Lettie Cowman launched a new mission in September 1936.
As noted in the previous post, directions for this new mission came from God.
But that does not mean it was easy.
Indeed, Lettie nearly lost her life following God’s lead.
You have to have provisions to launch a new mission
Lettie traveled to the Bible College of Wales during the summer of 1936 summer to speak at a conference.
Afterward, the president of the Swansea school, Rees Howells, directed her to pray “about something new” God wanted her to do.
She prayed for ten days and discovered God wanted her to bring the gospel to “every creature.”
When she met Sanfrid and Anna Matteson in the garden and they poured out their desire for her to come to Finland, Lettie agreed.
She might as well travel back to Finland with them–a week later.
But when she left her southern California home, Lettie hadn’t planned to spend the winter in Scandinavia.
In my life, I’ve learned that when God decrees you do something, He moves. If you don’t go with Him, you’ll be left behind.
The cargo ship SS Kadir captain gave her his cabin for the trip–the only free bed on the boat the Mattesons planned to take home.
(OMS Archives)
Someone gave Lettie twenty pounds, then sufficient funds for her to purchase a wool coat with a cape, a hat, warm gloves, and leggings.
An old friend provided three woolen suits. A wealthy woman loaned Lettie a fur coat.
Rees and Elizabeth Howells drove Lettie, Anna, and Sanfrid to the Cardiff docks. The trio boarded the Finnish ship SS Kadir on September 23, 1936, and they sailed for Jackobstad, Finland.
At their going-away party a few nights before, Lettie sat at the piano to play and sing:
How Sweet the thought that comes to me,
On mountain or on stormy sea,
There is no land or clime or zone
Where Jesus leaves His sheep alone.”
The Vision Lives p. 143
But you have to get to there before you can begin
Cardiff to Jackobstad, by air, is 1100 nautical miles.
(Map from Wikimedia Commons)
Even on an old cargo ship traveling around Scotland to the North Sea, thence the Baltic Sea for the Gulf of Bothnia, it should take eight days.
The trip through the North Sea caused seasickness in just about everyone except Lettie. Even the Estonian cook had trouble, but Lettie spent time praying for her.
Six hours before they arrived at Jackobstadt, a sudden storm blew up in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Huge winds and waves roared and raged.
Once again, the passengers and crews could scarcely control their seasickness.
Lettie, alone, handled it well and this time she sang hymns all on the ship.
No one on board had ever seen such a storm before.
As it turned out, many ships went down and the SS Kadir received many SOS messages.
The captain and crew didn’t leave the bridge for three days and nights.
Lettie and the Mattesons both wired simple prayer requests to the Bible College of Wales and the Matteson’s Finnish church: “Storm. Ship endangered. Pray.”
They did.
Unsure of what else to do, the captain finally anchored the ship and let it toss for two days and two nights.
Eventually, the storm blew away, the sun came out, and they limped to Jackobstadt.
Everyone agreed God had saved the ship–and their lives.
The new mission, or an Every Creature Campaign to Finland
Two weeks after leaving Cardiff, Lettie arrived in Finland. She and the Mattesons went right to work.
She spoke at her first gathering the evening after her arrival.
During the tranquil parts of their voyage, Lettie and the Mattesons mapped out a plan for Lettie to visit Finnish churches and speak whenever possible about Jesus.
She traveled all over the country, even as far north as Lapland.
Everywhere she went, Lettie described the Great Village Campaign her husband spearheaded twenty years before in Japan.
Enthusiastic groups of people met her everywhere, hungry to hear the gospel.
Setting out on a new mission was pure joy for an old missionary campaigner like Lettie Cowman.
And her photos showed why.
(For more pictures of the Lapland trip, see my Pinterest board about Lettie Cowman)
The time in Finland ended in Helsinki, where Lettie spoke at the Parliament Hall.
But, it was just the beginning of her ministry to Europe at a crucial time.
The third post will explain how important Lettie Cowman’s Eastern Europe Evangelism campaign really was.
Tweetables
The challenges and danger of setting up a new mission. Click to Tweet
Not even a massive storm could stop Lettie Cowman’s new mission. Click to Tweet
My parents knew Sanfrid and Anna-Lisa Mattsson well. The Mattssons were missionaries in Ethiopia for many years. They had good contact with Haile Selassie.
Hmm . . . an idea stirs!
Thanks!