Year: fall 1893-1894
Jonathan Goforth-34 years old
Jonathan Goforth's Journal
Rosalind stayed a few extra months in Canada where we went for our furlough. She had a baby last September and we wanted to give the new little one time to grow before traveling all the way to China.
I've been busy watching our building program in the new mission. No, hah, I'm not just standing there watching them work.
The people here are poor. Workers steal a lot. If I don't keep track of every inch of wood, every nail, every piece of the project and the progress, the workers will steal.
Our home finished just in time for when Rosalind arrived. It wasn't anything special, and I didn't want it to be anything more than what the people living in this city had. Our new home had a dirt floor, walls made of wood, nothing fancy. We settled the children into their beds then I let Rosalind work to make this our home, adding those little touches that make it special to us.
I was quite surprised that word about us moving her spread so quickly. The Chinese people heard about the hand organ, the only item saved from the flood and were curious to see it. They'd also heard that we looked different. Our children had soft brown colored hair and our skin was a different color.
They wanted to see Rosalind's feet which seemed huge to them. The Chinese women had tiny feet that had been wrapped since they were little girls to prevent them from growing. But their feet grew anyway. The bones curled under and made it so they couldn't walk very far. These women had never seen a girl with feet that stretched out and her toes flat on the ground. Years later the practice of binding women's feet was outlawed by the government. Chinese women don't do this in your time.
I was very surprised to see the large number of men and women who came to see us. So many curious people, and they didn't yell or throw rocks at us. They just wanted to see the foreign people who moved there.
We told them about the God who loves them. I gathered the men together and preached to them. Rosalind sat with women, listening and talking with them. They wanted to know all about us and we wanted to know about them.
There were so many visitors, we couldn't keep up. We tried to talk with as many as we could, but we needed help. There was plenty for more missionaries to do, but the mission board said they didn't have any extra workers to send.
One morning, as I was reading my Bible, I read the verse, My God will give you all you need according to His riches in glory, Philippians 4:19. All we need, huh. That was the answer. I ran to Rosalind. "I found this verse." I read it to her. "Do you realize what God is telling us?
She laughed and hugged me. "Yes. God will send us the workers. But where will they come from? The mission said they didn't have any to share."
I didn't know the answer, but I did know we could ask God. "We'll just have to pray." And so I did. Right there with her hand in mine. "Jesus, we need help. There are so many people here who are interested in learning about you. Send us someone who can help us do this work. Amen."
Rosalind said, "Amen."
Now we wait to see what God does.
Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.
Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.
.
Let Jonathan hear from you!
Leave a comment below.
No comments:
Post a Comment