Year: August 1900
Jonathan Goforth-41 years old
Jonathan Goforth's Journal
Rosalind, our children, the other missionary families who traveled with us, and I stepped off the riverboat in Shanghai.
It seemed like millions of people crowded the streets. We could barely walk through the masses. And they weren't all Chinese.
Foreigners of all races, from many countries, were here for many reasons like business, internships, education, drug dealing, other criminal activity, peace keeping, government, missionary...you name it, someone was here for that reason.
And all of them were in a panic. No, I am not exaggerating. Children sat on trunks crying, reaching out to their parents who were in a frenzy.
They all needed to book passage on the few boats docked in the harbor. They needed money to pay for the tickets. They needed cash from their bank accounts. The banks didn't have that much money at their Shanghai office. What a mess.
Chaos. Mass chaos.
The first thing I did was to find an unfurnished home for my family to sleep the night. I took them there then went to the bank, took out all the money in my account, and purchased tickets for a ship headed to Canada. the ship will leave in ten days.
I went back to the house and hugged my children. "Guess what? We are going to a restaurant!"
"Really, Daddy? Can we eat anything we want?"
Poor thing was so hungry. We all were. "Yes. You can eat as much as you want."
They barely had the energy to giggle. I scooped up the youngest. "Let's go."
I can't remember the last time I ate so much food. Such delicious food. We waddled back to our rooms. Rosalind put the children to bed while I rested. I looked at my blood-stained clothes and leaned against the wall.
God had saved us.
It was such a terrible journey, yet there we were, alive.
Praise God, I am alive and have another story to tell.
There is more. Come back next time.
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.
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