Tapestry -- Sunday's sermon

Proverbs 3: 5 and 6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 

Our lives are often like this. All we can see are the knots and tangles and mess like on the back side of a tapestry. On the other side is a beautiful picture. and it all makes sense. God's perspective is everything he is doing in our lives. the darkest threads on the back are sometimes the most beautiful parts on the front. -- Corrie Ten Boom

Count trials great joy because God is working on you through the circumstance and he is closer to you than ever during trials. James 1:2 and 3

We get glimpses of the picture in hindsight. When we look back on bad events we often see those are the times God has done the most in our lives.

The greater the trust the more beautiful the picture on the other side of the tapestry

Gods' goal is to take us to maturity. not just from birth to death

When I lean on my own understanding, it is usually wrong. Trust the one who gave us his life and has never been unfaithful

The more we trust, the more we grow into who he wants us to be.. 

Philippians 1:6 He will complete his work in you until the day Jesus comes again. 

1943 November 17

1943 November 17

Dear Ginger, 

When Arthur and I were in our early teens we went hiking quite often. We liked to do our own cooking and one of the things we made most often was called "Darned Goods" These I learned to make at YMCA camp Greenhill during the summer of 1914, I believe. The recipe is - 1 cup flour, three teaspoons sugar, one of baking power and a fraction of salt. Same consistency as piecrust. Cut out and deep fry like donuts. I'll bet you're wondering what in the world makes me write about "Darned Goods" . Well, every morning we have "Darned Goods" with our fired eggs and coffee. I believe they were invented here. Try them someday. 

Just went to town to have my hair cut. Cost $35.00CN Uniformed laundry here is very expensive but it has the great advantage of coming back the same day.

Well, another mailman leaves with our mail tomorrow. I can't keep up with them. Just completed my first Chinese lesson given by the missionary with whom I had the most wonderful dinner the other night. Also found a coffee shop in which one can buy hot ovaltine with Chinese cakes. My roommate is arranging a kettle over the gasoline pressure lantern to boil water for coffee. It's nine at night here. It's been a slow day.

Writing on your knee has its drawbacks, you have to write so slowly, move the pad three of four times for each line and crouch down over your work. However, there isn't much to write, so time means nothing. It does get a bit chilly tho. My beautiful thermometer registered 64 degrees F which isn't too warm for writing. Home I get some air mail envelopes soon. Stocks running mighty low. I have another room mate (temporarily) who is from South Carolina. My very clever associate, the one who is making the coffee and comes from California wants to buy a farm when the war is over. He likes the peace and the tranquility of the coutry.

Well, the coffee's done. My eyes are tired. All the gasoline lantern throws a bright light, there are too many shadows and too much flickering to call it good light. So, my darling, so long til the next mail man. 

Love, hugs and kisses

George

1944 September 9

1944 September 9

Dear Ginger, 

Isn't this nice paper the PX brought over. Imagine pilots risking their lives to fly this over the "hump". We can honestly say that there is no finer stationery in China. Received also, considerable candy.

Capt. Watson, my old associate here, is now a Major. He's my roommate for the present. His super duper radio pulls in short wave programs from all over the world. It's playing some snazzy jive now. Americans make even a holiday of death. Only Christian countries can.

Love, hugs and kisses.

George. 

1945 March 6

1945 March 6

My Sweetheart,

Tonight I write by candlelight. Do you remember when I did that before? We find it difficult to get white gasoline for our gasoline pressure lamps and leaded gasoline makes them unserviceable,.

Imagine, I am as far forward as I can go without being in the "parched earth" and I'm living in a new, modern house with wood floors, white plaster walls and ceilings and paper covered casement windows. Excuse me while I find that flea. Here we eat with our Chinese associates or prepare our own meals from U.S. supplied food. We now can get all kinds of cooking cereal - oatmeal, Wheatina, etc. powdered milk which makes a tasty wonderful beverage, local flour to which we add the necessary U.S.  ingredients to make pancakes, sausage meat, strawberry jam, coffee, local tea, canned turkey, dehydrated cranberries, dehydrated baked means (truly wonderful_ and even so many other wonderful prepared foods.

