Page 309 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 309
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
CHEFOO SCHOOL AGAIN
Our CIM Headquarters staff had all moved back to Shanghai as soon as the war with Japan was over,
and we could occupy our premises in Xinzha Road again. People were beginning to return from the
home countries, many of them with children, and the question was being asked, ‘What about their
education? Can they go back to Chefoo?’ When a survey team went to Chefoo, it was found that
many of the lovely old buildings had been destroyed and it was quite impossible to reoccupy the
property. So, with a smaller number of children to cater for, it was decided to open school in
September 1946 in Shanghai itself, using a section of the large building which housed our business
department and prayer hall.
(Left)1947 SHANGHAI. Some of the students attending a Sunday evening singalong on the
5th floor of the Xinzha Road CIM HQ.(right) The school’s dining room inShanghai
With three boys to send to school and three outfits to prepare, I found myself busier than ever. Alan
was fairly well equipped, but both Raymond and Frank needed full outfits for summer, winter and in
between. Just at this time, when I was wondering where to buy clothes or material to make them, and
how we could possibly afford complete outfits for two boys, I received a letter from my mother in
Australia. Years ago when I was still in Bible College, she had started paying a small sum (one
shilling a week) into a savings fund for me which could not be touched for a certain number of years.
I knew nothing of this, but that very year, 1946, it had matured and she could draw on it. I can not
remember now how large a sum it had grown to, but it was sufficient to cover most of what I needed
for the boys and I praised the Lord with a thankful heart for His faithfulness to us His servants.
I wrote straight back to Australia with a list of things the boys were needing, with their sizes and their
school numbers so that my sisters could help sew them on before they were posted. With time
running short, I felt they would have to be posted direct to Shanghai or else if Geoff and Ilma Malins
had not already left, they could bring them by ship with them and hand them over to the school staff in
Shanghai.
The boys were all excited about getting to school, the two elder ones because they would be meeting
all their friends again, and Frank wildly excited about going to ‘real school’ at last. I was not so excited
as I knew I was going to miss them a lot and Dorothy and I were going to be very lonely without them.
Percy and I were wondering how to get them there, by plane from Xi’an or should he go with them by
road and train. We had just decided that train was much the best when we heard that plane fares had
gone up 150%. Railway fares had gone up too, but not as much.
In the end the decision was taken out of our hands. Fighting broke out on the route to Shanghai, and
it would have been foolish to think of going by road, so it would have to be plane. Fares for Percy and
309
Amy Moore
CHEFOO SCHOOL AGAIN
Our CIM Headquarters staff had all moved back to Shanghai as soon as the war with Japan was over,
and we could occupy our premises in Xinzha Road again. People were beginning to return from the
home countries, many of them with children, and the question was being asked, ‘What about their
education? Can they go back to Chefoo?’ When a survey team went to Chefoo, it was found that
many of the lovely old buildings had been destroyed and it was quite impossible to reoccupy the
property. So, with a smaller number of children to cater for, it was decided to open school in
September 1946 in Shanghai itself, using a section of the large building which housed our business
department and prayer hall.
(Left)1947 SHANGHAI. Some of the students attending a Sunday evening singalong on the
5th floor of the Xinzha Road CIM HQ.(right) The school’s dining room inShanghai
With three boys to send to school and three outfits to prepare, I found myself busier than ever. Alan
was fairly well equipped, but both Raymond and Frank needed full outfits for summer, winter and in
between. Just at this time, when I was wondering where to buy clothes or material to make them, and
how we could possibly afford complete outfits for two boys, I received a letter from my mother in
Australia. Years ago when I was still in Bible College, she had started paying a small sum (one
shilling a week) into a savings fund for me which could not be touched for a certain number of years.
I knew nothing of this, but that very year, 1946, it had matured and she could draw on it. I can not
remember now how large a sum it had grown to, but it was sufficient to cover most of what I needed
for the boys and I praised the Lord with a thankful heart for His faithfulness to us His servants.
I wrote straight back to Australia with a list of things the boys were needing, with their sizes and their
school numbers so that my sisters could help sew them on before they were posted. With time
running short, I felt they would have to be posted direct to Shanghai or else if Geoff and Ilma Malins
had not already left, they could bring them by ship with them and hand them over to the school staff in
Shanghai.
The boys were all excited about getting to school, the two elder ones because they would be meeting
all their friends again, and Frank wildly excited about going to ‘real school’ at last. I was not so excited
as I knew I was going to miss them a lot and Dorothy and I were going to be very lonely without them.
Percy and I were wondering how to get them there, by plane from Xi’an or should he go with them by
road and train. We had just decided that train was much the best when we heard that plane fares had
gone up 150%. Railway fares had gone up too, but not as much.
In the end the decision was taken out of our hands. Fighting broke out on the route to Shanghai, and
it would have been foolish to think of going by road, so it would have to be plane. Fares for Percy and
309
