Chapter 15: Sheffield

The C.M.J. suggested that we live 'somewhere in the Midlands', and as our son Robert was in the Sheffield area, we decided on that city as a good centre. We knew that our home there would be only for a short time, and we already had our bungalow to retire to in the village of Locking, near Weston-super-Mare. Sister Cornhill and Miss Appledore, retired from Northwood, were living in it as our tenants, and it turned out that they found a place of their own in the village a year earlier than expected, so we were only in Sheffield for two years. But we loved it there. We were high above the city and near beautiful country. Our house was small but very cosy, and we found St. Luke's, Lodge Moor, a daughter church of Fulwood parish, a very congenial fellowship. I was of course nearly always away preaching, but Emily found her niche in visiting a few old people, calling on new-comers, helping with the creche, and generally rejoicing in not being in an official position as a vicar's wife inevitably is.

When we arrived we found that Mr. and Mrs. Fox, who lived opposite, had prepared a welcome 'feast'—much more than the proverbial 'elevenses'—and we were able to work on through the afternoon. They were very kind and good friends to us throughout.

As in my days with the C.M.S. in Ireland, I always felt that to exercise a general ministry, while being known as Extension Secretary of C.M.J., did only good for the Society. C.M.J. was very understanding about this, recognizing that, apart from the provision of a house—which sold at a good profit two years later— and travel and office expenses, I was not financially dependent on the Society. It is hard to write objectively about this without giving a false impression, but it is necessary to try. We have not a large private income, but our needs were not great, and with the help of royalties on my books and the letting of our bungalow we were able to get by.

We did think it worthwhile taking some capital to finance a journey to South America to see our daughter Dorothy and her husband and children.

This was in August 1970, and we were away seven weeks. Again the C.M.J. recognized that it was our own concern how long we should stay, and also that our journey would be partly in the interest of the Society. No-one from the C.M.J. had ever visited our missionaries to the Jews in Buenos Aires, and this we were able to do. We actually left the summer conference at High Leigh a day early to fly out from Gatwick. Robert came to see us off. Emily had never flown before, and my few hops had been between England and Ireland, so it was quite an adventure to set off on a 6,000-mile journey. We were given a great welcome by the family at Buenos Aires Airport, and drove at terrifying speed to their little house in the suburb of Lomas. A fortnight there gave us opportunity of seeing the sights of the great city, visiting quite a lot of Christian work, preaching and speaking a little, including a Quiet Day arranged by Bishop Cyril Tucker whom I first met at Filey camp in 1 926. When we said good-bye and flew to Chile, we knew we should see the family again soon, for they were to come and join us in the trip across the Chaco. But it was farewell to Peter and Christine Clarke of C.M.J., of whom we had seen a good deal. They introduced us to all the specifically Jewish work in that city which has the fourth largest Jewish population of any city in the world.

In Chile we were most kindly welcomed by the Bishop, Kenneth Howell, and his wife. I was his commissary in England, so I was glad to see the work at first hand. We went with them to Temuco in the south where we visited the work among the Araucanian Indians. We even voyaged on Lake Budi in the dispensary launch which reached people it was hard to get to by road. It had been provided by Oxfam to meet a great need. We saw evidence of awakening of spiritual life in the Church, and of rapid growth. Later we went from Santiago to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, where S.A.M.S. work was growing fast. It was my joy to give Bible studies for the missionaries wherever we went. It was a special joy to meet up with former Blackheath parishioners: John and Anne Jacklin (she had been in my confirmation class) and Rosemary McClean who was converted at a guest service shortly before I left Blackheath.

Kenneth and Beryl Howell were very kind to us and enabled us to see a great deal during our twelve days in Chile. We knew that she was not well and she had'a long struggle with ill-health before her death some time later. It was a privilege to serve as Ken's commissary—though I had not much to do—and we welcomed the opportunity for discussing the work with him, both in Chile and when they had stayed with us in Oxford.

Our journey took us to Cordoba, via Mendoza, in north Argentina. The view of the Andes from the air was magnificent. We were met, by the good management of our son-in-law, by Mr. Clifford. He and his wife entertained us in their home, and although we started as complete strangers, we soon realized ourfellowship in Christ. Mr. Clifford's father had been one of the pioneer missionaries of the Brethren. He himself had lived all his life in the country, and now, having retired from business, was looking after the interests of the Bible Society in Cordoba. They took us to the Cordoba Hills, where we met Charles and Lyn Barr-Johnston, S.A.M.S. missionaries from the Chaco who were on their honeymoon. The following morning Mr. Clifford showed us a great deal of the evangelical work in the city. He wanted also to take us to meet the Roman Catholic Archbishop, whom he knew well through the Bible Society, but he was away.

