Father
was consecrated on November 1st. in Westminster Abbey. It was a
solemn beautiful service. He said now humbled he felt when he
heard the peal of bells ring out when he, and the other two Bishops who
were consecrated with him, came out of the Abbey after the service.
Three weeks later he sailed for Sierra Leone, and I remember thinking
as I saw his train steaming out of the station, however was I going to
manage without him? It certainly taught me to lean on my Heavenly
Father more and that helped me in my spiritual life. It must have
been much worse for him, though, in Sierra Leone having no wife to run
his home, help with the entertaining and do the endless little things a
wife can do to make life a bit easier.
He never complained and wrote home such cheery letters giving details
of all his doings - interviews, hearing complaints and grievances,
trying to right wrongs, meetings, sermons, confirmations, ordinations,
quiet days for the clergy. Many journeys by sea often in tiny
tugs, by river, by train and often walking long distances.
He had difficulties too sometimes in dealing with his
staff. One man in particular was a great problem. He
was advised by some to relieve this particular man from his post.
Father refused saying that God would show him what to do. He
prayed with the man and for him and dealt very patiently with
him. Then quite suddenly the man died. How thankful he was
that he had relied on God to deal with the matter.
So the year passed and he was home again for Christmas 1924. What
a joy that was. A united family once more as Elizabeth was out of
Hospital completely cured.
Family life - AMW, Barbara, Betty, Hugh; Barbara; Betty, Barbara, Doris
I remember he said to me one night when we were in bed, "Darling, you
know I would like you to come out to me sometime and share the work in
Sierra Leone". It gave me quite a shock. I had never given
it a thought. How could I leave the children? What would happen
in the holidays? Who would look after the house etc. etc.?
"Well", he said, "If God wants you to come, and I'm sure He does, He
will open the way". He said no more but had put the seed thought
in my mind.
B'ham was really not a suitable place to live in with seven children in
the holidays, and when our friends Charlie and Vi Payne told us that
the Vicarage in their village was to let, we went to Shudy Camps to see
it and finally decided to go there.