Page 38 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 38
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
He had been writing his "Reminiscences of J. Hudson Taylor", and sent some to Esther to give to
interested friends in Toronto. "I am thankful to say I continue in good health," he added, "The Lord
richly blesses me and opens various avenues of service. Let us live to be useful, Lord!"
His December 1929 letter to Esther expressed his rejoicing that Percy was applying for the Toronto
Bible College as a student. "He is being prayed for", he said. Later he wrote "Give my warm, warm
love to Percy and Jessie. Tell Percy how rejoiced I am in the good news you send of him. And let
him follow on step by step. We do not always get light on the distant future but we are sure to get it
for the next step. He is following a good Master Who is worthy of all we have. I would like to see him
now and Jessie too."
His own future was much in his mind. He was living with his son GFA and Fanny, but they were due
for furlough in the summer of 1930 and he wondered what he should do. If he went home with them to
England and came back to live with them in China where his three remaining children all lived, he felt
it might cause trouble with retired missionaries who would like to retire in China, but for various
reasons were not allowed to do so. Of course he could go home and remain at home as others did,
but his heart was in China and he had few links at home now. If he stayed on in China, where would
he live? Would the Mission be happy about a retired missionary taking up a room in a Mission
Home? It was all very confusing.
GEORGE ANDREW PASSES ON
Little did George Andrew know that his "mansion in Heaven" was already waiting for him and that
before two months had gone by he would be there in the presence of his Lord. He sat down and
wrote the whole thing to Mr. Hoste, the Director of the Mission in Shanghai, and received a very
understanding letter in reply. "We think on the whole the plan to remain in China is the best one, the
more so as Mr. and Mrs. Moore will be back in the autumn. We suggest for your consideration that
you should live with them in Linmingguan, the climate of which is as you know healthy; while medical
assistance can easily be obtained if necessary at Shundefu. In this way there would be only a brief
interval between the departure of your son and the return of Mr. and Mrs. Moore.
In sharing this with his daughter in Canada, George wrote, "I am sure I shall be welcome to stay with
you, perfectly sure. But I have not yet decided what I shall do. The Lord will answer prayer and if I
leave China I want to leave satisfied that He is guiding - just as satisfied as I am that He brought me to
China. Continue to pray for your old dad."
At the beginning of 1930 he knew it would not be long before he would be called Home. In a real
sense he was standing with his hand on the gate ready to go and be with Christ. In his last letter to
Mission Headquarters he wrote, "What a good Master we have. His servants shall serve Him and
they shall see His face."
On Monday 3 February, he was the speaker at a meeting in the Brethren Hall where Mr. Arthur Rouse
attended. While there he was suddenly taken ill and, as they were taking him up the hill to his son's
home he said, "Every step now is a step to Glory". GFA said, "His last days were beautiful in the
extreme, so in keeping with his whole life, and he was glad to go. He did not suffer much and was
conscious till the day before he died.
He died at 4:40 p.m. on 10 February, 1930.
38
Amy Moore
He had been writing his "Reminiscences of J. Hudson Taylor", and sent some to Esther to give to
interested friends in Toronto. "I am thankful to say I continue in good health," he added, "The Lord
richly blesses me and opens various avenues of service. Let us live to be useful, Lord!"
His December 1929 letter to Esther expressed his rejoicing that Percy was applying for the Toronto
Bible College as a student. "He is being prayed for", he said. Later he wrote "Give my warm, warm
love to Percy and Jessie. Tell Percy how rejoiced I am in the good news you send of him. And let
him follow on step by step. We do not always get light on the distant future but we are sure to get it
for the next step. He is following a good Master Who is worthy of all we have. I would like to see him
now and Jessie too."
His own future was much in his mind. He was living with his son GFA and Fanny, but they were due
for furlough in the summer of 1930 and he wondered what he should do. If he went home with them to
England and came back to live with them in China where his three remaining children all lived, he felt
it might cause trouble with retired missionaries who would like to retire in China, but for various
reasons were not allowed to do so. Of course he could go home and remain at home as others did,
but his heart was in China and he had few links at home now. If he stayed on in China, where would
he live? Would the Mission be happy about a retired missionary taking up a room in a Mission
Home? It was all very confusing.
GEORGE ANDREW PASSES ON
Little did George Andrew know that his "mansion in Heaven" was already waiting for him and that
before two months had gone by he would be there in the presence of his Lord. He sat down and
wrote the whole thing to Mr. Hoste, the Director of the Mission in Shanghai, and received a very
understanding letter in reply. "We think on the whole the plan to remain in China is the best one, the
more so as Mr. and Mrs. Moore will be back in the autumn. We suggest for your consideration that
you should live with them in Linmingguan, the climate of which is as you know healthy; while medical
assistance can easily be obtained if necessary at Shundefu. In this way there would be only a brief
interval between the departure of your son and the return of Mr. and Mrs. Moore.
In sharing this with his daughter in Canada, George wrote, "I am sure I shall be welcome to stay with
you, perfectly sure. But I have not yet decided what I shall do. The Lord will answer prayer and if I
leave China I want to leave satisfied that He is guiding - just as satisfied as I am that He brought me to
China. Continue to pray for your old dad."
At the beginning of 1930 he knew it would not be long before he would be called Home. In a real
sense he was standing with his hand on the gate ready to go and be with Christ. In his last letter to
Mission Headquarters he wrote, "What a good Master we have. His servants shall serve Him and
they shall see His face."
On Monday 3 February, he was the speaker at a meeting in the Brethren Hall where Mr. Arthur Rouse
attended. While there he was suddenly taken ill and, as they were taking him up the hill to his son's
home he said, "Every step now is a step to Glory". GFA said, "His last days were beautiful in the
extreme, so in keeping with his whole life, and he was glad to go. He did not suffer much and was
conscious till the day before he died.
He died at 4:40 p.m. on 10 February, 1930.
38
