The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-03-14
The Mission Field.
ALAS, MY MOTHER is DEAD.
BY Y. Sasakura.

At Montgomery Ala, February %, Miss Lizzie F.
Wimbsh, native of Montgomery, and one of the
best known missionaries of the Southern
Presbyterian Church in the Orient, this morn
ing in Kobe, Japan. Miss Wimbish was ffty-one
years Of age and had been engaged in foreign mis-
sion work since 1887.
Alas, my mother, Miss Wimbfsh is dead When
L was called to church in Nagoya, Japan 1894
she there, and was then popular lady mis-
sionary. L was told by Christians in that city
we do not like any missionaries. except Miss VIM
bfsh." She greatly loved the Japanese, with the
result that both the Christians and the Chris
tians were drawn to her. L had special fellowship
with her. She knew the hardshps of ministerial
life and she continually showed her sympathy
How great care 1 to her My pen refuses to
express 1t! She real mother as well as a
real pastor to me. We were often together in our
prayers, and 1t was great joy to Whenever
l prayed with her, forgot myself and felt Just as
if were lifted to the higher place. Her prayer
was so earnest sincere and chldlike
She was not only mother to me, but mother
to the Nagoya Church. She loved our church so
much. She was too hard a worker, and ruined her
health. She forced to come back to her home
When we held the farewell meeting for her in our
church, she said with tears TT will be very hard
for me to come back to you again. but will tell
you, L hope to work among the Japanese of the
West coast in my country, if my health is restored
to me-" She gave her life to the Japanese Her
main work was to teach English to soldiers and
young men. Many military officers, soldiers and
young men were united with church through
her English class. Sometimes she was not able to
walk because of rheumatism, but she was present
to teach them I advised her very often to take
care of herself but she would not hear me, because
she so earnestly desired to be with them and to
lead them. She was a very regular attendant at
our church. She kept her position as a mother to
set good example in church. Besides her
main work, she visited church people, and did
a great deal of phianthropic work among widows
and orphans. I do not hesitate to say that our
Lord was living in her all the time.
The death Miss Wfmbish is a great loss for
Japan and the Southern Presbyterian Mission She
was one of those who knew language and our
customs, and the characteristics of our thought
This is the hardest point for missionaries really
to come near and enter the life of a foreign people
Different color different clothes different liv-
ing. How hard to adopt oneself to them! But
Miss Wimbish very sl1fuI on this point. How
ever, now she is not, for God has taken her. yet
"she being dead yet speaketh"
The following letter shows one side of her per-
sonality
Kobe Japan April 1S 1905.
My Dear Son sasakura,-I suppose you are be-
ginning to think your foreign mother has COM
pletey forsaken and forgotten you But that is net
the reason she has been silent so long You see
1 am now in Japan again from the heading of my
letter Last August I left California and went to
st. Paul to visit my old uncle there: that bracing
climate with Gods blessing made me feel so
much better that I wrote to our Foreign Mission
Committee i'm Nashville and told them of my i'm
provement, and asked if I should return to Japan
or not at the same time my sister and united our
hearts in prayer that God would make known His
will to me by speaking through the Committee I
waited for the Committees decision taking it as
Gods voice to what should do. for I was willing
either to stay i'm America and work for God,
come to Japan. only did not want to make a mis-
take. When the answer saying I could
turn to Japan; o. how happy my heart wasl I at
once began to make preparation, for 1 had only
about weeks to get ready for my long journey
met my dear sister i'm St Louis, for she
there to see me once more and say goodbye before
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