Pioneering in - Far Eastern Bible College

converted to Christ, five young men and women to studytheology, of whom the writer is one.Was the boy born on an inauspicious day? Was he bound to anunhappy fate? No! In the perfect will and providence of God, thisso-called unhappy fate was truly auspicious.When the boy was twelve his father took ill and died. Thiscame like a bolt from the blue that caused dark clouds to enshroudthis unhappy family. Mother, over-grieved, yet seeing the needs ofher brood, with help from nowhere, could but regain herself tobear up her heavy responsibility. She not only bore up the family’sfinancial burden, but also had to face the cold unconcern ofrelatives and neighbours, the distant aloofness of friends and thehand-folding of her husband’s younger brother, whose successtoday was due entirely to his care. Her heartache was known onlyto herself. However, for the children’s happiness, she fought thedark surroundings with rolled-up sleeves and a gnashingdetermination. She believed that her sufferings would one day berewarded. She believed that winter’s cold would bring in thewarmth of spring, the dark night soon yield to a bright day.Though beset by troubles, daybreak was not far distant. Anddespite her lack of education, she had far-sightedness to educateher children at all costs. Just as she contemplated sending her bigson to a private school, a Western missionary offered to send himto a Church school. What could have been a better relief to herburden of eking out a livelihood? Her dead husband, being a poorpreacher with “two sleeves of cool breezes”, had left her nothing.There’s a saying: “Blessing comes not in pairs nor disasteralone.” This poor widow, aged thirty, found herself unsympathisedand unconsoled, a face of tears from morn to night. Due toconstant weeping which resulted in her eye-lashes growingbackwards, her eyeballs became affected. For the sake of her10