Calling of Emily Evans (Women of the West Book #1) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Janette Oke

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114 pages

English

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She feels God nudging her toward ministry, but what options are there for a young single woman? Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God's will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men. She squares her shoulders and decides she will accept the task of opening a new church in a pioneer community--alone.When Emily arrives at her new assignment, she is disappointed to find the church building in disrepair. After many days of hard work fixing it up, she announces her first service and is once again disappointed, this time in the size of her congregation. Is her faith strong enough to stand against the local doubters and myriad challenges that will test her calling?

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 octobre 2006
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781585587261
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0259€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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© 1990 by Janette Oke

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2016
Ebook corrections 11.21.2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-58558-726-1
Cover by Dan Thornberg
To those women
whose dedication and courage
opened many of the
community churches
for the Missionary Church
(formerly the Mennonite Brethren in Christ)
in the Canada West District.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
1. Training
2. School Days
3. Classmates
4. A Call
5. Sharing the News
6. Preparations
7. Starting Out
8. Dubious Aid
9. Beginnings
10. Cleaning House
11. The Church
12. A Busy Week
13. Sunday
14. Visiting
15. Another Week
16. Autumn
17. Celebrations
18. Troubles and Woes
19. Winter
20. Mixed Blessings
21. Conference
22. Back to Work
23. Autumn Blues
24. Winter Wars
25. The Answer
26. The Letter
27. Partners in Service
About the Author
Other Books by Author
Author’s Note
Back Cover
Chapter One
Training
Emily Evans lifted a slender hand and pushed back a wisp of wayward brown hair. She arched her back slightly to try to remove a kink in her tired muscles, then reached up to gently rub the back of her neck. Her whole body was protesting the position she had held for what seemed to be hours. She slid the opened book back and pushed away from the small wooden table, which was her desk. She was tired.
Tired of studying. Tired of bending over the printed pages. Tired of trying to fit all the historical facts into her weary brain.
She lifted herself from the straight-backed wooden chair and walked to the window. Her left hand reached out to the lace curtain and lifted it back, allowing her to see the silent scene before her. Had it not been for the moon smiling down from overhead, she would have seen nothing but blackness. As it was, all she could make out was the outline of another building, looming dark and plain in the silvery light.
Emily knew the scene by heart. She had looked out upon it many times since her arrival at Gethsemene Bible School nestled in the western Canadian town of Regis. Not a large school, it was not known for its greatness. Only those interested in its teachings seemed to be aware that it even existed. Except for the town folk, of course. To them it was another way of adding to their coffers in the sale of produce toiletries and winter boots.
There were only four buildings on the small campus. The main structure housed the two classrooms, the library, and the offices. The ladies’ residence was to the right and the men’s to the left. Behind the main building and centrally located between the dormitories was the small chapel. Emily wished she could see it from her window. It was the chapel that was dearest to her heart.
She turned silently from the dark window so she would not disturb the sleeping form in the bed across the small room.
“I’ve studied quite enough,” she murmured quietly.“What I don’t know will just have to be left unknown. I can’t think one moment longer.”
She looked at the sleeping form. How can she breeze through the exams so easily? was Emily’s exasperated thought. She never needs to study.
Emily’s dour assessment was not quite accurate. Ruth Raemore did study. But of course it was unnecessary for her to spend the time over her textbooks that Emily did. Though Emily was not brilliant, neither was she a poor student. Her high grades throughout her school days had resulted from disciplined hours of study. In Bible school, anxious to make the most of her years in training, she quickly found that diligent studying was the only way to make good grades.
The silence was broken by the unmistakable squeak of the second step of the stairs. Emily’s head lifted, her breath catching in a little gasp. She did not hesitate to wonder who was making the silent ascent up those stairs and, then, down the hall. Each night the rooms were checked after “light’s out,” and Emily was tardy again.
