WHEN JOHN AND BETTY PARTED in Shanghai, it was not to meet again until the eve of their marriage a year later. John went up the Yangtze by river steamer to the city of Anking, there to join a group of twenty to thirty other young men in the Language School of the Mission. Betty traveled northward in the same great province of Anhwei, in the escort of Mr. and Mrs. Glittenberg, recently appointed to the work in Fowyang. The journey, first by train and then by motor bus, took several days and ended in a warm welcome from Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, the only foreigners in the city. This was Betty’s first experience of a more remote inland station.
John is in southeastern Anhwei [she wrote a little later] and I in the northwest. The great Yangtze is between our districts, and there are marked differences between the north and the south. They eat rice, for example, and we eat noodles. They have wet, green rice fields, and we have parched, dry wheat fields. We have the flattest country imaginable, while they have hills and valleys.
But in that dry, northern country there had been showers of spiritual blessing, as Betty soon discovered. In the province as a whole the work had been slow, without large in-gatherings, until a few years previous when a springtide of divine grace visited this northern section. It was during the troublous years following 1925 that it began, and largely through the efforts of the local Christians. The general evacuation of 1927 had left the district without foreign missionaries, and the Chinese leaders were utterly cast upon God, In spite of much danger from communistic forces, they witnessed boldly for Christ, the Spirit of God working with them. So much was this the case that when Messrs. Costerus and Hamilton returned, fearful of finding the Christians scattered and discouraged, they found instead a truly wonderful work of God throughout the Fowyang district.
In the city itself they met a Sunday congregation of 250, which they were told was the average attendance. A hearty Christian Endeavor meeting followed, and a baptismal service, when eleven men and fifteen women made public confession of Christ. At the Communion Service afterward, seventy to eighty partook of the Lord’s Supper, great joy overflowing their hearts. And these were people who had come through much persecution.
In an outstation thirty miles to the northwest, the believers were on fire for Christ. Persecution had put grit into them by the grace of God, and their testimony had been blessed to the conversion of many outsiders. Seventy-one men and women were examined and accepted for baptism. Their answers to the questions “were a splendid revelation,” Mr. Costerus wrote, “of their knowledge of Scripture and the way of salvation.”
A spirit of revival seemed to pervade the whole district. New groups of earnest Christians were meeting, week by week, to worship God. In one place a faithful widow had been the means of blessing, and was keeping the converts together, some of them already taking the lead in the Sunday services. But the need of teaching among the young believers was very pressing. Of two villages where there were fairly large groups, Mr. Costerus wrote:
None of them know much of the Gospel. About all they can do, when they come together, is to sing and pray. But the Lord is working among them. They are spoken of as “wild sheep” at present, because there is nobody to care for them.
The thankfulness of the missionaries at being able to return to the district may be imagined, and when Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton had to leave on furlough, the Glittenbergs were appointed to take their place. Miss Nancy Rodgers remained on in charge of the girls’ school in Fowyang, and much other work, and gave the warmest welcome to Betty Scott and her companion Katie Dodd.
The autumn conference was wonderful that year, when hundreds of Christians gathered in Fowyang. They came from all parts of the district, full of expectation of blessing.
We were very glad to have Miss Rodgers back again [Betty wrote], and the joy of the Chinese was unbounded. She brought a Miss Chiang from Süancheng with her, who took part in the autumn meetings. These were certainly well attended. There must have been eight hundred present, for the church was tightly packed. Many of the Christians came from country places.
Eighty-two were baptized that autumn, including one old gentleman over eighty years of age, of whom Mrs. Glittenberg wrote:
When he returned home after the baptismal service, his wayward son, who had given him much concern, said to his surprise: “It will never do for the two of us to live in the same house now!” He thought that he was too deep in sin to be saved. But the father persuaded him to agree that he could at least be prayed for. Some of the elders of the church came in answer to their request. They talked and prayed with the young man, and he was gloriously saved.
It was not easy to go on with language study in the midst of such opportunities throughout the district. Betty and Miss Dodd were able to do some visiting in the city, however, and even before the conference had taken one week for an evangelistic journey. Of this new experience she wrote to her young brother:
Anhwei is the flattest country you ever saw in your life. It’s almost like the ocean when very calm, with only here and there a bunch of trees and houses which can’t be seen far off, as the houses are mud and the trees dusty, like everything else. Sometimes, the first we saw of a homestead was the bunch of brilliant red peppers, hanging up to dry against a wall. These and the persimmon trees, which have a glorious way of turning color so that every leaf is a different hue, ranging from all oranges and reds to green, were almost the only bits of live color that we saw all day. Everywhere the people were harvesting pinky-gray sweet potatoes, out of what looked like piles of dry dust. Whenever a little donkey trotted by, it raised a cloud of dust that could be seen for miles. Sometimes we were beside the river, which was almost blue, and had cut deep banks for itself out of dry cliffs.
