Women coming from the market place
I returned to my room, wondering. I believed the Lord had sent me for our mail, but why had the postal officials said it could not be obtained there? Besides, there was no mail boat coming until after the other boat had sailed. But as I prayed I heard the voice of the Lord telling me to go again and ask for my mail. I waited until the next morning, then went again. Once more the postmaster told me the same thing, that it would be impossible for me to get my mail there when it did come. I must admit that I felt at a loss to know what to do, or what it all meant. But I couldn’t doubt the voice of the Lord. I waited another day, and prayed until I was sure the Lord was speaking to me. Though I couldn’t see how it all could work out, yet I knew that He knew, and had spoken.
I went again to the postmaster and explained to him that we were sailing on the ship which was then in the harbor, and which was to leave in three days, but again he told me the same thing; there would be no mail boat in for two weeks, and it would be impossible to receive my mail before that time. I returned to my room and, falling upon my face, I cried to the Lord for help, for this seemed more than I could bear, for the enemy was taunting me, saying that the Lord was not speaking to me, that we had been deceived, that the Lord had not even told us to come to the port, and that our fare would certainly not be provided. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Ask for your mail tomorrow morning.”
When we arose the next morning we saw another ship at anchor in the port. It had come in during the night. My husband strolled down to the dock, and was informed that this was the mail boat from Panama, also that our ship was not to sail until the following day, because the cargo was not yet unloaded. When he returned with the welcome news I began to pray again about the mail, feeling certain there was something for us on that ship. Then I went again to see the postmaster, this time taking a Testament to give him. This seemed the wrong thing to do, for he was a fanatical church man, and the Gospel was not allowed to be preached in that port. But we had gone unmolested all over the place, distributing tracts, and preaching to the people, and the dear natives had begged for Bibles and the little papers (tracts).