As quietly as she could, she hurried across the distance between the window and the desk and quickly turned out her light. She could hear the quiet opening and closing of doors as the woman made her way down the line of bedrooms. With one swift movement Emily was out of her shoes and under the covers beside the sleeping Ruth.
Ruth stirred, turned over on her other side, and resumed deep breathing. Emily held her breath and made sure the covers were tucked snugly under her chin. Then turning her back to the door, praying inwardly that all of her long skirt had followed her under the quilt, she closed her eyes and waited.
Her door soon opened softly and with the light that filtered in from the hall, Emily could imagine herself being counted. Two forms in the bed. Two young ladies properly retired for the night. The door closed just as softly and Emily could sense, more than hear, the silent figure move on down the hall to the last room on the left.
Emily breathed again. She was saved from a scolding or more kitchen duty—at least for this time.
She dared not stir until she heard the footsteps descend the stairs. At last all was silent, and Emily folded back the covers and rose from the bed.
Now in the dark, Emily felt her way across the floor and removed the combs from her hair. She shook out the long strands, her fingers running idly through its silkiness. Tonight she didn’t even stop to mourn the fact that her hair was plain—plain brown. Quite dark brown. How often she had looked at Ruth’s raven black tresses, or Olive Tyndale’s glowing blond crown, and longed for her hair to be such a color. But tonight she was too tired to care.
She stumbled over her kicked-off shoes as she felt her way to the clothes cupboard where her nightgown hung. She could not even see to properly hang up the clothes she had lifted over her head. She reached out and released them, hoping they were placed on the chair where she had been sitting. She wasn’t sure if she heard them slide to the floor or not, but she did not feel for them in the darkness. She slipped into the printed flannel gown and carefully made her way back across the floor. The cold boards gave way to the braided rug, and she knew she had headed in the right direction.
Carefully she eased herself again into bed beside Ruth and snuggled into the warm blankets. She hadn’t realized how chilly the room had become until she felt the warmth of the bed. Her sore muscles seemed to soak up the heat, and her head, now nestled on the pillow, began to ache in protest.
She chided herself. I must start getting to bed earlier or I’ll be sick again—just like Father warned.
But even before Emily closed her tired eyes, she argued back.
But how can I? If I don’t study, I’ll never make it. They might not even let me stay. But if I don’t go to bed on time …
Emily let that thought go unfinished. She knew there were good reasons for getting sleep. Her health depended upon it. She had never been physically strong. She was also breaking school rules, and at this small Bible school, rules were made to be kept. Emily chafed under the guilt that hung over her. What would they do with her if they ever found out that she was pushing “lights out” all too often? That she had bounded into bed on more than one occasion as she heard the preceptress’s footfall on the stairway?
Emily shivered even in the warmth of the blankets. She did not welcome the thought of being sent home in humiliation. She wanted to be here. She had so much to learn. In a way that she couldn’t explain, she felt compelled to study God’s Word.
So why did she continue in her disobedience? Emily could only shake her head.“It’s their rules,” she mumbled, half asleep.“Nobody could live with such silly rules.”
Ruth stirred again and Emily realized she had been pressing a bit closer than she intended in order to draw from the warmth. She shifted her body away and allowed herself to drift off to sleep. The rising bell would sound all too early, and everyone was expected to be at the breakfast table, properly combed, washed and dressed for another day in the classroom.
When the bell rang the next morning, Emily stirred restlessly and would have rolled over and gone back to sleep had not Ruth called, “Emily. Emily! It’s time to get up.You’ll be late for breakfast again.”
Emily moaned and pulled the blankets a little higher.
“Emily! You told me not to let you sleep—remember?” Ruth scolded softly from in front of the room’s only mirror.“Come on.
You’ve got to get up.”
When Emily still failed to respond, Ruth leaned over the bed and tugged the blankets from Emily’s possessive hands.
“Emily!” Ruth said sharply.
Emily’s eyes immediately flew wide open. Panic filled them as she looked up into the dark-brown eyes of her roommate.
“What is it?” she asked, raising from her bed.
The sternness left Ruth’s face and a smile turned up the corners of her lips.
“Nothing,” she answered with a chuckle.
Emily flopped back to her pillow.
“Then what are you—?”
But Ruth did not allow her to finish.“It’s past time to get up. You’ll be late again.You asked me to be sure to get you up. Remember?”
Emily sighed.“Oh, yes,” she admitted in a half whisper.
“Then get,” urged Ruth, sternness back in her voice.
Reluctantly Emily sat up on the edge of the bed, and slowly rose to her feet to begin her morning preparations. The bathroom down the