Our rickshaw men went along at the slowest walk. The road was bumpy and the tires were not balloon, nor new. Most of them were wrapped around with swaddling bands, and the men anxiously stopped to pick burrs off them, for fear of more punctures.
About 2:30 we stopped for dinner. No, it wasn’t a rest station, and there wasn’t a sign of gas anywhere. It was a market town, and every man, woman, and child for miles around was there with their produce, trying to see who could collect most flies on them and their food. When the flies saw us, they were tickled pink and made for us! So did the people. We retired into a little inner room of a mud house (the inn) and there the people rushed us as though we were a couple of footballs. The landlady shoved them out bodily, explaining in loud tones that we were only human beings like themselves. But they, good-naturedly, sneaked in anyway, until they were three deep all around us.
The landlady was evidently kind as well as vigorous. Determined to secure a measure of privacy for her guests, she made an excuse to take them to a back courtyard and hurried them into another little room.
Firmly closing the door, she left us to our meal with chopsticks in almost total darkness, not even able to see whether we were eating any of the flies! Such of the crowd as were already in before the door was shut, gleamed at us with shining eyes. They had a lovely show—the big excitement of their lives! All this time we had been giving out tracts as well as we could, our Bible-woman doing most of the talking.
Well, that night we stopped at another village, where there were some Christians and a place of worship. These dear people were no cleaner than anybody else, but they were awfully friendly and nice. They brought us hot water and boiled peanuts and all kinds of things. We slept in a loft over the little chapel. The rats bothered Katie, so she hauled her bedding down the ladder and slept on some benches. I stayed up above, but got a raft of smaller things rats—ai-yah!
The next day we reached Yingshan, a rather large city. The wall could be seen for miles across the plain. No missionary, as far as we know, has ever lived there. Our premises are back from the main streets and have the loveliest, round, moon gate you ever saw, leading to the inner courtyard. The angelist who occupies them now with his family, had very Chinesey turnips and shrimps drying in the sun all over the place, with many flies to every shrimp.
This outstation was not in the part of the district where there had been most blessing, and it was hoped that Betty and Miss Dodd would go and live there before long, to care for the women and children. Betty rejoiced in the prospect.
This place is the most promising I can imagine for such work [she continued]. Little has been done among the women, and there are quite a few who have heard something of the Gospel and are eager to learn to read and study the Bible. Somehow or other, their hearts have been prepared. It is the same with the children. Schoolboys and girls, as well as those who cannot read, just beamed at the idea that we should teach them. They swarmed in all the time we were there, and every verse or Bible chorus that we knew they were eager to learn. They would repeat them over hundreds of times to make sure that they had really got them....
Some among them were the most precious little children you ever saw—really lovable, unspoiled ones, whose eyes just shone, and who crowded round us and repeated every word we said, every verse and chorus, line by line, for hours. There was no such thing as rushing in late for Sunday school, and rushing home again right afterward. They did go home for meals, but not all at the same time! There were three services on Sunday, led by the evangelist, and a special children’s meeting in the afternoon, so the place was packed all day long. They weren’t fresh and cheeky either; they were simply interested and thrilled. We gave them tracts, and Miss Liu nearly talked her head off, preaching to group after group of women. All of them wanted us to come back later and live in the city, and teach them the Bible.
It was tiring work, and the girls were unused to such surroundings. Language, food, crowds—all were strange; but how glad they were to be there! To her fiancé at Anking, Betty wrote:
O John, how the people streamed in, yesterday, after our arrival! They were in the chapel, which is largely open, in the courtyard, in our room—everywhere! And there were the loveliest young girls, besides crowds of women, students, and children. We gave out many tracts, and the Bible-woman was talking almost every minute. Katie and I attempted a few words, here and there. I counted fifty or sixty listening at one time, and they kept coming and going. We invited them all back for Sunday, to the preaching services. How we long to start Bible classes for these educated girls, and other meetings for the women and children!
This morning the evangelist took us on a flying visit to each of the homes where there are Christians and inquirers, and there is surely lots of work to be done! Imagine—no missionary, man or woman, has ever lived here, and I don’t think any white woman has ever been here before, except Mrs. Ferguson. It is a large walled city too.
