Our Territory has been blessed by many Kiwis. I don’t mean the birds but the wingless and featherless two legged human beings from New Zealand! We thank God for them and their dedicated service in this part of the world.
With the impending departure of Colonels Lyndon and Bronwyn
Buckingham to the United Kingdom it looks like these human Kiwis are also an endangered species here in Singapore! So let us look after our one and only Kiwi – Major Ruth Pascoe who is still active despite living past retirement age. Reinforcement officers come and go, but Major Ruth Pascoe goes on forever!
Immediately after the war in 1945, our reinforcement officers who had just been released from prison were in need of a rest in their own homeland. Three and a half years of suffering in prison had taken its toll on their health. But they could not be spared immediately to go for homeland furlough. There was much work to be done in the aftermath of the war.
Everywhere were broken buildings and broken lives and these men and women of faith “counted not their own lives dear,” staying on to serve our people despite their own desperate need for rest.
One day one of these officers, Major Frederick Harvey, received a letter from the International Secretary in London, which said, “Delighted to hear of the good work you are doing – you are writing a new chapter to the Acts of the Apostles.” It was intended as a note of encouragement.
Major Harvey responded in his inimitable way, “Thank you. I’d rather be writing a new chapter to Exodus. When can you send someone to relieve me so I can rejoin my loved ones?”
Replacements did arrive to relieve these heroes and heroines of the faith. New Zealand was quick to answer the Macedonian call and five Kiwis were soon on their way. The War Cry of October 1946 had this report under the caption “The New Zealand party” -
“It was a coincidence that Commissioner J. Evan Smith, Territorial Commander for New Zealand called in at Singapore on his way home from the High Council meetings. The Commissioner was travelling by air and landed at Sydney on the final stage of the journey to find the five New Zealand officers who were bound for the then Malaya waiting in Sydney. They travelled by SS Marella from Sydney and were welcomed on arrival at Singapore by Lieut. Colonel and Mrs John Wainwright. (This command was then known as the Malaya Command.) This little ‘red dot’ was one of the three British Straits Settlements in Malaya.
“Their coming was timely and they were referred to by the Officer Commanding in the welcome meeting as the New Zealand party for their healthy Salvationism and ready-for-anything spirit which indeed brought new life and inspiration to us.
“Within a few hours of the arrival the officers joined with local comrades and Salvationist servicemen for a visit to the Singapore Leper Settlement. It was symbolical perhaps that the inmates of this hospital should be amongst the first to extend a welcome to the New Zealand officers. Their outstretched arms, some without fingers or hands, seemed to echo the Macedonian cry for help from a far country.”
One of the five was Captain Agnes Morgan who prior to her arrival with the team to Singapore had received her appointment to China. After a short term of service in Singapore, she proceeded to China and served during the last days of the Kuomingtang. She became very fluent in Mandarin.
When the communists took over China, she returned to Singapore and served many years in different capacities till she was Promoted to Glory following a car accident at Batang Kali, Malaysia. She and two cadets were on their way to visit us in Kuala Lumpur where we were the Corps Officers (pastors.) Upon receipt of the news from the police, I rushed to the hospital and saw her just before she breathed her last breath. I was the last person to see her alive.
This command has never ceased to welcome people from abroad. The Macedonian cry goes out loud and clear “Come over and help us.” The Salvation Army is an international Army and as such knows no boundaries. The word “missionary” used in the past has been changed to “reinforcement” and all our overseas officers are reinforcement officers. As such they work alongside our national officers for glory of God.
“The fields are white unto harvest, but the labourers are few.” No matter what your race or nationality is, God needs you. Respond with “Here am I, my Lord, send me.”
Hi, thanks a lot for writing these blogs about your story and especially the ones that mention Agnes Morgan. She was my great-aunt. I never met her because she died before I was born, but my mother remembers her well and remembers that she died on my mother's 10th birthday in 1968. My grandparents (Agnes's brother Alan and his wife) had many things in their house from Asia that Agnes had brought back for them. My parents still have some of them. It is touching to come across the last person who saw Agnes alive and to hear a bit about her from your blogs.
ReplyDeleteI Would like to reiterate my son Caleb's comments. I do remember my Aunty Agnes well but I didn't know she served in China as well as Singapore and Malaysia. I would appreciate any other information you may have about her. Thank you for sharing this.
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