Sometimes there are four of us (then we can play bridge, hearts, etc, sometime there are two of us. We visit and work in many unhappy areas and see it's sorrowful people very old to very young unhappily following the road with their small bundle of worldly possessions. Not infrequently we see those who are past all caring and for whom no last resting place has been provided. It's never ending. We talk of the Japs and Germans as our enemies. The real enemy is WAR and those who cause it. Much of the devastated area here has never been conquered by enemy units.

The clouds have turned and the weather has turned quite cold. Gee! We're so very lucky to have shelter, clothes, bedding and food.

The night before last the General has us up to an excellent Chinese meal and an old style Chinese play. The costumes were quite old silk embroidery and very beautiful. The play was interesting because I could understand it.

Enclosed are the least valuable Chinese notes I've seen. Their present value is 1/50th of a cent. The bank attempted to destroy them fearing they would fall in to Jap hands. 

I sent George an interesting Chinese silver dollar, regular mail. Did you get the silver spoons, ivory buttons and powder box, the Chinese "chop" and George's Jap propeller section flag stand?

Your letters are delightful. My feet are cold. Fire is out. Good night.

Love, hugs and kisses.

George,

1946 Septemberr 22

After my grandfather served in China during WW2, he got a few months at home with his family then had to serve in Germany. He spent around 2 years in China, a couple months in the states then around 6 months in Germany before he could move his family there for the rest of his two year term there. Here is one of his letters from Germany. 

1946 September 22

Sweetheart, 

I've just signed my name to 100 vehicle license applications and have 100 more to go. Haven't written you for three days but haven't received any mail either. Have eight letters from you so far which gives me considerable reading material.

The night before last as I turned on the radio,, a baritone was singing part of La Bohem very beautifully in English.

Listen, sweetheart, all this talk about the luxury for army personnel here conceals the facts. In order to get a home, you have to dispossess the owner and several refugee families. Usually they must move into already overcrowded quarters. The home furnishing we use are theirs, taken from them because their country is now invaded by a conqueror. They are permitted to take their bedding, cooking, and mess equipment and sometimes their radio, In Berlin and other large cities, there were rich people. but here we have a small town with no really well-to-do folk. What rugs there are are badly worn and many items of needed furniture are missing. Before military government stepped in, U.S. personnel would loot homes for desirable items of furniture. That' why some few places have apparently luxurious furnishings. At the present time, the room in which I live has no dresser or chest of drawers and no table lamp. Light bulbs are very scarce and usually quite dull. As I said, we might be able to rent a piano. The inner spring mattresses they have here are all made in three sections and very uncomfortable. I do believe the experience will be good for all of us. You can't spend much money because there isn't anything to buy. However, when you travel, you spend plenty. Every foreign country is out to "soak" the American.

I opened the cello chest and found everything in good order. Because we now have a rainy season here, I thought it best to keep the instruments in my room where there is heat. 

This letter isn't very full of love, is it, but my heart is. I've been reading a gook about Dr. Joseph Lister. He and his wife were deeply in love with each other and enjoyed a beautiful partnership.

Tomorrow, I may go to Bremen with Major Stuart, my chief associate. I'm anxious to learn my way about so I can help you find the commissary and other important places. Clothing here is rationed. I doubt if any but military clothing is avaiable.

The troops are going to give the children up to fifteen your of age something for Christmas besides candy from our rations. Gifts up to two dollars for the children will be very much appreciated, especially items of clothing. You see, they were rationed under HItler too, and that was some time ago.

Don't get impatient, Ginger, this is part of the cost of being in the army.

Did I tell you, we gets lots of rain here but the temperature doesn't fall as low as it does in southern Germany, largely because of the North Sea. I doesn't get as hot, either. That trench coat I bought is in use every day to keep me either dry or warm. It has already paid for itself.

Will you send me violin A and D strings. Better get a set for yourself too. If you can get the 220/110 v transformers, we'll be able to use our electric appliances too.

Love, hopes, and kisses, sweetheart.

George.

1945 April 13

1945 April 13

My darling, 

Just returned from a most delightful trip to Kunming. Your nice letter about Bob greeted me. Of course I approve of his new school. I'll give you what help I can and sign up for another year to keep the money rolling in. Very glad the family can be together again. Will try to send your dad and mother something nice to show appreciation.

