eadied to set out for Banjermas<strong>in</strong>. For precious human souls, Iwas determ<strong>in</strong>ed to lay aside every anxiety.It was the aborig<strong>in</strong>es’ harvest time when everyone were busy<strong>in</strong> the paddy-fields. To make this long journey it was easy to f<strong>in</strong>dcompanions. At a word, however, over ten would jo<strong>in</strong> us, ofwhom seven were chosen. These comprised one who hadfervently witnessed with his wife, as guide, three brothers aspack-bearers, and two sisters as attendants. The brother who actedas our guide was a good witness. A converted sorcerer, he couldthus ga<strong>in</strong> the hearts and wills of many people, that evenMohammedans were obliged to listen to him. Moreover he couldspeak Malay (language of Indonesia) and became my best<strong>in</strong>terpreter. Though illiterate he could translate many Biblicalterms. God had given him this special gift. A native of “the otherside”, he could translate <strong>in</strong>to the dialect of his own people. Thesisters, while help<strong>in</strong>g to cook and wash, sang also <strong>in</strong> theEvangelistic Band’s choir. Musically talented, they lightened not alittle my load.Across our path ahead, however, there still lay that barrier ofanxiety. From our entourage came this postulation, “You areGod’s servant. God will watch over you. We have a little faith. Wehave none to shelter us except you. Sir, wherever you go we willfollow closely. We dare not leave you, eat<strong>in</strong>g or sleep<strong>in</strong>g.”Promis<strong>in</strong>g, I comforted them with Mark 16:17,18 that they shouldlearn look<strong>in</strong>g up to God.Apart from the cumbersome pump-organ (we reduced ourpackage to the simplest) our <strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>in</strong>cluded the follow<strong>in</strong>g:mosquito net, bed sheet, canvass bed and a few changes ofclothes, <strong>Bible</strong>, gospel posters and their k<strong>in</strong>d, and portable cook<strong>in</strong>gutensils. My cereals and t<strong>in</strong>ned foods consumed, we roastedchicken and wild boar meat and brought along a packet of chilliesand salt, several bamboo-tubes of cooked rice and a pot of water.Besides we were armed with a parang (long knife) each, two118
Like am army’s expenditionary forcesheets of woven palm leaves. With all this accoutrement, welaunched out to Banjermas<strong>in</strong>. Though heavily packed, we coveredthe first six or seven days’ rugged journey with ease. We crossedhigh mounta<strong>in</strong>s and lonely valleys, thick jungles whose ancienttrees reached up to heaven, their thick foliage blott<strong>in</strong>g out the sun.Thorns, thistles, tall lallang grass overgrew little-trodden foottracks.Like sharp spears they stood <strong>in</strong> the way. The forward mannaturally had to hack a way for his comrades beh<strong>in</strong>d.Though we were spared meet<strong>in</strong>g with wild beasts and robbers,we were the targets of swarms of mounta<strong>in</strong> leeches withoutstretched heads like hungry devils ready to strike each passerbywith a “kiss”. Howsoever careful, you could hardly escape thisnuisance. Bare-legged, those brethren and sisters pa<strong>in</strong>tedthemselves with a thick coat of crimson. As they walked on, reddrops of blood trickled like oil onto the unend<strong>in</strong>g mounta<strong>in</strong> path.My heart soured to see this squad of seven or eight bleed<strong>in</strong>gafresh each day. I was fully accoutred, shoes and stock<strong>in</strong>gs up tothe thigh, tightly fitted. On top of that I had soap and tobacco119
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Pioneering in Dyak Borneo© 1997 Re
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Translator’s Preface to this Abri
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Chapter 1A Half-Century of Fleeting
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are higher than the earth, so are m
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children, her great hope, and looki
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he would have to go from home to sc
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if he had footache, to which he cou
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to the boy, “You just come with m
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with the nursing superintendent and
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inflammatory disease of the small i
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corrupt petty officer. But he had n
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He loved China like his own country
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such an extraordinary institution p
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For the company of schoolmates who
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them published in the newspapers’
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misunderstood or falsely accused, t
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One day while writhing in the throe
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Although he utterly detested those
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inside the living quarters he becam
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last, he was determined to a celiba
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“A laborious couple”45
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period, we expressed our regrets to
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esulted in our coming together agai
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was no help to me. But when she pou
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But the peculiar condition surround
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saw it declared it was the work of
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her same-mindedness in this matter.
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Chapter 4“A New Thing”“And he
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entreated him to find them pastors
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With Dr Jaffray on eve of sailing f
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- the Chinese Foreign Missionary Un
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