John was naturally anxious, at times, for Betty’s safety in a district which was not free om bandits, especially after a sad experience which immediately followed this journey. Little Lois, the youngest of the Glittenberg children, a lovely baby with golden curls all over her head, was taken ill with dysentery. Betty was devoted to the family, and felt deeply for Mrs. Glittenberg when, as the only hope of saving the child’s life, she set out to take her by motor bus to the nearest hospital, a long day’s journey. Sad to say, the bus was stopped by bandit soldiers who ordered all the passengers out and took possession of their baggage. In vain Mrs. Glittenberg pleaded for the little bag which contained the baby’s medicine and a few other necessaries. The bandits concluded that this bag must be specially valuable, since the mother was so concerned about it, and refused to give it up. There was a long delay before rickshaws could he found to take the travelers on to their destination. Happily Mrs. Glittenberg had money sewed up in her clothing and was able to pay her way, but the long exposure cost the precious little life. Baby Lois died of dysentery in the hospital in Hwaiyiian. Telling of this sorrow, and the beautiful spirit in which the parents took it, Betty wrote a few days later:
Here in this work, you just have to trust everything to God, including your children, and know that He will do exactly what is best, and according to His will.
This was in November, only a few weeks after Betty’s arrival with the Glittenbergs in Fowyang, and before the close of the year they had another trying experience, this time with soldiers. Betty’s letter about it was written to John at Anking:
December 11,1932
Today I did not go to church, and about noon went over to the Glittenbergs to dinner. Milton has been sick since the baby died, and now it looks as if it may be measles. Mrs. Glittenberg was with him, and all the others were at church, except the cook who had returned early to release the old gateman. It was 2 P.M. and church was not over, when a couple of soldiers marched in and sat down to stay. Apparently the cook opposed them, for they hit him, and he rushed off to the church compound to get the gateman and Mr. Wang, the teacher of the girls’ school. Meanwhile I went out and spoke to the soldiers, explaining that there was only a girls’ school here, the missionary’s residence, and a few rooms occupied by other people (meaning that there would no room to entertain them and their company). Well, by the time the cook had brought Mr. Wang and the gateman back, it was evident that the soldiers meant to stay, so I went in and told Mrs. Glittenberg. Then church was dismissed and all the girls came home. You can imagine the situation when, before long, there were two companies of men (about sixty soldiers) downstairs in the girls’ school, and all the desks and tables out in the courtyard.
It is most improper, of course, for soldiers to take possession of any part of a girls’ school building that way, even though Nancy Rodgers and the girls stayed upstairs, and they would certainly proceed to wander all over the compound and our house too. Mr. Glittenberg had gone down to Shanghai, to icing the older children back for the Christmas holidays, and the pastor was away on a preaching tour, so the evangelist, Mr. Ho, who had just brought the tent back from some good meetings, politely but firmly tried to explain matters.
About that time, we decided that I had better go over to the church compound to see how Katie’s and my place was faring, since soldiers were evidently quartering all over. As I returned, finding everything quiet over there, I passed Mr. Ho near the yamen (residence of the official in charge of the district) and, bless his heart! he went to find the real “big bug,” whom he actually met just outside the door. The chief was very friendly, and when he heard that it was a Christian girls’ school, he said at once that it was not suitable that his men should remain there. They should be out, he promised, before dark.
But the men were very much in occupation by that time, and were beginning to peer around into our kitchen and Nancy’s rooms in the second story of the school. We were glad to hear Mr. Ho’s report, but kept right on praying, because people can change their minds or find excuses, if they wish to do so. However, as we were praying—my, it was wonderful—we heard a sharp whistle and some commands being given, and before we could get out to see, the men were lining up at attention, in a long double file stretching from our door almost to the front gate. Out they marched in good order, and the whole place was clear and quiet before dark. Mr. He, teacher Wang, the gateman, the carpenter, the little goat boy, the cook, the schoolgirls and we ourselves went grinning around in a joyful sort of daze, praising the mercy of God, as you may believe, again and again.
Commenting on these happenings in a letter to his parents, John said:
I was specially glad to see the cool way in which Betty was taking it all. I do thank God for her. But the above will help you to pray more understandingly for her—for us both when we get out into the work. One never knows what one may run into. But we do know that the Lord Jehovah reigns. Above all, don’t let anything worry you about us.
He then quoted a poem which had just reached him, written about the death of a missionary at the hands of bandit soldiers. Gun in hand, they asked him if he was afraid. “No,” be replied, “if you shoot, I go straight to Heaven!”
And so [John continued] we can praise God that, for us, everything is well. If we should go on before, it is only the quicker to enjoy the bliss of the Saviour’s presence, the sooner to be released from the fight against sin and Satan. Meanwhile we can continue to praise Him from whom all blessings flow.
