Page 72 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
P. 72
GFA – A Different Drumbeat 72
of poles thus creating a raft of remarkable buoyancy. On this we constructed
two mat shed huts, fairly low so as to offer as little resistance as possible to
the wind. With two roughhewn oars operating at the front, two more at the rear
and a crew of five men, we were all ready to commence our journey. The
Yellow River had been swollen by glorious rains falling on the area drained by
the upper reaches and there was more water in the river than had been
known for many years past. Just two days before our departure we received
word that Mr. Rist of our Mission was lying seriously ill of the dread typhus at
Chongwei, a town on the banks of the Yellow River, lying some three hundred
and thirty odd miles below Lanchow. Miss Gomersal of the Lanchow C.l.M.
Hospital volunteered to accompany us to Chongwei, to render what
assistance was possible in nursing. It was Friday afternoon, July 5th, when we
said “goodbye” to the large number of friends who had come to the riverside
to see us off, and proceeded some ten miles downstream before making fast
for the night.
On the following day we had one of the most exciting river rides I have ever
enjoyed, shooting the wonderful rapids in the magnificent gorges that lie
below Lanchow. On Sunday we were fast to the bank nearly all day owing to
the high wind that obtained, making it impossible to proceed but by 2 a.m. on
Monday we were on our way once more and at 6.30 that evening we reached
the river-side at Chongwei, having accomplished the journey remarkably
quickly and having travelled over one hundred and fifty miles on that day. The
city is distant from the riverside some three miles and it was just after dark
when we arrived at the Mission station to find Mrs. Rist, Mr. Contento and Mr.
Scoville anxiously looking for us, but having given up all hope of our getting in
that night. We found our beloved brother very badly infected with seemingly
little hope of recovery. He just recognized me and gave me such a smile of
welcome saying, “it’s good to see old friends again”. Then he lapsed into
unconsciousness once more and his mind evidently wandered over the
thousands of miles of distance to the three children in Chefoo for, on rallying
again for a moment, he smiled and said, “three years soon goes”. He
evidently so connected me with Chefoo and the Schools, where his children
were, that he thought he was back with them after the nominal three years
term in the interior. All that night we nursed him but he steadily sank until at
10:23 on the morning of July 9th, he passed very peacefully right into the
Presence of the King. During the five months or so of his residence in
Chongwei, he and his wife had both worked in the true spirit of the Forward
Movement and he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to a policy of direct,
intensive, evangelistic work. He preached expecting instant conversions and
during his short term of service in Chongwei he had had the joy of enrolling
over two hundred who had evidenced their desire before their fellows to follow
the Lord and learn of Him. He was living and working in rented premises, just
of poles thus creating a raft of remarkable buoyancy. On this we constructed
two mat shed huts, fairly low so as to offer as little resistance as possible to
the wind. With two roughhewn oars operating at the front, two more at the rear
and a crew of five men, we were all ready to commence our journey. The
Yellow River had been swollen by glorious rains falling on the area drained by
the upper reaches and there was more water in the river than had been
known for many years past. Just two days before our departure we received
word that Mr. Rist of our Mission was lying seriously ill of the dread typhus at
Chongwei, a town on the banks of the Yellow River, lying some three hundred
and thirty odd miles below Lanchow. Miss Gomersal of the Lanchow C.l.M.
Hospital volunteered to accompany us to Chongwei, to render what
assistance was possible in nursing. It was Friday afternoon, July 5th, when we
said “goodbye” to the large number of friends who had come to the riverside
to see us off, and proceeded some ten miles downstream before making fast
for the night.
On the following day we had one of the most exciting river rides I have ever
enjoyed, shooting the wonderful rapids in the magnificent gorges that lie
below Lanchow. On Sunday we were fast to the bank nearly all day owing to
the high wind that obtained, making it impossible to proceed but by 2 a.m. on
Monday we were on our way once more and at 6.30 that evening we reached
the river-side at Chongwei, having accomplished the journey remarkably
quickly and having travelled over one hundred and fifty miles on that day. The
city is distant from the riverside some three miles and it was just after dark
when we arrived at the Mission station to find Mrs. Rist, Mr. Contento and Mr.
Scoville anxiously looking for us, but having given up all hope of our getting in
that night. We found our beloved brother very badly infected with seemingly
little hope of recovery. He just recognized me and gave me such a smile of
welcome saying, “it’s good to see old friends again”. Then he lapsed into
unconsciousness once more and his mind evidently wandered over the
thousands of miles of distance to the three children in Chefoo for, on rallying
again for a moment, he smiled and said, “three years soon goes”. He
evidently so connected me with Chefoo and the Schools, where his children
were, that he thought he was back with them after the nominal three years
term in the interior. All that night we nursed him but he steadily sank until at
10:23 on the morning of July 9th, he passed very peacefully right into the
Presence of the King. During the five months or so of his residence in
Chongwei, he and his wife had both worked in the true spirit of the Forward
Movement and he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to a policy of direct,
intensive, evangelistic work. He preached expecting instant conversions and
during his short term of service in Chongwei he had had the joy of enrolling
over two hundred who had evidenced their desire before their fellows to follow
the Lord and learn of Him. He was living and working in rented premises, just
