Jonathan Goforth-The Unexpected Letter

By Mary Vee
Year: summer 1926

Jonathan Goforth-67 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind, and I are missionaries in China. In all the years I have been here, I have never wanted to do anything else with my life than to tell the people in China about the living God who loves them. 

The mission board gave me permission to return to China and search for villages and cities that did not have any missionaries present. Rosalind and I traveled throughout the country for two years. We then went to Manchuria and found many new villages. Places built by Chinese who wanted to escape the problems in their country.

Three young missionaries joined us in Manchuria. We were so excited to tell people about Jesus. 

The day we arrived a terrible blizzard came.

We received letters from home right away telling us we were crazy for doing this. They said an old man and his sick wife shouldn't be in such a place. But, deep down, I knew I was in the right place. I couldn't have been happier any where else. 

I might get a terrible illness here, I could get sick back in Canada too. I might fall or get injured. The same could happen in Canada. Why not use these years God has given me to do his will and tell people who might otherwise not hear about a God who truly loves them. No. I am happy to be in Manchuria, even in a blizzard.

Not everyone tried to talk us into going back to Canada. Young Allan from Toronto, Annie from Holland, and Nancy from New Zealand asked to come help us.

May of 1927, we held our first church service in a building we rented. There were rooms for us to sleep, a huge room to hold the church service. Everything we needed all in one building.

The hall filled every night. Word spread about the meetings. We had to hold more services to meet the need On average 12 people per day put their faith in the living God who loves them. By June 1, two hundred people had formed the new church. 

There wer so many opportunities. I knew the mission didn't have money but we needed workers.  I wrote a letter to the board telling them all the great things God had done in Manchuria. The building, the many people who put their faith in God, the church. I was convinced they would change their mind and send missionaries to help. 

They wrote back impressed with the news, but unwilling to send anyone else because of financial problems. The news stunned all of us. When I told Rosalind she said, "Well, God will have to find another way to send help."

The next morning during prayer time, I remembered an old friend, Dr. Hayes who had a Bible college in North China. I wrote to him and asked if any of the graduating class might consider coming to help us.

Something quite funny happened next. The day after I sent the letter I received one from Dr. Hayes. It would have been impossible for him to have received my envelope so soon. His letter said, "The Chinese have closed the doors to all missionary work, even from their own people. Do you have any work for the sixty graduates?" I laughed so hard Rosalind and the others came running to hear what had happened.

"Look what God did!!" I showed them the letter.

Rosalind, my very practical wife said, but we only have room to care for two, maybe three.

I hugged her. "Rosalind, God is sending sixty workers. I think He can find a way to house and feed them."


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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Jonathan Goforth-Manchurian Railway

By Mary Vee
Year: summer 1924

Jonathan Goforth-65 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind, and I are missionaries in China. In all the years I have been here, I have never desired to do anything else with my life than to tell the people in China about the living God who loves them. 

I recently had my 65th birthday. At my age, friends, family, and those who know of me asked if I planned to retire.

I just couldn't see myself sitting in a rocking chair doing nothing with my day. Or golfing, or anything like that because my life had a meaning. I was alive for a reason and I believed God asked me to tell people about Him.

When I asked the mission board to go back to China, I learned they had too many bills to pay and had planned to call several missionaries back home to save money. They wanted to combine stations in China. One station they planned to close was mine.

The news made me very sad. I couldn't give up. I searched for places that didn't have missionaries. Some place I could start a church. Maybe a place that had been overlooked, or where missionaries didn't want to go.

I heard about a new railway stretching across Manchuria. Chinese who wanted to escape their country's political problems were moving there and starting villages along the railroad. 

I told the mission board about this need and asked if I could go. This time I received permission. And to my great surprise three students from the college I'd attended said they wanted to go too. What a team we would make? They wouldn't be able to speak the language well, Rosalind and I could. We wouldn't be able to do some of the physical activity, they could. I was really excited.

Living in Canada gave us a lot of experience with winter storms. We arrived in Manchuria in January. A terrible blizzard arrived the same day. This storm was much worse than we had experienced in Canada. We stopped at an inn and let Alan from our group scout ahead.

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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Jonathan Goforth-The People Wanted a 12 Hour Church Service!