Can hardly write due to driving the jeep ten hours a day for two days over unbelievably rough roads. Fortunately, we had pleasant weather so we could enjoy the countryside in bloom and smell the fragrance of the wild roses.

14th See that Bob gets hot meals and plenty good food to eat.

Love, hugs and kisses,

George. 

1944 January 28

1944 28 January

Dear George,

Guess what I'm chewing on at this minute. The last mouthful of a most delicious 5 cent Tootsie Roll sent over by Post Exchange.  Doesn't that make your mouth water?

Yesterday and the day before I had quite some adventures in a jeep. The first day I had to deliver a drum of fluid to a fellow who lived in an alley off the main street of a walled Chinese town some distance from here. Most Chinese town have at least four gates. Some towns still have moats around them; many gates are approached by going down stairs. Three gates in this town were impossible to get through by jeep but by fording a stream we could get into town by the fourth gate. Jeeps are so rare in these towns that a large portion of the population turn out to see them. Here they did too. Most, probably all, Chinese courts and houses have the spinet stop, a heavy eight to ten inch high beam across the threshold. To get to the alley, we had to bump over one of these. Then going up the ally we found the buildings so close together and the turns so sharp that the sides of the jeep scraped in turning around the corners. After climbing up a few low but steep embankments, we got to the door of this fellow's house and delivered the drum. 

The next day, I took a jeep and trailer load of missionaries ad baggage to another walled town. Here we had to cross a narrow stone slab bridge just wide enough for the jeep and go over another one which was made of stones. No vehicle of any description had ever before come into town this way. 

Of course, you can imagine the boys shouting, "Ding how", showing their fist with the thumb pointed up and running beside and behind the jeep. One little fellow was so interested in the jeep he did not see the bundle in his way and tumbled right over it. 

On market day, we have our greatest difficulty getting thru main street. People, cows, horses, and mules (all pack animals) and baskets of produce not to mention portable display stands, clutter each side of the street narrow as it is, leaving just room enough for people to walk down the center. To get there we have to blow the horn, race the motor and then crawl at a snail's pace while people and kicking animals scramble out of the way and merchandise is hastily pulled aside. Once a band of mules ran right into the dining room of a house and chased the family away from the table. No matter how serious, the natives here always laugh at whatever happens to the other fellow. On the highway some of the horsemen and muleteers become so excited upon seeing a jeep that thy stampede their trains and many packs fall off.

Well my son, the Tootsie Roll is finished and so is the orange which followed it. The rain  continues to pour down. Then paper glazed window in my room does not admit too much light so I must leave the door open to see. 

Will you do me a favor? Read this letter to Grandma and Grandpa and if Aunt Ruthie is home at a reasonable hour, to her too. Thank you. 

Give my love to your mother, brother, and sister and to my mother, father, and sister.

Dad.

1944 January 10

1944 January 10

Dear Ginger,

It would be much better if you did not write then you are tired. I really can't help it if my letters don't arrive. Only "V" mail letters are reproduced if the plane carrying them crashes or the ship carrying them sinks. Lost letters mean lost lives. Plane crews do not survive a crash. All our planes here have to fly over enemy held territory. Sometimes Japs intercept them. In the seventeen days since Christmas, I've received four letters from you and consider myself lucky to get them. I've received no packages since leaving the U.S.

Thanks for the four packages of tea. When the bank of China opens its branch here, I will send Miss Chin $1000 Chinese national currency a month. We can not send US Currency thru the mail. The branch will open in February. The black market rate of exchange varies from 68 to  90 to one, One hundred dollar bills bring the highest amount. My pay comes in twenties and smaller. Food alone costs me in excess of $3000 a month. Is Chin Den satisfied that his family can live on so little. I can send more and he can pay you more. 

The people in this bomb and cholera ravaged town are preparing for Chinese New Year. 

Well, you dear girl, don't run yourself down. That would worry me. The  Japs thirty miles or less away never do.

Love, hugs, and kisses.

George. 

1944 January 5

1944 January 5

Dear Ginger,

 My stub of a paraffin wax candle is alight and so is my heart. I look forward, all day to these evenings with you. Nothing has happened, the sky has become completely overcast, The mail man may be going back tomorrow so tonight I seal the envelope.

