Page 43 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
P. 43
GFA – A Different Drumbeat 43
When they arrived in Chefoo on 17 March, they were unable to disembark for an hour
because
“our ship was immediately boarded by hundreds of coolies wanting passage
to Vladivostock.”
These “coolies” completely blocked the gangway in their eagerness to claim a place on
board. From the time of the Revolution in 1912 and through the Great War, the Russians
and other countries had enlisted the labour of Chinese peasants to do manual labour for
their war effort. Now, in 1921 the Chinese Communist Party was about to become an
official political party. It was founded in July 1921 in Shanghai. So these “coolies” may
have been either volunteers with the Russian Government or Chinese Communists making
contact with Russian Communists. Eventually, after what must have been a frustrating
delay, GFA’s party were reunited with Leslie and Aileen
Because they were to stay for a while in Chefoo, they had their own home so that they
could be together. Leslie and Aileen were now able to be part of the family again and
attended as day scholars at the school.
Chefoo was an idyllic place to live. The school faced immediately on to the beach, and was
originally the site of the Mission Sanatorium where, from early days, missionaries, including
Hudson Taylor himself, were sent to recuperate from illness. “The San” as the school
children called it, was still there. Swimming and boat racing were popular activities of the
school, and they had their own boatsheds right on the beach.
They spent Easter together but on Easter Monday, 28 March, GFA received a telegram
from Shanghai:
"Griffith, Hsun Te, ill, could you go and give assistance?"
He replied saying that he would leave in a few days. Aileen’s birthday had been two days
before they arrived in Chefoo and Leslie’s was in April, so before he left the family again,
they had a picnic birthday celebration on Wednesday 30th.
Meanwhile in Hsun Te, Mr and Mrs Griffith had been busy dealing with severe famine
conditions. The Mission had officially appointed him to one of the Famine Relief
Committees as this item in China’s Millions shows:
Famine Relief Work (China’s Millions April 1921)
The following male members of the China Inland Mission have been officially set
apart for famine relief work in the north. For these we would ask daily prayer in their
tremendous task. A number of the ladies in the affected region are also very actively
engaged in this work.
Working in connection with the Peking Committee :- Mr. C. H. S. Green, Mr. J. H.
Mellow, Mr. M. L. Griffith, Mr. E. G. Bevis.
When they arrived in Chefoo on 17 March, they were unable to disembark for an hour
because
“our ship was immediately boarded by hundreds of coolies wanting passage
to Vladivostock.”
These “coolies” completely blocked the gangway in their eagerness to claim a place on
board. From the time of the Revolution in 1912 and through the Great War, the Russians
and other countries had enlisted the labour of Chinese peasants to do manual labour for
their war effort. Now, in 1921 the Chinese Communist Party was about to become an
official political party. It was founded in July 1921 in Shanghai. So these “coolies” may
have been either volunteers with the Russian Government or Chinese Communists making
contact with Russian Communists. Eventually, after what must have been a frustrating
delay, GFA’s party were reunited with Leslie and Aileen
Because they were to stay for a while in Chefoo, they had their own home so that they
could be together. Leslie and Aileen were now able to be part of the family again and
attended as day scholars at the school.
Chefoo was an idyllic place to live. The school faced immediately on to the beach, and was
originally the site of the Mission Sanatorium where, from early days, missionaries, including
Hudson Taylor himself, were sent to recuperate from illness. “The San” as the school
children called it, was still there. Swimming and boat racing were popular activities of the
school, and they had their own boatsheds right on the beach.
They spent Easter together but on Easter Monday, 28 March, GFA received a telegram
from Shanghai:
"Griffith, Hsun Te, ill, could you go and give assistance?"
He replied saying that he would leave in a few days. Aileen’s birthday had been two days
before they arrived in Chefoo and Leslie’s was in April, so before he left the family again,
they had a picnic birthday celebration on Wednesday 30th.
Meanwhile in Hsun Te, Mr and Mrs Griffith had been busy dealing with severe famine
conditions. The Mission had officially appointed him to one of the Famine Relief
Committees as this item in China’s Millions shows:
Famine Relief Work (China’s Millions April 1921)
The following male members of the China Inland Mission have been officially set
apart for famine relief work in the north. For these we would ask daily prayer in their
tremendous task. A number of the ladies in the affected region are also very actively
engaged in this work.
Working in connection with the Peking Committee :- Mr. C. H. S. Green, Mr. J. H.
Mellow, Mr. M. L. Griffith, Mr. E. G. Bevis.
