How God Provided in 1960 for us in 2021 and Beyond – Our Story Continued, #25

As I write this over six months have gone by since God called Mary Helen home. She is in heaven where I look forward to seeing her again. Some days my grief seems too much to bear. So why write about our past? Because in memories I find comfort. And because of what God did in the past—not only at calvary but how He used my mother to care for us both and ensure I would have a roof over my head today. But more on that later.

After the terrible flood of 1973 receded, the Gordons and the Bastians took over relief efforts. I found an isolated place upcountry where I could concentrate on writing Theology, Part Two which needed to be ready by January. But the more the committee considered the curriculum, the more we realized that like our progress through school from primary to secondary to university, our students needed entry level courses before tackling those at a university level.

The only reason I could concentrate on TEE (theological education by extension) was because of the mission family. Far from home among other believers committed to the same goals, we became a family. Our kids called the other missionaries auntie and uncle. Still to this day, the Gordons’ kids who all live in North America called us Auntie Mary Helen and Uncle Eric. Thus, while I typed lessons in a sort of ivory tower existence, the “family” took care of supporting the pastors, visiting villages, encouraging the book room workers, helping to settle disputes, teaching, preaching, and of course carrying on flood relief as well as working in Murree Christian School. The international team had grown considerably since our arrival in the early ‘60’s including members from the US, Canada, UK and Australia.  What a great team, uh, family!

Part of the 1974 mission family

Without neglecting work on Theology II, I began to focus more on a simpler course based on the Christian armour passage in Ephesians 6:10-20. I simplified the number of lessons from five a week to three.

By October of 1973, most of the refugees had gone back to their villages to rebuild their lives. And so, in November, we began a new semester of TEST (the extension school of theology) with 25 students in three centres. Bill Milton taught a borrowed course on Jeremiah while I introduced my new course on putting on the whole armour of God.

I felt energized as I taught about the resources God provides so Christians might defeat the enemy of their souls. The course stressed the importance of a genuine relationship with Christ, and the power to live a godly life through the Holy Spirit. It unmasked the strategy of Satan. Then it led students to learn how to counter Satan’s subtle devices through putting on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, and vigilance in prayer. With the late start, the term carried on into 1974.

Teaching the Christian Armour course

During the Christmas holiday break, I attended the first All-Asia Consultation on Theological Education by Extension held in Hong Kong. As a delegate from PACTEE, I joined scores of representatives of TEE movements as diverse as those in Taiwan, Indonesia, India, and Australia. This consultation opened the lines of communication and sharing across Asia. I returned to Pakistan pumped to press on.

We concluded our delayed term of studies in February of ‘74. Comments by the students made it clear how much they enjoyed the Christian Armour course. They appealed for more courses like it. Six students went on to use the course, or at least parts of it, to teach others. Sharifa, a Christian school teacher in Rahim, taught the course to a group of Christian nurses at the local hospital. We were delighted to see more lay involvement in discipling. We even had fun using the course in our family devotions.

Meanwhile, Mary Helen enjoyed liberty teaching a series of studies to almost illiterate girls at a two-week short-term Bible School held in Rahim. With that complete, she prepared the boarding trunks so we could send the kids back to Murree for the start of their new term in March. 

Not all was rosy. The Sadiqabad church had begun complaining again. This time it was about the mission’s policy of giving aid to whoever needed it; Muslim, Marvari, or Christian. They felt the mission had a solitary duty to help Christians. They were not alone in this view. A number of the nominal Christians in the area had been attracted by the Roman Catholic Church’s policy of giving more monetary aid to Christian flood victims.

We pressed on. In late February 25 students joined us in three centres for a new term of TEST. Welcoming three tribal believers from among the Marwaris elated us. The development of tribal outreach among the Marwaris and Mengwals, a joint venture by our mission and the Conservative Baptists south of us was a great encouragement.

I delighted in finally teaching my much delayed second course on theology. I knew that this course, on the sovereignty of God in all His relationships with the universe, would not be easy for the students to comprehend. I had personally wrestled long and hard with the concepts and how to make the content as simple and clear as possible. For those living in the fatalistic environment produced by Islam’s inshallah[1], it was crucial that they be able to distinguish the biblically revealed LORD of glory from Allah. The lessons demonstrated that all philosophies, including atheism, believed in some kind of predestination or determinism but without the comfort offered and the human responsibility affirmed by the Scriptures.

Logistically, it was not an easy term. I had to ensure the lessons were printed and taught, but both the calligrapher and printer proved unreliable. We were also getting requests for both Theology courses to be mimeographed in English. That meant I had to first revise Theology, Part One. Some days were simply chaotic. Plus, we were under pressure for everything to be in good shape when we left for furlough in Canada in a few short months. Fortunately, there was Grace—that is Grace Dixon—who had joined us from India. She proved herself an amazing help in typing the stencils and running them off. (As I write this I just heard of her home-going at 101 years of age. What a persevering trooper!)

God gave the help we needed. We approached the time for our furlough with a sense that much had been accomplished. Our hearts were full of praise to God for His direction and provision. Four years earlier, we had no idea that such a discipleship method existed. God had surprised us again with a new and very exciting redirection of our lives—into theological education by extension.

In July, with the kids back from Murree Christian School, we entrusted TEST to Bill Milton and boarded the plane for Canada.

Behind the scenes in this, as in any missionary narrative, looms the matter of finance. As I’ve already noted, our mission went through times of considerable shortage. Funds were tight. Nevertheless, as God promised, genuine needs were always met. Sometimes God lavished upon us above and beyond what we could possibly expect. A special lamb curry from a friendly Muslim neighbour. A dinner out paid for by a friend working with US Aid. An opportunity to buy a car at a reasonable rate far below market price.  

Trips home on furlough and back to Pakistan were occasions when special things happened. Sympathetic travel agents ensured that we had paid stop-overs in key places. During those days, we were able to stay in four-star accommodations with meals included at no extra cost, something unheard of today. Le Meridien in Paris. A luxury hotel in Amsterdam. Tehran. Rome. Athens. And the inheritance mentioned earlier from a friend of my father during the first world war had helped us visit Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hawaii.

One of the most astounding things to happen, however, concerned God moving my mother with an act of unbelievable foresight. Unbeknown to us, my dad had put our family home into her name, probably to save on taxes. He was a builder who owned other properties. Knowing that we would never be able to own a home for our retirement, sometime around 1960, my mother left the family home in her will solely to me with the proviso that dad would use it until his death.

An view of our inherited home from the late 30’s

This surprise, in the form of a letter from a Trust company, burst on us a month or so after my father’s death in August of 1973. We were flabbergasted. How were we to manage the property? Since this news had come to us with a year left on our time in Pakistan and with no experience in being a landlord, we left it in the hands of the Trust company. They agreed to administer the property and send periodic statements. Although the rent was low and overhead owed to the Trust company substantial, it did give us a small source of income.

When we returned to Toronto, rather than evict the current tenant and seek a new tenant—not an easy job—we agreed that he continue on through our furlough and beyond. Our naivete at that point was great. We didn’t foresee the problems that lay ahead with this particular tenant. But the fact that we now had real estate equity in Toronto would become a huge blessing in the years ahead. The fact that now, in 2022 as I write this, I have a roof over my head and a small cushion in the bank is testament to God moving my mother to make this provision years earlier. How marvelous is our God whose omniscience infinitely exceeds our important but puny attempts to plan. No wonder He calls us to trust Him. God is no man’s debtor.

[1] “Allah willing,” spoken throughout the day by Muslims in all kinds of situations indicates the fatalistic belief that whatever happens is the will of Allah concerning which humans have no input.

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