By Mary Vee
Year: October 1907-1908

Jonathan Goforth-58 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind, and I are missionaries in China and we are having an exciting time telling the people here about a living God who loves them. 

We have been talking about Chang-san and his village. We were very pleased when his father believed in the living God. Chang-san's entire village eventually all believed in the One true Living God, too. It took time. Chang-san's great grandmother was the last one to realize that the gods she had been praying to could not see or hear her. That only the Living God listened to her and truly cared about her.

During the nineteen years I have worked in China, many people have surrender their lives and put their faith in the God who loves them.

The mission board asked me to go with another pastor to see the work being done in Korea. I was very impressed. So many Koreans believe in the Living God. Christian schools, hospitals, and churches were built and staffed by the new believers.

On my way back to China, we stopped in Manchuria. I shared with the people what God had done in Korea. The people listened and asked me to come back. I returned and told them more about what the living God had done in Korea. I went home to China. Weeks later those in Manchuria asked me to come back again. They sent letters three times asking me to come back. I asked permission to leave the work in China for a month. When I heard the yes, I left for Manchuria.

This time I spoke about God and His love for them. How He cared for them. The people listened and wept. They begged God to forgive their sins. The rich and poor came to the meetings and sat together. God moved in the lives of everyone who came. 

When I returned to my mission in China, they had already received letters telling about the success in Manchuria. Soon other churches in China wrote asking me to come speak to their people.

By 1908 the mission decided my work needed to change from Changte to all of China. The one downside was the travel and time away from Rosalind in Changte. She had since given birth to two more children. We couldn't bring all the little ones on these trips. Rosalind and I decided she should take the children back to Canada for a while.

The day before she and the children left, Rosalind and I went for a walk. She asked, "If, while I was in Canada, I became seriously ill and sent you a cable, would you come see me?"

This was a very difficult question. I knew the answer, but giving one that would not hurt her feelings was the challenge. God called me to work in China. Serving Him needed to stand above my deep love and affection for her or the children. At last, I thought of something to say. "Say there was a war and I was a leader of an army. Then, the situation you suggested happened. Would you want me to leave my post to come home?"

She shook her head. "No." She sighed. "No, I wouldn't."

I could tell from the look on her face that she understood the meaning. The next day I hugged her and the children before they boarded the boat. We waved. 

After they left, I wept, because I missed them. 

The next year I toured China, holding meetings with large crowds attending. I tried to end my talks many times but the people begged me to continue. Some meetings lasted 12 hours when the sun had gone down and we could no longer see.

When 1909 came, I had well overstayed my assignment and needed to return to Canada for my furlough. I couldn't wait to see my family. Rosalind, the children, and I visited churches all over Canada telling them about the work in China and Manchuria. We traveled for the whole year. I sure enjoyed being with my family.

But when 1910 came, we had a family meeting. Everyone voted to go back to China. Now all we have to do is convince the mission board to let us.



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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Jonathan Goforth-Figuring Out How to Blend In With the Chinese

By Mary Vee
Year: fall 1889

Jonathan Goforth-30 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind and I are missionaries in China. 

I have a decent enough grasp of the language to survive and to preach. I'm getting better at learning the culture and idioms, too, you know, the sayings and jokes that people living in one area understand. 

People even dress slightly different from place to place.I know, pictures from the time I'm living here, the 1890's, show most common Chinese people dressing the same. Both men and women wearing long, plain shirts over simple pants. Actually, the dress did vary a bit in different places.

Rosalind and I had been assigned to a northern region called Honan along with Donald Macgillivray. Three other new missionary couples arrived to help us. While the new ones spent their days studying, I set out to see the region. I wanted to know where other Christians might be, what the cities looked like, and along the way, tell the people I met about the God who loved them.

The biggest problem I saw was the fear and anger Chinese people had for what they called foreign devils. It didn't matter where the person was from, if they weren't Chinese the person would be called a foreign devil. 

I had read Hudson Taylor's books and decided he had a great idea. Dress like the people. I bought clothing for Rosalind and myself. We changed our hair and practiced walking like Chinese. We ate Chinese food and did activities like they did as long as the activities did involve worshiping idols. 