In his own work at Anking, John was very conscious of help in answer to prayer. He was finding the language difficult, but his letters were full of good cheer and confidence in God. The faithfulness in little things which had characterized him as a boy at school was still more manifest now—in his use of his time, and steady application to the task in hand. He was improving, too, in health, through keeping early hours and taking exercise. The students at Anking were not able to go out much, lest the appearance of so many young men should cause excitement in the city; but they made up for lack of walking exercise by strenuous open-air sports in their own compound. Passing his language tests after the first few months was a great experience to John.
Hurray! [He wrote on March 18.] This morning I finished the last of the three language exams. I have taken one a day for three days... and praise the Lord for His help, of which I have been very conscious.. . On Wednesday I take my oral, reading from selected passages and holding a conversation with the pastor, rather than with one of our regular teachers. Then on Saturday I am to lead morning worship in Chinese, the subject for the day being John 5:15-2315The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. 16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:15‑23). I am glad it is not too abstruse a passage.
March 25,1932
When we first came out, and read what Hudson Taylor said about men preaching in Chinese six months after beginning to study, we smiled. But here it is—just one day more than five months, and I have actually taken morning prayers! Praise the Lord!
I suppose it is because I have already shaken in my shoes so many times at street corners all over Paterson, that I’m not too badly affected that way now.... It was certainly blessed to realize that I could say a bit and get over some ideas which were apparently understood. Not being able to pray in Chinese as yet, I asked the pastor to do so, and from the way he went over all the points of the message it was evident that he had taken it in, even if he was repeating it for the benefit of those who may not have understood.
The General Director of the Mission was expected at Anking by that time to go into the important matter of designations, and there was not a little speculation among the students as to where each one would be sent. The Mission carries on its work in fifteen provinces of China proper, as well as in its outlying dependencies, the field is a wide one, and the needs of very different kinds of work have to be considered. Much prayer had been had been made about the matter all through the winter, pool the young men had learned enough about Lila country to be taken into consultation. Mr. Este arrived on a Monday and began his interviews the same day.
I didn’t come on till the afternoon of Tuesday [John wrote]. Mr. Hoste had caught a bit of a cold and had to stay in bed that day.... I don’t think I’ll ever forget the time I had with him alone.
When you see Mr. Hoste under ordinary circumstances, his massive head, perfectly erect figure and pointed beard proclaim the fact that he was formerly an army officer. But it is different when you see him in bed, propped up with pillows. There wasn’t a suggestion of the officer about him. He looked more like a tired patriarch, ready to lay his burdens down. He just made me think of Jacob, leaning on his staff, blessing his sons.
I was only with him a few minutes, when he began to pray. He asked the Lord to bless me and to bless Betty—gladdening my heart, by the way—and went on to pray for the Mission, the native church, other missions and so on, for fifteen or twenty minutes. I could not help feeling that this was not so much just a bowing of the head to ask the Lord to bless our deliberations, but that, when he began to pray, he forgot that I had come to be designated and was on his most important work, that of intercession.
Then he went on to give me helpful advice on all lines, not in a haughty tone, but in a truly humble way.... Finally, after I had been an hour with him, he came round to the designation. The outcome is that I am to go to Süancheng for further study and a start in the work with Mr. and Mrs. Birch, from North America.. Then it is intended that we open a new station in a city called Tsingteh. So, if I’m not out in Sinkiang, it looks as if it will still be our privilege to occupy new territory for the Lord...
Not knowing Süancheng, I cannot write much about it, except to say that there is evidently a prosperous church there. It is in mountainous country in the south of this province, which is said to be very beautiful.
Then came farewells at the Language School and the breaking up of the first happy associations in China.
I shall ever thank God for my acquaintance with John [wrote one of his fellow students]. He was the most spiritual fellow in Anking; it was a joy to talk or work with him. He always seemed to be above difficulties and worries, for he turned them over to God, and his example encouraged several (I know it did me) to be more diligent in prayer.
John was the backbone, humanly speaking, of the spiritual life at Anking that winter [said another who had traveled with him from America]. He seemed to know Christ more intimately, more practically than the rest of us. When I was discouraged, he helped me to find the joy of the Lord. Some months after we had left Anking, he wrote me a letter of sympathetic reproof for certain things, a letter which I treasure and will often reread with profit. I never, before or since, received a reproof more truly in the spirit of Galatians 6:11Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1), and I praise God for it. John’s spirituality was radiant and contagious. He seemed to be always in touch with the source of power, even our Lord Himself.