Page 54 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 54
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
in Didao till February 1912, and then as the future still seemed uncertain, it was felt that some at least
should try and get through to the coast.
George and Jessie Andrew were already in Tianjin with some of the lady workers who were due to
leave for furlough. Money was hard to get, and after trying in vain to obtain silver for travelling
expenses, they began to feel that God was closing the door. Nobody wanted to leave unless
absolutely necessary and, as Arthur wryly commented, "A company of missionaries not having
consular orders to leave takes a lot of convincing to move them from their posts, even when there is
an element of danger."
Arthur and another man went across to Liangzhou to escort some ladies from there to Lanzhou as
travel was dangerous because of the roving bands of brigands. While at Lanzhou they took the
opportunity of going on to Xining to visit the church people and to make arrangements for their work if
it seemed unwise to return yet. Arthur wrote of that trip, "In all we travelled about 766 English miles
on horseback in less than a month, and only once met with a company of robbers. There were
thirteen of them and they looked bent on mischief, but the Lord delivered us and they left us
unmolested",
On returning to Lanzhou from Xining, they found that a peace telegram had arrived from Beijing, so,
instead of moving on to the coast as they feared might be necessary, they waited a few days for the
news to be confirmed, and then all went back to their own stations, thankful to the lord for allowing
them to remain in Gansu. Arthur got back to Didao to find Percy and Jessie both down with the
measles, so the family stayed there till the children were fit to travel before returning to Xining.
From Xining Arthur wrote that "our absence has been a real blessing to the Christians. It has taught
them in a new way their dependence on God." Church services were well attended, the school had
been carried on faithfully by Chinese teachers, and Mr. Du, whose conversion they had rejoiced over
during the Lutley/Wong meetings, was showing up as a strong Christian leader in spite of opposition
from his family. Arthur reported that "when the troubles broke out, Mr. Du went home to stay, but his
family beat him up for coming to the church and turned him out. His younger brother hit him across
the chin with a spade, making a big gash that will mark him for life."
The new government was trying to make changes with the overthrow of the Manchus but, as Arthur
wrote in his letters, "Reform comes slowly here. Nobody seems very keen to part with their queues
(pigtails), nor to stop binding their girl children's feet, both of which are now illegal. The officials no
longer worship at the temple, and they have put off all the finery peculiar to officials of the last regime,
but it remains to be seen if the people will give up their old ways easily."
Word came from Didao that Mr. David Eckvall of the Christian and Missionary Alliance with whom they
had stayed, had died there. "This is a great blow to Gansu, for we can ill spare a worker. We now
have only twenty workers in the whole of Gansu (fifteen are CIM) and four of these go on furlough in
the coming autumn. Only Mr. and Mrs. Preedy are holding the fort in Lanzhou, that busy centre. Our
hearts are sad for Gansu. So much work for so few workers."
On 6 May Arthur wrote that "our dear little girlie had been very ill during the last few days with
bronchitis and something else we could not diagnose. For two days it looked as if we would lose her,
but the Lord heard prayer and blessed the means used, and today she seems much better." It was
not easy to be far from medical help when one of the children was ill, but these things made them very
conscious of their dependence on God and God alone.
54
Amy Moore
in Didao till February 1912, and then as the future still seemed uncertain, it was felt that some at least
should try and get through to the coast.
George and Jessie Andrew were already in Tianjin with some of the lady workers who were due to
leave for furlough. Money was hard to get, and after trying in vain to obtain silver for travelling
expenses, they began to feel that God was closing the door. Nobody wanted to leave unless
absolutely necessary and, as Arthur wryly commented, "A company of missionaries not having
consular orders to leave takes a lot of convincing to move them from their posts, even when there is
an element of danger."
Arthur and another man went across to Liangzhou to escort some ladies from there to Lanzhou as
travel was dangerous because of the roving bands of brigands. While at Lanzhou they took the
opportunity of going on to Xining to visit the church people and to make arrangements for their work if
it seemed unwise to return yet. Arthur wrote of that trip, "In all we travelled about 766 English miles
on horseback in less than a month, and only once met with a company of robbers. There were
thirteen of them and they looked bent on mischief, but the Lord delivered us and they left us
unmolested",
On returning to Lanzhou from Xining, they found that a peace telegram had arrived from Beijing, so,
instead of moving on to the coast as they feared might be necessary, they waited a few days for the
news to be confirmed, and then all went back to their own stations, thankful to the lord for allowing
them to remain in Gansu. Arthur got back to Didao to find Percy and Jessie both down with the
measles, so the family stayed there till the children were fit to travel before returning to Xining.
From Xining Arthur wrote that "our absence has been a real blessing to the Christians. It has taught
them in a new way their dependence on God." Church services were well attended, the school had
been carried on faithfully by Chinese teachers, and Mr. Du, whose conversion they had rejoiced over
during the Lutley/Wong meetings, was showing up as a strong Christian leader in spite of opposition
from his family. Arthur reported that "when the troubles broke out, Mr. Du went home to stay, but his
family beat him up for coming to the church and turned him out. His younger brother hit him across
the chin with a spade, making a big gash that will mark him for life."
The new government was trying to make changes with the overthrow of the Manchus but, as Arthur
wrote in his letters, "Reform comes slowly here. Nobody seems very keen to part with their queues
(pigtails), nor to stop binding their girl children's feet, both of which are now illegal. The officials no
longer worship at the temple, and they have put off all the finery peculiar to officials of the last regime,
but it remains to be seen if the people will give up their old ways easily."
Word came from Didao that Mr. David Eckvall of the Christian and Missionary Alliance with whom they
had stayed, had died there. "This is a great blow to Gansu, for we can ill spare a worker. We now
have only twenty workers in the whole of Gansu (fifteen are CIM) and four of these go on furlough in
the coming autumn. Only Mr. and Mrs. Preedy are holding the fort in Lanzhou, that busy centre. Our
hearts are sad for Gansu. So much work for so few workers."
On 6 May Arthur wrote that "our dear little girlie had been very ill during the last few days with
bronchitis and something else we could not diagnose. For two days it looked as if we would lose her,
but the Lord heard prayer and blessed the means used, and today she seems much better." It was
not easy to be far from medical help when one of the children was ill, but these things made them very
conscious of their dependence on God and God alone.
54
