Anna V. Blough letter to father and mother, Sept. 24, 1916

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
24 September 1916

My Dear Father and Mother, -

Each week I try to get a letter off written to you all and thus let you know about affairs in general. I feel however that I do not get written to you personally as I should. When writing a general letter it is hard to say things direct. I always enjoy your letters so much, but now with so many of us away it means a lot of writing, and you must not neglect of the others for me, for they need your letters as much as I do.

We are just now enjoying a very great pleasure in having Sister Shock with us. Bro. Vaniman had gone to meet them and they landed on Wednesday. He took them to Peking and left the Oberholtzers there, and Brot Sister S. on to us here, arriving yesterday. Minerva went over to the station to meet her. She came back in a sedan chair. About five oclock in the evening all our number came here for supper. We had a pleasant evening together. Oh it is so nice to have someone just from friends at home. But I guess Father used to realize that when Pennsylvania would come west. She is a fine girland I am sure will fit in fine. She is anxious to get on to Laio and get school started. It has been a long trip for her, and of course she is tired. The hardest part of it all will be three days from here to Laio. She said that not till the last day on sea was she sick, just like it was with me.

We looked for Anna Hutchisonto come yesterday to take her back but we got a letter today saying that it had rained so much there that she could not start till yesterday, so that she will spend today at Hu Shun where we have some inquirers. Will get here on Tuesday. We think she should stay a day and rest or it would make her five days constant travel, which would be too hard.

This afternoon we started fire in the furnace. It has been rainy and chilly most of the week and we shivered most of the time but decided today to make a fire. It feels very comfortable.

I made a dress this week. Will try to think of putting in a sample. I went out to buy goods for a native garment and found this piece of foreign goods which I thot was very pretty. It kept me pretty busy with all. We are having special class with the women now for two weeks and I have a class in that. I first teach them to read, then to sing and after that give them a Bible lesson. Had only three regurlar ones in my part, but a few others at times. They seemed so anxious to learn and so open hearted. I took an odol down one day and asked them what it was and what it could do. I think before the lesson was done they realized that God who created all things and has all power was a g eat deal more than the idol. Then in the afternoons I took my own language lesson, and in the evenings sewed. Wil not sew this coming week.

Years before I came to China it seemed to me it would be a great pleasure to teach the Gospel to the heathen. It is that, more than I could ever realize in looking forward to it. Bro. Vaniman said Bro. Oberholtzer told him about his meeting you, about how you said you were glad to have me here, and the answer his fathrinlaw gave you. It makes me very happy to know that you could express yourself that way so heartilly, for you are a real help to me. And I am sure if you could really see what it means to have Christ come into these lives that you wold rejoice doubly in having a share. I am always asked about my father and mother by the C inese. The other day your letter came Mother while the teacher was here. I showed it to him and he thot that a wonderful thing that my mother could write.