Page 51 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
P. 51
– A Different Drumbeat 51
his achievement. He stayed two nights with the Tornvalls at Pingliang, preached at
the opening session of a church conference, and got a tremendous reception on
reaching Lanchow not only from missionaries and Christians but also from
representatives of the Civil and Military Governors who came out to meet him.
They knew he was their best hope for mastering the province's terrible problems and
averting further disasters.
On June 22 he moved back east into the worst affected areas. He found himself in
charge of 15,000 men working to release 20 lakes. They had to be housed and fed
and paid in remote mountainous regions where banditry was rife and fresh tremors
were occurring. His official assignment was "to clear the valleys of the debris which
blocked them, to push the
mountains back into place,
to restore communications,
and to stabilise the
economy." He spoke
glowingly of the four
missionaries and
numerous Chinese helpers
he had. "What a grand
thing it is to come among
such a people, serving
their material interests to
the limit of strength and
means and bringing them
the glorious gospel of
redeeming love."
The Province of Kansu The earthquake area
The area affected by the earthquake of covered 13,000 square
December 16, 1920, lay north and west miles of wild country, 600
of Pingliang, up to the Yellow River. miles from the nearest
Many smaller towns are not marked. The railway and with no
province is a sea of mountains, several motorable roads. Carts,
horses, mules, donkeys
ranges being over 10,000 feet high and camels were pressed
into service. GFA’s base
for the next five months
was a desolate,
devastated spot known as
Ch’in-chang-ih, where
3,800 men were making a
cutting through a landslide
his achievement. He stayed two nights with the Tornvalls at Pingliang, preached at
the opening session of a church conference, and got a tremendous reception on
reaching Lanchow not only from missionaries and Christians but also from
representatives of the Civil and Military Governors who came out to meet him.
They knew he was their best hope for mastering the province's terrible problems and
averting further disasters.
On June 22 he moved back east into the worst affected areas. He found himself in
charge of 15,000 men working to release 20 lakes. They had to be housed and fed
and paid in remote mountainous regions where banditry was rife and fresh tremors
were occurring. His official assignment was "to clear the valleys of the debris which
blocked them, to push the
mountains back into place,
to restore communications,
and to stabilise the
economy." He spoke
glowingly of the four
missionaries and
numerous Chinese helpers
he had. "What a grand
thing it is to come among
such a people, serving
their material interests to
the limit of strength and
means and bringing them
the glorious gospel of
redeeming love."
The Province of Kansu The earthquake area
The area affected by the earthquake of covered 13,000 square
December 16, 1920, lay north and west miles of wild country, 600
of Pingliang, up to the Yellow River. miles from the nearest
Many smaller towns are not marked. The railway and with no
province is a sea of mountains, several motorable roads. Carts,
horses, mules, donkeys
ranges being over 10,000 feet high and camels were pressed
into service. GFA’s base
for the next five months
was a desolate,
devastated spot known as
Ch’in-chang-ih, where
3,800 men were making a
cutting through a landslide
