King's Business - 1944-04

April, 1944

135

News About Chocolate Bars, Oranges, and a Steamship are in > . .

Kathryn's Letter

I AM SO happy to be able to write a long letter to you! I was intern­ ed, with the othe. Chefoo folks, on November 4, 1942. I wrote to you every month. During internment, I heard from you about nine or ten times. When I got letters from you, I was so happy I jumped up and down and then I thanked the Lord Jesus. At Christmas time I longed for you all the while, and still do. But I am happy because I know you are doing work for the Lord Jesus, and by and by He will bring us together. We got on the ship, the Teia Moru, and left Shanghai. Several large rooms bn the boat were fixed up for us, in which we were to sleep. I will tell you about ours. There were 240 living in our room, sleeping in bunks. We slept on straw, mattresses with sheets. These beds were more comfortable than sitting up on the train for three nights. A lady doctor who was a mis­ sionary was in charge of all of these folks in this room. She found plenty to do to keep everything going smoothly. We were on this boat for about four weeks. We picked up peo­ ple at several ports along the way. At every port I watched for you, Mum­ my and Daddy, to come up the gang­ plank, even though I knew you were in Free China. Everybody was anxious to get on the Gripsholm at Goa. We were told there was a chocolate factory there, but there wasn’t. The water was shal­ low and our boat stirred up the mud, so it looked like a chocolate factory. The Gripsholm came in—such a nice white and clean boat, I was so much excited! The American crew sang “God Bless America,” and we joined in. The crew tried to throw apples and oranges to our boat, but only two landed there. One of the two landed right at my feet. I had about one bite myself; so many people wanted a taste. Three

years ago was the last time I had had a lovely orange. ' We got on the 'Gripsholm at last, and they set up four or five big tables of delicious food and we were al­ lowed to choose whatever we liked. As soon as we got out of the harbor, mail was distributed. I got one- letter that was very special; it vyas yours, • Daddy, telling me about my new baby brother, then two months old. I was very tickled that he had red hair. I am longing very much to hold him, and I hope that time isn’t too far away. We arrived in Port Elizabeth in South Africa less than two weeks after we left Goa. It was surprising how the whole town was out to welcome us. I bought some candy and other things. As we were coming into New York harbor, we were watching a ferry boat pass by. Just as it came quite close, some one said, “ There is the Statue of Liberty!” We all rushed to see. When so many passengers moved from one side of the boat to the other the boat moved, too. It was rather a dull, cloudy day when we arrived, and we couldn’t see much. We Started waiting in line on the boat for our landing tickets at nine o’clock in the morning, and we had to stand around waiting until late at night. On the boat, the Red Cross gave us clothing we needed, toys, and chooolate bars. Finally, we got off. Our party came on to Philadelphia, and we reached here at one o’clock in the morning, and I met “Uncle George" and “Aunt Magdalene” with whom I am going to live. I did not kpow who they were at first, but your letter said .they would love me, and if you wanted me to go there, I knew it would be a nice place.

Kathryn Kuhn is twelve years old, and has spent most of her life in China. Her father and mother, with baby brother Danny, are missionaries of the China Inland Mission in far­ away Yunnan Province. (Can you find that place on the map?) Kathryn has not seen her parents since Christmas, 1938, for she has been at a school for missionaries' children in Chefoo, China. She is pictured here wearing her mother's Chinese dress. A few weeks ago, along'with thirty- seven of her young school friends, and many other people, she came to Amer­ ica on the ship, the Gripsholm. They had a long journey before they reached the ship that- was to bring them to the United States. One of the first things that Kathryn wanted to do when she arrived in her new home was to write a letter to her dear fam­ ily in China. She wrote a long, long letter—here are parts of it. far and near have been so kind to me, and I do not know what I would have done without their prayers and what they have done in so many ways. I want to show my apprecia­ tion by living Tor the Lord Jesus. You know I told you before that in the spring of 1941 there was great blessing among us boys and girls and most of us, including myself, gave ourselves altogether to Him, although most of us were Christians before. I had been praying to love Him more, but I couldn’t find the secret of it until I had fully given myself to Him. I was reading in Hebrews the other evening, chapter 10, verse 9; I want to do His will, too. I pray for you and the Lisu people every morning and every night. With mountains and valleys fu ll of love, KATHRYN.

I like it here very much, and am quite happy. A ll your friends from Junior King's Business By MARTHA S. HOOKER Member of Faculty Bible Institute of Los Angeles

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