Now don't worry about the stub of a candle. I got four more good American candles form the supply room. You know, this writing by candle light reminds me so much of our short vacation in Lebanon State Park. Such pleasant memories Bob really will make a good and courageous scout.

This being apart for a while will make our  companionship all the richer. Of course, I'd like to watch Ginger grow, but your letters are a very satisfactory substitute. 

The other night, I wrote the Rev. Fetter at Cornell. He may not be there any more but thought he'd be quite surprised to see my letter. I tried to write just as neatly as I wrote twenty years ago. I do owe an awful lot of letters. You and mother have received practically all my letters.

A slight interruption. People report to and confer with me frequently.. If this job ever grows up it will be big indeed. As it is, it is in it's earliest infancy. Now darling, think I'll look over the sailboats for a while then attend a Chinese lesson.

Love, hugs and kisses,

George.

1943 October 21

Dear George.

My candle is flickering badly and may soon burn out. Before it does, I want to tell you a little about how the folk here about manage to live in these hills.

For a long time past people here have been using wood for fuel and other purposes. As a result, many of the hills have very few trees and not much other water absorbing soil holding vegetation. So, when the heavy rains fall, the soil washes down and deep scars are cut into the hillside. This is called erosion. If allowed to continue, like in the badlands of Arizona,, Texas, and other southwestern states, the country soon becomes barren and any rain produces torrents which dry up quickly leaving the land, in spite of sometimes a heavy annual rain fall, a desert waste. 

The Chinese had solved this problem of soil erosion by forming dams across the ravines. As the soil washes down with the water, these dams catch and hold both. The soil gradually settles out and the water seeps thru the earth from dam to dam. Now when you look at these hills and mountains, you see giant stair cases up their sides growing rice. These make excellent rice paddies because they flood at the right time and the clay soil holds the water long enough to make rice growing possible.

This is harvest time now. Here people cut the rice as our other friends did with a sickle. However, their method of separating the rice from the straw differs. After the rice is cut and dried so it separates from the stalk easily, they place a huge basket, bigger than our galvanized iron swimming pool in Woodcliff Lake, in the field. It is shaped like a soup dish. The sheaves are then pounded on  the lip and side of the basket until the grains of rice have fallen in. The rice and chaff is then scooped out and slowly poured back in from a fair height allowing the wind to blow the light chaff away.

Well, George dear, I hope you keep Ninny happy being good and obedient. Hug and kiss my darlings for me.

Love, Dad. 

1943 Brazil

1500 feet above Brazil

Dear George, 

Tell Bob I looked very carefully for the equator but couldn't find it. However, when we got over the Amazon River (that river is so wide at it's mouth that people in a boat in the middle of it can not see either bank), I knew we'd passed it. We spent the night in a brick shed in Brazil. Strange as it seems, you can get better coffee, bananas, oranges, etc in New York than you can down here where they are grown. Naturally, the best is shipped, the culls stay home.

Down here near the equator you'd think we's suffer with the heat. Actually we have our field jackets and even with that, I'm chilly. The only thing hot here are the sunshine and the drinking water. 

Looking down on the woods and fields from this elevation, the country is very similar to that at home. Roads, of course are dirt surfaced and buildings few.

Tonight we expect to leave South America and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. All morning we've been passing over dried out fields and woods. You see down here its't the winter season. Altho it is too close to the equator for snow the seasons do show a change.

Now we are passing over a solid shelf of fleecy, white, clouds. Above the sky is as clear and blue as can be. Now we are going down through the clouds so that we can see the ground. It's getting quite bumpy. We must be getting near the easternmost part of South America.

I'd like to write more before mailing this, but if I don't send it now, you'll wait a long time for it. 

Be a good boy,

Love,

Daddy

1943 September 9

Sweetheart,

This place is just as full of rumors as Governor's Island. The latest one as to where we are going is an exciting one. 

Can't tell you anything about it now. Maybe I can tell you later.

Today I had some official business to do which took me forty miles thru the surrounding countryside in a Chrysler sedan with a Indian driver. All kinds of transportation are in use here. "Shank's mare", riding camels and donkeys, converted Ford auto chassis frames like into farm wagons at home drawn by camels. Also ox and donkey drown carts, not to mention horse drawn carriages. 

