Jonathan Goforth-It Was A Repeat of Job's Blessings

By Mary Vee
Year: October 1901

Jonathan Goforth-42 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind and I are missionaries to China. I left my family safely in Canada until I knew if China was safe for them to return.

Mr. Ho finished telling what happened to him while I was gone. He was hung! Yes, he was hung. Some local bad guys took him and strung him up to a tree. He hung high above the ground with ropes tied to his thumbs left to die. After the bad ones left, some good people came and cut him down. 

After sharing our stories with each other, we went into the town to see how the other Christians were doing. They told their stories of suffering. The good news: we were alive.

The agreement made between the Chinese government and other nations to settle the Boxer Rebellion included the reimbursement of cost to replace damaged foreigner's belongings. 

I received a letter from the government asking me to list the items damaged and the cost for the replacement. Since I bought most of the items in Canada, I wrote the cost in Canadian dollars.

The money didn't come right away. Actually something interesting happened. In the time it took for the Chinese government to process my request, the exchange between Canadian and Chinese currency changed. I ended up getting almost twice what I asked! 

After I got over the surprise I didn't feel right about keeping the extra money. I also knew that sending the money back to the Chinese government would be like stuffing it in the pockets of a dishonest official. 

I prayed, asking God what should be done with the extra money. He gave me the idea to build a Peace Village. In the past, Chinese workers who came to help our mission left their families at their home for a time, worked here for months, then returned home. 

The Peace Village would have small homes and land for gardens. The worker's family could come with them and live here. They would be with other Christian families and live in peace.

I moved forward with the project and soon had families moving in. Everything had gone so well. The country was mostly safe. I wrote Rosalind and asked her to bring the children here. She wrote me back saying she and the children would set sail July 1, 1902. Yes. All is well. I can't wait to see them.

There is more to this story. 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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