morning the bus company said it was
fixed and sent another bus round to transport us all back to our derelict. We all got ourselves settled
up on top again and the driver began to start the bus. Nothing happened and, as fast as he fixed one
problem he found another. We were still sitting there when Percy turned up on his bike from
Hanzhong and waited to see us started before he went on. By three o’clock in the afternoon, we were
still there and the bus company finally sent another bus out to tow us back to Chenggu.
We stayed the night there again and in the morning went round to the bus station to see what was
going on. We were told a good bus would be available to take us on. We waited till after ten o’clock
and there was still no sign of our ‘good bus’, but just then a private bus came in from Hanzhong which
happened to have our Xixiang magistrate on board. He hailed Percy and when he heard of our plight,
offered us a lift with him which we thankfully accepted. This really was a good bus and we arrived
home soon after lunch. Percy had to go round to the Xixiang bus station that night and said there was
still no sign of the bus we were supposed to be on, so who knows when the rest of my fellow
passengers reached their destinations.
263
