Anna V. Blough letter to home folks, Jan. 17, 1914

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
Jan. 17. 1914

Dear Home Folks, -

Last Sundau eve when the others all got foreign mail there was none for me. But Tuesday eve a 
whole half dozen letters came for me with several from home. Those letters were written several 
weeks before Christmas but you were getting ready for that time.

Had not known that Father thot of going to see Jennie this winter. But I am sure she will be glad 
to have him there and he too will enjoy the winter there. So I am realglad that he can be there. 
Suppose he is there now. Jennie in last letter said they had moved, so that they can now take care 
of company.

This week was our coldest weather. It was zero several days. Seemed pretty cold to us here, for 
we are not fixed for cold as you are. I kept a good hot fire, put the paper side of my house was 
not very good at keeping out the cold and when I got very far from the stove it was not very 
comfortable. But it is warmer again today and we were out exercising at tennis. Am sure when 
we once have all brick walls it will not be a hard matter to keep things heated.

In a week or so Dr. Wampler and Dr. Brubaker are going to Shanghai to attend a Medical 
Conference. Then I am going to take advantage of it and have them mail some packages for me 
at the U.S.A. Post Office. Will send some things I wanted to send at Xmas time. Will say more 
ab out that later.

This week the men put up ice. They had an ice house made for the company of us here. The Dr. 
was anxious to have ice for his work in the summer. The ice comes from the river nearly two 
miles away. It has but little water in it now and the ice is not very thick or very good, but we 
hope to save some of it. It is cut out in pieces and two placed on a donkey, one on each side.

Our men here had intended to go hunting this week, but then they heard that some others were 
coming from the coast, so they put it off. It was good they did not get off this week as it would 
have been so cold.

You ask how language is coming? Well not many people can boast of their advancement in the 
language here, and I am not one of those few. Am trying to get out with the people more now so 
as to talk. Every week I go some. But it is so hard to learn the order in the sentences, they say 
things so backward and mixed up from what we do. Yes, I am making a little effort now, tho it 
is but small. Each Saturday I am going to the Opium Refuge to give a lesson and sing and pray 
with the women there. Today there were three women there. Have the chart pictures and they 
help out in getting them to understand. They seem to appreciate the prayers. We always ask what 
they want us to pray for and even tho this is new, they seem to believe God will answer. Some 
are hypocrites tho. Minerva went over one day. The woman there then said so many nice things 
about her, how good she was, how kind hearted, what a good Doctrine we have and a lot of 
other nice things. The she turned to her son and winked.

Last Sunday when Emma was teaching their Sunday School class, she had an experience with 
them. She had one woman read a passage and she did so well that another who does not read as 
well got jealous and went out awhile. Then when they went to prayer, one woman began to pray 
for the first time and she seemed so convicted of sin that she began to weep. Then the others 
could not understand why she should weep, for they said she had enough to eat and wear, why 
should she not be happy. Then it had to be explained to them what it means when the Holy Spirit 
works in the heart and shows us we are sinners, that there are other things beside food and 
clothing to make us happy.

You speak so well of that Sister Harly. I have been wondering how she happened to spend a 
week with you, had you seen her before, or did you just ask her when she was there visiting. I 
guess I almost forget that lib ral spirit you find at home where people do not need to be related