Page 33 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
EVENTFUL YEARS IN GANSU
In September, before GFA arrived, George and Jessie again took the long trip to Xining on the Tibetan
border to visit Mr. and Mrs. Ridley who worked there alone. Apart from his normal visitation
programme to missionaries in isolated places, George had another purpose. He wanted to see if the
Ridleys would be willing to have GFA living with them to help as much as he could, but also to be
under their guidance as senior missionaries until he married Fanny and was appointed to a station of
his own from which to work. The Ridleys were delighted and, after a few days of Bible study and
prayer with them, George and Jessie started on the trip back to Lanzhou.
On the way they had a nasty accident which might have been more serious had it not been for a new
frame that had been built for the mule cart the day before they started. The cart rolled into a gully
turning completely upside down. It was only the strength of the frame supporting the cover of the cart
which prevented them being crushed. As it was, Jessie was seriously hurt on the left side where she
came in contact with a box. The cart was pulled back on to the road, but Jessie was in agony as
they continued on over the rough roads. George too suffered from bruises and his head pained him
for some considerable time after having been doubled under him during the fall. They were thankful
to get back to Lanzhou where they could have medical help.
In 1911 GFA travelled down to Chengdu in Sichuan to marry Fanny Riley and bring her back to
Gansu. The Ridleys were going on furlough from Xining so Esther and Arthur moved there to take
their place, and when GFA and Fanny arrived, they were asked to stay on and help in Lanzhou. GFA
took charge of the Boys' School and Fanny helped with the work among the women.
In early 1911 Mr. Arthur Lutley and a Chinese evangelist were invited to visit some of the stations in
Gansu for evangelistic meetings, and the Lord richly blessed them as many unbelievers were
converted, and many who had backslidden in the church repented and came back to Him. Perhaps
this was all preparation for some of the upheavals which were soon to come.
In mid-1911 a Moslem uprising in the Xining area threatened the lives of Arthur and Esther and the
two children, Percy, about 18 months old and Jessie, only three months old. The firm stand taken by
the authorities finally suppressed the rebellion, but immediately afterwards all over China the spread of
the revolutionary movement began to be felt and, because of nasty incidents in some cities, many
missionaries were advised to leave for the coast. Those who remained found it difficult to work and in
Gansu most of those who did not go to the coast gathered in Lanzhou until the trouble blew over.
George and Jessie found themselves once more surrounded by children and grandchildren as Esther
and Arthur together with Percy and Jessie, joined GFA and Fanny on the Lanzhou CIM compound.
Fanny was expecting their first child in April 1912, and Esther and Arthur were in Lanzhou until May of
that year. With Lanzhou overcrowded and the impossibility of doing much outside the city, George
and Jessie took their furlough and were away from February 1912 to February 1914.
In May 1912 George was the main speaker at the CIM annual meetings in London where he brought
before that crowded audience the needs and triumphs of the work in far away Gansu. On the
platform with him were some of the newly accepted candidates for that year who were to give
testimonies of how the Lord had led them. Among them was Arthur Andrew, the third of George and
Jessie's children to feel the call of God to missionary work in China. Arthur did not sail for China until
September 1913 and his father was the speaker at his valedictory meeting on 5 September in the
YMCA at Tottenham Court Road. George recalled that it was at just such a meeting many years
before that God had called him to China.
Back in Lanzhou in February 1914 George again took up his duties as Superintendent of the province.
Arthur and Esther were back in Lanzhou again as the Ridleys had returned to Xining from furlough.
33
Amy Moore
EVENTFUL YEARS IN GANSU
In September, before GFA arrived, George and Jessie again took the long trip to Xining on the Tibetan
border to visit Mr. and Mrs. Ridley who worked there alone. Apart from his normal visitation
programme to missionaries in isolated places, George had another purpose. He wanted to see if the
Ridleys would be willing to have GFA living with them to help as much as he could, but also to be
under their guidance as senior missionaries until he married Fanny and was appointed to a station of
his own from which to work. The Ridleys were delighted and, after a few days of Bible study and
prayer with them, George and Jessie started on the trip back to Lanzhou.
On the way they had a nasty accident which might have been more serious had it not been for a new
frame that had been built for the mule cart the day before they started. The cart rolled into a gully
turning completely upside down. It was only the strength of the frame supporting the cover of the cart
which prevented them being crushed. As it was, Jessie was seriously hurt on the left side where she
came in contact with a box. The cart was pulled back on to the road, but Jessie was in agony as
they continued on over the rough roads. George too suffered from bruises and his head pained him
for some considerable time after having been doubled under him during the fall. They were thankful
to get back to Lanzhou where they could have medical help.
In 1911 GFA travelled down to Chengdu in Sichuan to marry Fanny Riley and bring her back to
Gansu. The Ridleys were going on furlough from Xining so Esther and Arthur moved there to take
their place, and when GFA and Fanny arrived, they were asked to stay on and help in Lanzhou. GFA
took charge of the Boys' School and Fanny helped with the work among the women.
In early 1911 Mr. Arthur Lutley and a Chinese evangelist were invited to visit some of the stations in
Gansu for evangelistic meetings, and the Lord richly blessed them as many unbelievers were
converted, and many who had backslidden in the church repented and came back to Him. Perhaps
this was all preparation for some of the upheavals which were soon to come.
In mid-1911 a Moslem uprising in the Xining area threatened the lives of Arthur and Esther and the
two children, Percy, about 18 months old and Jessie, only three months old. The firm stand taken by
the authorities finally suppressed the rebellion, but immediately afterwards all over China the spread of
the revolutionary movement began to be felt and, because of nasty incidents in some cities, many
missionaries were advised to leave for the coast. Those who remained found it difficult to work and in
Gansu most of those who did not go to the coast gathered in Lanzhou until the trouble blew over.
George and Jessie found themselves once more surrounded by children and grandchildren as Esther
and Arthur together with Percy and Jessie, joined GFA and Fanny on the Lanzhou CIM compound.
Fanny was expecting their first child in April 1912, and Esther and Arthur were in Lanzhou until May of
that year. With Lanzhou overcrowded and the impossibility of doing much outside the city, George
and Jessie took their furlough and were away from February 1912 to February 1914.
In May 1912 George was the main speaker at the CIM annual meetings in London where he brought
before that crowded audience the needs and triumphs of the work in far away Gansu. On the
platform with him were some of the newly accepted candidates for that year who were to give
testimonies of how the Lord had led them. Among them was Arthur Andrew, the third of George and
Jessie's children to feel the call of God to missionary work in China. Arthur did not sail for China until
September 1913 and his father was the speaker at his valedictory meeting on 5 September in the
YMCA at Tottenham Court Road. George recalled that it was at just such a meeting many years
before that God had called him to China.
Back in Lanzhou in February 1914 George again took up his duties as Superintendent of the province.
Arthur and Esther were back in Lanzhou again as the Ridleys had returned to Xining from furlough.
33
