t
January 1943
permitted to witnesi in person. Stand ing there on that ship in the intense darkness I prayed. I prayed for. the p'eople of Poland,-a nation drenched in its own blood by a reign of terror that probably has no parallel in all history, where the persecution of the Jews has been more brutal than it was in Germany, where churches have been desecrated, church bells melted for guns, and where men, women, and children have been carted out in cattle cars to death or worse. I thought of Hannah ’and Chaim, of Moses, of Joseph and the many others there. And suddenly I was not afraid for them, I knew that, whatever they may have suffered, their future in heaven would be perfect, for they loved Him. I prayed for the people of the vil lages in the Carpathian h ills' in Czechoslovakia and for the trainloads of Jews, locked into box cars—no food, no water—young, old, looking out of barred windows, on their way to con centration camps. To them had been given the gospel as we went among them, giving out literature and speakr ing with them when we could. I prayed, now, that the Word would be brought to their remembrance in convicting power. I remembered the family I had seen being taken away on foot, an expect ant mother, two small children hang ing to her skirts, the father carrying their worldly goods in 'a few bundles, a Hungarian gendarme behind them urging them to go faster. It was just at sunset and* they were silhouetted against the glory of the setting sun. What if they had known Him? Surely, in spite of their circumstances, some of that glory would have bCen re flected in their haunted faces. I thought of the fear I had seen on the faces of all the Jews, fear even of me whom they had known, because I was a foreigner. I remembered one couple I had spoken to. The man knew me and was not afraid, but his wife was terrified and kept wringing her hands and muttering, “Don’t speak, don’t speak,” afraid he would say something incriminating. The Jews of Czechoslovakia had laughed when I tried to speak to them of God. “Yes, we are the chosen people,” they said in bitter, hard tones, “ chosen to suffer.” The majority looked upon their suffering as an un-. fairness on the part Of God. They laughed at the mention of Christ. “Look what His people are doing to us,” they taunted. In their eyes it was Christians who carried on the perse cution. Then I prayed for Hungary and for the three’ workers we had left there, Agnes, a Gentile, Christian, Rose, a Christian Hungarian Jewess, and a Jewish man who owned a little book shop. I prayed especially for Rose, an
Passage to America The Lisbon consul was surprised when we arrived, as could be expected. He -was very cooperative, but there were no ships. Every sailing was full. I remembered, now, my first feeling of disappointment when I thought I had come all that way to remain in Lisbon. Then I realized that the Lord had brought me that far; the rest of the way also was in His hands. Hardly had I prepared myself for a continued stay in Lisbon, when the consul called me to say a- Jewish Re lief Society ship was sailing on Satur day. I called at headquarters and was told they coiild give our party five places, second class, at $575.00 each. Thrilling? Yes. But I did not have $575.00, and they would not permit me to travel third class. I did not know what to say when, to my surprise, the man went' on, “It would be better i f you paid the money in New York.” I was amazed. In all Europe I had found no place where you -did not have to pay everything down in spot cash. This was wonderful. This was the way out. But was it? The mission ary society in New York might not have that much money on hand. I would have to cable before I could give assurance the money would be ready. The agent thought for a moment and then said, “There isn’t time to cable. This is Wednesday; the ship sails Saturday. Two cables, passing two censorships, would take too long. We’ll have our agent in New York col lect later. You come on Friday and get your ticket.” I was left speechless. Surely this was the Lord's doing. I could but ac cept it and go forward. My place on the boat could have been sold several hundreds of times. There were people there who had been waiting for months for a passage home. We had waited but four days! On the Way Home In French Morocco we picked up a number of Jews who had come from concentration camps in occupied coun tries. I rejoiced at a further opportunity to witness to His chosen people. But I found these Jews much more hardened than any I had dealt with before. Con centration camp and their bitter suf ferings had done that. “Why worry?” they said. “Take all the pleasure there is, for tomorrow we may be dead.” “Yes, tomorrow we may be dead,” I thought, as, I stood there on the open deck.. "But what is death if we have Him?” My heart was heavy for them, and I longed to be able to give them the peace I had through the Lord Jesus. But what could I do if they would not listen? I could pray. Yes, and 1 could pray for those in the lands of bloodshed, where I was na longer
U. S. S .,--------------- Ban Francisco, Calif.
“In the absence of an ordained minister, as Chaplain, aboard, I find your magazine, THE XING'S BUSINESS, very helpful in ob taining material for my weekly sermons, which 1 conduct.'' M.------ -- W.---------. Other men In military service are eager to receive THE KING’S BUSI NESS* Will you not Mend it to them? Annual subMcriptionn are accepted at the special rate ot tour tot $3.00. They will be « e n t to individual .names and addreaaes if provided by the donor» or to a waiting list of military camps and reading rooms, AddresMt 55S South Hope Street, I,os Angele*# Calif* ideal convert, so filled with desire for prayer and study of the Word. Once she had beep a spiritualist medium! Now she was a channel for the Lord. I remembered her going from village to village in the Carpathians, handing out Bibles, and tracts, as long as she could get them, in spite of the food problem. For it is not possible to use food tickets outside the village in which they are issued. In one village she found that the persecution had left thirty families out' of 150 and those thirty families lived in daily fear of being carted away to death. They had no rights. Their businesses, their homes, their families might be taken away at any moment, men up to fofty-five, sent’ to labor camps, women and children banished. Little wonder that this Christian Jewess endured all hardships to seek to minister to her own people. Speak ing six different languages, highly educated, she is yet willing to identify herself with her people at any cost. She tried to go along to a concentra tion camp so that she could witness there, but was not permitted. I asked God’s protection over her and the other Christian workers. The ship plowed on*and my heart was at peace. I would have chosen to be back among those in the hard places. But God had led otherwise. The terrors of Poland, the misery of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia would remain a memory forever. I could not forget their claims on me. Surely the criés of bleeding Europe would serve to strengthen the ties of prayer the world over. I prayed that it might be true in my own America and asked God to give me the message that would raise up prayer for the Chris tians in occupied countries, for the Jewish.people in their torment, and for the handful of Christian workers still able'to minister there. Hope lies in prayer.
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