The Hong Kong Connection
Robert's work in Hong Kong materialized with a tangible and versatile endeavor amidst the crunch of refugees. There had been some discussion of relocating the Chinese work in Singapore, but the Biola Board rejected it in favor of the Hong Kong option. 112 The numbers of students or faculty from H.B.I. arriving in Hong Kong to work with Roberts is not known. However, the continuation of Biola in China, in the British Colony, would have been impossible without Robert's singular effort. 113 Beginning with · the Book Room, and later orphanage, youth work, and medical clinic, the enterprise blossomed as it connected with the Emmanuel Chinese Ch h . th 1 f th . ct• h"l h 114 urc - again, e resu t o e in igenous p i osop y. ~ .... ~ . . . / aiola 's support was essentially .financial allowing l!luch V autonomy generally; this was revealed by the absence of correspondence J l or by· sending further missionary staff until 1959 .. · After a decade, .. the Los Ange}..~_s __office_again re.~evalua ted- the work - in the wake of Robert's : lmp~~~i~~ : retirement after f~r~y years o~ service - and a re~iew ~~ f~n~~cial com~ittm~nt~ · .JlS In 1961, Biola was preoccupied with its own Institute, College, and Seminary expansion, accreditation, and the financial strain connected with the move to La Mirada, California. Robert's foundation paved the way for smooth transition and transfer of all work and property of Biola in Hong Kong to the Em~anual Chinese Church on July 1, 1961; the final fulfillment of the indigenous thrust, long a policy of Biola's . . . . . Ch . 1 1 6 Th i . t th missionary activity in ina. e wor~ continues o e present.
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