A Special Thanksgiving Story from the Mission Field
Kincs Business BY MARTHA S. HOOKER The String Bound Bible by Margaret Owen
T h e missionary noticed the young Communist soldier standing in the entrance of the church as she entered to start playing the organ. She was surprised to see him there but bowed slightly as she passed by. It would never have been proper for a foreign lady missionary to start a conversa tion with a Communist soldier in a public place. The church was in Kun ming, a large city on the Burma Road, which had been occupied by Com munist troops some months before. Although the city was under a new government, churches continued as usual, and the missionaries who had remained in China were still busy with meetings and classes. In spite of the peaceful conditions it was most unusual to see a Com munist soldier in a church, however, this young soldier came Sunday by Sunday, keeping aloof and quiet. After several weeks, as the missionary was preparing for church one morning, she suddenly heard her name called in great excitement. “ Si-niang, Si-niang! Do you remem ber that Communist soldier who has been coming to church these last few weeks. He is a Christian! Come and talk to him!” One of the young people in the church had brought the message and as the missionary hurriedly returned with her, she heard how this news had been discovered. During the weeks ill which the young soldier had attended church, the Bible wo man, the usual hostess at the church, had been in the country. On the first Sunday of her return she noticed the quiet young man in the Communist uniform and decided to speak to him. She was a kindly old woman and was keenly interested in helping others. She took a cup of tea- and offered it
to him with both hands in the polite, gracious Chinese fashion. As he bent down to accept it, tears came into his eyes and he said: “You are the first Christian who has offered me a cup of tea since I put on this uniform, and I have been so lonely.” “ Are you a Christian?” asked the Biblewoman. “Yes, I am,” he said simply. “ Then, why are you in the Com munist army?” she questioned. “ It’s a long story,” he answered slowly. “ Then come upstairs where we can be out of the crowd.” Turning to her niece who had been listening intently, she said: “ Run, get the missionary to come and hear what he has to tell.” When the missionary and the niece reached the little meeting room on the second floor of the church, a small group of the more earnest Chris tians had gathered to meet the beam ing soldier. When all had been in troduced, Chow (pronounced “Joe” ) began his story: “ I was a Christian student in a Mission School, planning to be a teacher or evangelist. My father was dead and my mother had gone to live with distant relatives. Some travelling missionaries had brought me to a large city to live in a boarding school. Suddenly, we learned that the Com munist Army was advancing very rapidly, and the Mission School in which I was living was closed. In a very few weeks, all the missionaries left for their home countries. I had no home to which to return; my mother was far away and her people were very poor. “ I was forced to find some work for myself. I had no skill or trade, and
I was not yet equipped to teach. I was a comparative stranger to the Christians of that city. Some friends took me into their home, but they very poor and I could not stay on in definitely. About |that time I met some enthusiastic young people who had just the solution for me ■— join in, and shelter would all be provided and the work wouldn’t be too difficult. Then, too, I would be able to travel over much of China. When I told them I was a Christian they assured me that in the New People’s Army there was true religious freedom. I was sur prised, but the young people, who were Communist Party workers, as I learned later, gave me so much propa ganda that I believed them. I joined the army, fully believing that I could worship and witness freely.” At this point Chow stopped and sighed. Obviously, the years since had taught him that what he had been told was not true. Then he continued his story: “ I took my Bible and hymn book with me, and I read and prayed daily. For a while I was not hindered except by ridicule, laughing, or mocking. Gradually, more and more of the soldiers began cursing, arguing, throw ing things at me. Finally a group of them grabbed my precious books and tore them to pieces. It was no use to resist and I had already learned that my superior officers were really pleased at their treatment of me. “ Several weeks later, while march ing through a large town, I saw a church; when we stopped near there, I returned after dark. I was able to buy a Bible from the old gatekeeper, although it was not as nice as my first one. I tried to keep this Bible hidden and read it only when I thought I was alone; however, after
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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