People are not as clean nor as curious as at home but they behave pretty much the same, especially the children. Some of the camels are decked with bells so that when they trot, each foot fall is accompanied by quite a jingle jangle., especially at two or three in the morning. 

In the bottom drawer of my chest near the middle is a small article for Bobby- if he deserves it.

Love, hugs, and kisses,

George. 

1944 April 11

Dear Bob,

Last night as I drove over the Burma Road in my jeep I saw the large, red moon come up over the China mountains. Fires burning the weeds high on the mountain side were soon far bellow me as the jeep climbed the rough, winding road at a high rate of speed. 

While enjoying this peaceful scene I thought of home and my family. Then I thought about what I should write my boys. You see, while I was visiting the airfield, we had an air-raid alarm. 

Boy! What an interesting and exciting experience.

Here, air-raid alarms are called "Ging-baw" and their intensity or rather importance of the alarm is indicated by balls hung from poles. One ball means Jap planes have been sighted some distance away. Then the P-40s shoot up into the air one after another and form fighter groups to welcome the enemy.  Two balls means the enemy is quite near. Then all personnel lock desks, storehouses, and other buildings, put on helmets, sling gas masks, pick up weapons and drive off the field to the protecting hills and trenches. Three balls means duck for cover, bombs away. 

Ours was a two ball alert. We saw the American fighter formations as mere specks in the sky looking for Jap planes but none were found.

During the past several months the Japs have found raids on American air fields very costly. One they made on this same airfield just before Christmas did very little damage but cost them several Zeros. I am sending you a section taken from the prop (propeller) of one of the Zeros brought down by a P-40 during that raid. You may use it as a flag stand and present it to your class if you wish. 

Now how about writing me a letter.

Love, Dad.

1944 May 15

Dear Ginger, 

Were you listening? Spent the whole day and part of the night driving slowly thru China's scenic mountains. singing the songs that to me are so dear and enjoying nature in her most pleasant mood. At one particularly lovely spot, I stopped to enjoy a glen and altho I could see no flowers the scent of the greenhouse was in the air. Of course, I was alone and lived again thru those happy experiences of yesteryear. Sang many of the old songs and recited what I could remember of heart throbs.

Today I continue on to the airfield to mail this and a little woods flower I picked in the glen then I return to my tent home to stay awhile.

June 2, 2020

Been a while for daily photos. Here are some from yesterday. We made the effort to go to the lake to see the sunset last night. It was cloudy so not spectacular, but peaceful and a very pleasant way to use time. There were a lot of birds and no people but us and one golf cart. I played with camera settings and had a lot of failed shots. Here are a couple of the better ones.

April 11, 1944

Dear George,

I've just addressed an envelope to you and now while I'm thinking about how to fill it, the wind is shaking the tent as tho it ment to blow it down and occasionally the rain pounds on it as tho it ment to  come thru.  However, I am not worried about it. There are four layers of India woven canvas between the clouds and me and twelve four foot stakes in the ground to hold the three eighth inch ropes. 

If one were to read ancient and medieval history of Asia, I believe he'd discover that the province of Yunan, China, was the final strong hold of many interesting groups. Here the Chin Dynasty built reservoirs and walled towns.. Here too the warriors of Genghis Kan fought and lived. One occasionally sees the remnants of homes, temples, and public works built by them. The people too show the result of such ancestry. Some are very dark, almost negroid- others light yellow. Few are slant-eyed. The plains people are light, showing the Chinese strain from the eastern provinces. The hill people are tan like the Indians of India and the tribes people are darker still like the Malaysians or American Indians. The plains people so-called Chinese usually wear trousers, jackets, and straw hat. The clothes are of blue cotton- home spun. The hat, a very wide brim affair protects them from sun and rain. Women wear skirts or slacks of the same material. The hill people are usually more picturesque using metal ornaments and color in their clothing. The people themselves are more comely and graceful too. The women wear turbans. The tribes people are poor, live in grass huts, wear rags and dog skin capes to protect them from cold and rain. 

Sometimes we see people from Tibet. They have beautiful St. Bernard dogs and fine ponies. Most of the time these people are clothed in furs for it is very cold in Tibet. These people are very tall and dark of skin. Usually the are well-armed for they travel thru wild country. 

Here's a Chinese invitation to a dinner party.

Love, Dad