Black Easter
Historical AccountStory★★★★Wilda was utterly overcome by fear and doubt. Sunday, March 21, 1951, was, as she called it later, Black Easter. Wilda sneaked into an Easter church service, but when she opened her mouth to sing “He Lives!” no words came out.
Returning home, she fell at the trunk and her trembling fingers found 2 Chronicles 20: 17: ¼u will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you ... Do not fear or be dismayed . ... Wilda clamped onto that verse, and two weeks later she wrote, “The conflict has been terrible, but peace and quiet reign now.”
It was two years before she exited the country, and even longer for Arthur who became the last CIM missionary to leave China. But miraculously, all of them got out without a single one being martyred.
It was the greatest exodus in missionary history.’
The point
Wilda, a missionary in China, is overcome by fear and doubt on Easter 1951, but finds peace by clinging to 2 Chronicles 20:17. Eventually, she and other CIM missionaries leave China safely, an exodus with no martyrs.