Some of the new missionaries who came treated the work like a vacation. They wanted to be carried around on sedans (the chairs on poles), or ride on donkeys and pay servants to wait on them. This didn't make any sense to me and showed me these men and women were not true missionaries.

I made a rule to fix the problem. Any missionary who came with me would: 1. walk five miles toward the next destination before stopping for a simple breakfast; 2. buy a simple wheelbarrow to carry the Bibles and other books we needed and pay a local a good wage to push it; 3. walk eight to ten hours in one day scouting the region for needs; 4. stay in the cheapest inns to cut down costs. With these savings, we toured the region for only fifty cents a day, and I knew who was wiling to live a life of sacrifice to tell Chinese about the God who loved them.

The inns along the way had one large heated surface for travelers to share for sleeping. I paid for my space then, while the other missionaries rested, found a spot where men and women travelers could gather. I started telling them a Bible story. Gradually the travelers gathered around me to hear the story. When I finished, I taught them about the God who loved them. After about an hour and a half, one of the missionaries who came with me got up from his rest and took over. At this time, I drank and took off my boots to rest.

I really felt like I was blending in with the Chinese people. Learning their ways. They listened to what I said and didn't yell at me. 

Yes, this is good.




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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Meeting Jeannie Lawson

By Mary Vee

Glady's Thoughts

photo courtesy SamHakes morguefile.com

I thought Jenni Lawson would be in Tientsin, where my boat docked. She wasn't. I search for the mission society in the city. The person at the front desk gave me a message from her. 

I won't be able to meet you in Tientsin. Mr. Lu will bring you to Yangcheng

I looked at the other side of the paper hoping to find more instructions, but it was blank. 

Mr. Lu came through the back door. He bowed. "Miss Aylward, so nice to meet you.  I will take you to Yangcheng. Are you ready?"

Actually, I felt exhausted and wanted a bath, some fresh clothes, maybe a few hours sleep. "Um, yes. I'm ready."

We boarded a crowded train. I knew I shouldn't be picky, but the compartment had lumpy seats and the train bounced up, down the whole trip.  I felt more seasick on the train than on the ship I just left.  

When the train stopped in Peking, Mr. Lu arranged for rooms at an inn for the night. I grew exicted to take a bath and change my clothes. I stepped into my room and found no bath, or sink to clean myself. The room smelled aweful. I barely slept that night.

The next morning Mr. Lu rushed me to our bus. We traveled on paths too narrow and bumpy for the bus. Huge rocks poked through the ground which threw the bus around. I grabbed onto the seat in front of me to keep my balance.At times I could look straight down the mountainside.  I didn't know if we'd tumble over the edge or not.

The bus spashed through rivers and creeks. I think he thought the road went underwater!

Once we arrived in Teschchow, Mr. Lu took me to a mission station to rest. The next morning he helped me climb on a mule.  "This mule litter will take us to Yangchen, Miss Aylward."  I smiled on the outside and trembled on the inside. I'd never ridden a mule before.  I didn't know if I could stay on one.


I can't believe I thought the bus rocked too much.  My mule wobbled much more.  My back hurt, my legs hurt, my everything hurt.  I felt bruises on top of bruises.  I rode that mule for two days through mountain ranges and many rivers. My clothes held the cold river water freezing my bones. I asked poor Mr. Lu, "How much longer?" at least a hundred times. He always smiled and answered, "Not much further, Miss Aylward."

Late on the second mule day, Mr. Lu stopped in front of a gate. "This is Yangcheng." 

The next minute, an older woman came to the gate.  She had to be Mrs. Lawson!

Next week, I'll tell you what we did.

Gladys Aylward

Thinking to the New Year

By Mary Vee

This Saturday starts the New Year!!  Wahoo!

What do you want to do this year?  

Will you be in school? 

Will you go on a special vacation?

I hope you get to do something special.

As for Mondays here on God Loves Kids You will go to new countries--



AND--

Meet people who:

    





left their homes to go to a new place-
learned a new language--

   





  ate different foods--
  




 

lived in a different kind of home--









 

and had great adventures while sharing the Gospel.







So I thought and thought about which great adventure to share first. AND the winner is...
 

Gladys Aylward. Join me in January for the exciting adventures of Gladys Aylward in China.

Travel to China with us next Monday

Where else would you like to go?