Page 56 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 56
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
missionaries were very friendly. He had been transferred to Dihua, and Arthur missed him in
Lanzhou.
About this time Mr. Hoste began writing to Arthur again about the possibility of them going as a family
to Xinjiang. This was somewhat of a surprise because, although they had never forgotten that their
original appointment had been to that distant province, they had become so immersed in the needs
and opportunities in Gansu that they had rather lost hope of ever getting there. Now Mr. Hoste's
letter raised their hopes once more, and Arthur wrote back, "If you feel the way is opening up for us to
go there, we would very much appreciate a letter telling us what your plans are . . . So far as we are
concerned, we only want to be in the will of the Lord, whether here or in Dihua or elsewhere".
By July 1913 Arthur was sending to Hankou and Shanghai for large supplies of literature, Gospels and
Acts in various languages (including Arabic), and for any free Christian literature which might be
available. He was getting ready to take an evangelistic trip up into Xinjiang, with the possibility of
returning later to take Esther and the children to work up there. In a letter to prayer partners he wrote,
"It will be a long journey of some fifty four travelling days each way, touching as many unoccupied
cities, larger towns and villages as possible as we go. The last Protestant mission station, Liangzhou,
is seven days journey from here, so you can imagine what a vast country I will travel through, and the
unique opportunities I will have for preaching and to distribute the Word of God."
As it took six months to get goods from the coast to Lanzhou, Arthur was none too early in sending his
order, even though it would probably be into 1914 before he actually commenced his trip. He felt he
should not leave until George and Jessie Andrew returned from furlough to take over the oversight of
the work again. As that would be the end of 1913 he hoped to get away soon after to be able to spend
as much time as possible with Mr. Hunter in Dihua. He looked forward to discussing the work with
him, and to find out more of the conditions into which he would be taking his wife and three small
children.
A new spirit was beginning to be felt all over China. Writing to Mr. Stark in Shanghai, Arthur said at
that time, "Whatever else the Revolution may have done for the Lanzhou district, it certainly has
removed much of the prejudice against us and against the message we preach. The people always
were good listeners, but today they are even better and far more keen to purchase the Word of God.
Our meetings are better attended than ever before. People seem to be wanting something "foreign"
and there seems to be a desire among many classes to want to talk to us abour western things. They
know China needs something she has not had up to now, but whether it is education, a strong army or
navy, or something else, they are not sure. The fact remains they are very willing to listen to the
foreigner and to possess the "foreign" books we have for sale, hoping they may find the answer to
their individual problems".
Church attendances were increasing all the time and, at their own expense, the church members
enlarged the chapel to seat three hundred people instead of one hundred and eighty. By the end of
the year some two hundred and eighty were present at every Sunday service and Arthur was feeling
the need of a place to seat six hundred.
George Findlay Andrew (GFA) Esther's brother, with his wife Fanny and eighteen month old son
Leslie, was now living in Lanzhou where George was in charge of the Boys' School on the compound.
George and Jessie Andrew returned to take up the Superintendency for the north west, and the
Learner family were also living at Lanzhou to assist with the church work.
Percy was four and Jessie nearly three, and both of them could remember something of their life in
Lanzhou. Jessie remembers a table with brass corners in one of the rooms. She once climbed on a
56
Amy Moore
missionaries were very friendly. He had been transferred to Dihua, and Arthur missed him in
Lanzhou.
About this time Mr. Hoste began writing to Arthur again about the possibility of them going as a family
to Xinjiang. This was somewhat of a surprise because, although they had never forgotten that their
original appointment had been to that distant province, they had become so immersed in the needs
and opportunities in Gansu that they had rather lost hope of ever getting there. Now Mr. Hoste's
letter raised their hopes once more, and Arthur wrote back, "If you feel the way is opening up for us to
go there, we would very much appreciate a letter telling us what your plans are . . . So far as we are
concerned, we only want to be in the will of the Lord, whether here or in Dihua or elsewhere".
By July 1913 Arthur was sending to Hankou and Shanghai for large supplies of literature, Gospels and
Acts in various languages (including Arabic), and for any free Christian literature which might be
available. He was getting ready to take an evangelistic trip up into Xinjiang, with the possibility of
returning later to take Esther and the children to work up there. In a letter to prayer partners he wrote,
"It will be a long journey of some fifty four travelling days each way, touching as many unoccupied
cities, larger towns and villages as possible as we go. The last Protestant mission station, Liangzhou,
is seven days journey from here, so you can imagine what a vast country I will travel through, and the
unique opportunities I will have for preaching and to distribute the Word of God."
As it took six months to get goods from the coast to Lanzhou, Arthur was none too early in sending his
order, even though it would probably be into 1914 before he actually commenced his trip. He felt he
should not leave until George and Jessie Andrew returned from furlough to take over the oversight of
the work again. As that would be the end of 1913 he hoped to get away soon after to be able to spend
as much time as possible with Mr. Hunter in Dihua. He looked forward to discussing the work with
him, and to find out more of the conditions into which he would be taking his wife and three small
children.
A new spirit was beginning to be felt all over China. Writing to Mr. Stark in Shanghai, Arthur said at
that time, "Whatever else the Revolution may have done for the Lanzhou district, it certainly has
removed much of the prejudice against us and against the message we preach. The people always
were good listeners, but today they are even better and far more keen to purchase the Word of God.
Our meetings are better attended than ever before. People seem to be wanting something "foreign"
and there seems to be a desire among many classes to want to talk to us abour western things. They
know China needs something she has not had up to now, but whether it is education, a strong army or
navy, or something else, they are not sure. The fact remains they are very willing to listen to the
foreigner and to possess the "foreign" books we have for sale, hoping they may find the answer to
their individual problems".
Church attendances were increasing all the time and, at their own expense, the church members
enlarged the chapel to seat three hundred people instead of one hundred and eighty. By the end of
the year some two hundred and eighty were present at every Sunday service and Arthur was feeling
the need of a place to seat six hundred.
George Findlay Andrew (GFA) Esther's brother, with his wife Fanny and eighteen month old son
Leslie, was now living in Lanzhou where George was in charge of the Boys' School on the compound.
George and Jessie Andrew returned to take up the Superintendency for the north west, and the
Learner family were also living at Lanzhou to assist with the church work.
Percy was four and Jessie nearly three, and both of them could remember something of their life in
Lanzhou. Jessie remembers a table with brass corners in one of the rooms. She once climbed on a
56