We flew from Cordoba to Salta. This was to be our 'launching pad' for a memorable journey across the Argentine Chaco. We were met at the airport by Bishop Bill Flagg and several other missionaries, and our daughter Dorothy with her two little girls aged four and three-quarters and nearly three, Hilary and Caroline. They had had a long journey by train and bus and had only just arrived. On the drive in Dorothy asked us if we had heard from Robert, but his letter must have arrived after we had left Santiago. She then shared Robert's letter to her in which he told the children that they were to have a new aunt! So we knew that Robert and Elizabeth Condon intended to get married, though they very thoughtfully delayed announcing their engagement until we got back to England.

We were delighted. They had met in Israel when a party from St. John's Nottingham and Cranmer Hall, Durham, was visiting the Holy Land. We began to notice that Robert was making trips to Durham, and then Elizabeth came to do part of her practical training in Sheffield, so they met more often. Elizabeth had trained and practised as a physiotherapist, and was now doing the course which would qualify her as a parish worker. What better preparation for a future vicar's wife? They were married in July 1971 at Christ Church, Bromley, and set up home in a flat in a complex of 996 such flats in the middle of Sheffield. Robert was the chaplain of this community, and they both flung them- selves into the work wholeheartedly. After four years, during which time their two children were born, they moved to the parish ofSwadlincote in Derbyshire. They have a way of getting on well with people.

But we must get back to South America! Bishop Flagg was to do a tour of the Chaco, so we went with him. It was again my privilege to minister the word of God to missionaries in every place, and also to speak to Christian groups of Indians of the Mataco and Toba tribes. In Algarrobal, where the work had first begun, there is a strong church, and I addressed by interpretation a crowd of about 1 50 on a week- night. Next day I spoke to 13 Matacos and seven Tobas who were in training for ministry of one sort or another, some to be fully ordained. I was much moved to be addressing some first-generation Christians who were to share in this work. We spent time with Canon and Mrs. Leake. He first went out in 1928. What a life-time of service in an obscure corner. I greatly admired his spirit, and the work he had accomplished with the Indians.

Their son David had recently been consecrated Assistant Bishop of north Argentina, and we stayed with him at Juarez. It was a terribly hot Sunday, but I struggled to preach at a service held before the sun was too high in the heavens, and later in the day to attend a communion service for a congregation of newly converted 'Whites', i.e. not Indians but Spanish-speaking people. When speaking by interpretation I found it good to take a story rather than an abstract theme. I rang the changes on such incidents as Zacchaeus' meeting with Jesus, Andrew's bringing his brother, the wedding feast at Cana. We saw in the Chaco how the church had not only preached the gospel for the saving of the soul, but done much to improve the material lot of the Indians. Surely this is always a matter of both/and, not either/or?

Eventually we made a long day's journey to Formosa, from where we were to go on to Asuncion in Paraguay for our final visit. The trip was made hours longer because torrential rains had washed away the road we should have taken and we had to make a detour. We arrived at 1 a.m., having been given up by our hosts, but after a cup of tea and a night's rest we were restored. The Chaco trip had been memorable and provided us with many examples of the power of the gospel. I rejoiced to know that E. D. Panter, who stayed with us at Tunbridge Wells for the mission at which I was converted as a boy, had been a missionary in those parts. There has been rapid growth, and now there is an Indian Bishop.

In Asuncion it was quite a different scene. It is the capital city of Paraguay, and the church and school around which, and out from which, the work continues to grow, are in a nice residential area. All the missionaries from up country were gathered together, and it was a joy to take part in the devotional sessions of their conference. These I shared with Victor Roberts of S.A.M.S. Australia, who with his wife was also making a tour of the work. With them we visited the Iguazu Falls— an all-night bus journey—the largest falls in the world, and certainly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Sir Kenneth Grubb, who travelled the world and had seen Niagara, Victoria, and other great falls, has told us in his autobiography that 'the Iguazu Falls are one of those vast and magnificent scenes which reward the traveller in south America, and among such scenes it is a prince'. Our day there was a fine way to celebrate the birthday of our (then) youngest grandchild, Caroline.

We flew home from Asuncion, spending three interesting hours in Sao Paulo and a couple of rather wretched ones in the departure lounge in Rio de Janeiro. Then Las Palmas, Lisbon, Gatwick, and after a night's rest a train to Woodbridge to pick up our car from David and drive home to Sheffield. We were pretty tired, but so thankful to have seen so much and met so many wonderful Christian people. David Evans, delayed by chicken pox, was able to join us for the week-end in Asuncion, which was also the fortieth anniversary of my ordination. I felt happy to be spending such a day with that devoted band of missionaries, and tried to share something of my feelings with them as we gathered together late on the Sunday evening. Archdeacon John Battman—an old L.C.D. man—was in charge of the Paraguay work of S.A.M.S., and his wife Barbara made a very nice anniversary cake. As everywhere on our journeys, we were showered with many kindnesses.

My last official engagement for C.M.J., before I retired on my 65th birthday, was at Hereford. I drove home late on Sunday night, and found a welcoming note from Emily who had already gone to bed. I realized what anxieties she had often had when I was out on the roads alone. I think perhaps in jobs of this kind it is the wife who bears the heavier load. But she was willing for this—for the sake of the Name.