We had undertaken a tremendous burden in the building up of an institution in the Far East, out in the country where formerly there was nothing but scrubby pine and barren hills. The physical and mental health was very much taxed, and under the heavy pressure of the material side of our institutional work we felt ourselves slipping spiritually. But in the very midst of this constructive work, when our hearts were most engrossed with temporal things, such as piling up brick and mortar, the development of industrial work and the sale of the product, the Lord saw fit to drive us away from the place for a time. The political situation throughout the country became such that the conference workers were called in to the division headquarters, and just at this time the Lord sent Elder MacGuire to the field to give us workers a wonderful series of studies. I praise God that His Spirit worked upon my heart and gave me a new vision of Christian life and service.
During those months of earnest Bible study and continued study of the language, I entered into a new experience. It was at that time that I felt the urge to do something to help our native workers enter into a deeper Christian experience, and was led to prepare a series of studies in the native language. Very soon after the studies were completed, I was asked to attend a native workers' institute. As I mingled with that group of workers who had experienced the horrors of war, persecution, imprisonment, and hardships of many kinds, there came into my heart a love for the people of that land which I had never known before, and we greatly enjoyed ten days of Bible study together. The experience was very interesting to me, and I saw many Scriptural truths in a new setting, and greatly enjoyed telling others of the great blessing which had come into my life.
Early the following year I returned to the work which had been so suddenly abandoned, and after six months of hard labor on the part of myself and my colleagues, to salvage what we could and rehabilitate the institution, the building was ready for occupancy. It has been a great struggle all this year in meeting the many problems which arise, but I thank the Lord that through His daily presence with me, and the joy which He has placed in my heart, many victories have been won. I rejoice in knowing that the righteousness of Christ is available for me, and that Christ will give me personal victory in proportion to the place He occupies in my life.
A Mission College President