Thrilling Experiences

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 43, 23 April 1947, Page 5

Thrilling Experiences

MISS ANNIE .IA.MES, M.B.E. WELCOME IN LOWER HUTT A la rye congregation gathered in St. Stephen's Church to greet Miss Annie James, M.8.E., who lias won wide recognition for her courageous work in Free China. Miss James commenced her service as a missionary in 19 12 with the Presbyterian Mission in Canton and soon was in charge of the nursing staff ar Hie "Hospital of Universal Love" in Kong Cliuen. Throughout practically the whole period since then this hospital has witnessed disturbed times. In 1916 Oeneral Li.'of the Northern Chinese Army, occupied '.he hospital while fighting surrounded it; in 1922 the utter lack of government in China lei loose the forces of lawlessness and greed and the consequent sufferings of the people were a constant drain on such peoolr

as Miss Juntos. In 192 C». with tin anti-European outburst, it was netvKsary to evacuate the hospital Hires* times. Here Dr. Eaton was killed bj the firing of a bandit and around this place Japanese bombs began >o fall long before 11*MT. when official war was declared between China and

Jap. 'Hi. During these earlier years Sister J.une.s specialised in infant welfare and published the first handbooks on that subject in the Cantonese language. This particular work t'oon necessitated that she be given a roving commission and so it was that she became known and eagerly sought after over a wide province. This experience was to enable her during ten years of war to give real leadership to refugee communities. .Making her headquarters and hospital at Kaai Hau, she trekked long distances inland, keeping just in front of the Japanese invaders except at times when she was overtaken. Her mission was to save life and to reinforce the almost beaten spirit of that part of China and ever to display in her life what Christianity means.

"(Sod in Everything"

On Wednesday night Miss James spoke of her experience of "God in Everything," describing how once she was rurprised in her shell of a hospital, but the decoration of that hospital with flowers so took the attention of the flower-loving Japanese that they overlooked her presence. God was in those flowers. She told of the terrible necessity laid on some Chinese families of selling a child ami then debating which other child to sell next in order that their poor resources might stretch to keep at least some children alive. Telling the story of one such family, Miss James described bow a bandage wbicu she had tied on an unknown Chinese let! to her appeal for this family being met by an inland village which had refused admittance to the poor family. Clod was in that bandage. Clod was even in certain pigs which she bought in order to fatten them and so provide funds for medical work. She fed the pigs according to Plunket rules, but omitted the late feed. She evacuated them eadi time the Japanese approached, driving them into baskets, which was in itself no mean feat. On one occasion time did not allow for their evacuation, and on returning to the village where they were housed it was noticed that shops had been \plundered and all animals killed and eaten by the Japanese, but those pigs were intact. Cod was in those pigs, for they sold later for a fabulous sum in Chinese dollars.

Miss James »s oik 1 of those personalities who belong to a4l races because they belong to the Kingdom of God. Tse Koo. Miss James is called, is now known the world around as "A heroine of China."