Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter
Linda Lowe hugs a little girl on a child-evangelism related visit to Liberia. - Contributed
AFTER MORE than 40 years of Christian service in the Asia-Pacific region, Jamaican missionary Linda Lowe has returned to the land of her birth to continue her lifelong passion of child evangelism.
Her story begins as a 17-year- old when she invited Jesus Christ into her life.
Thereafter, she asked the Lord for something to do. She said He told her: "Go to the children."
After leaving Immaculate High School in St. Andrew, she worked for a short time in a photo studio, then in obedience to her sense of call, she enrolled at the Jamaica Bible College (JBC) in Manchester where she pursued a four-year diploma. During the summer breaks she worked with Jamaica Child Evangelism Fellowship (JCEF), the biggest Christian children's movement in the nation eventually becoming a member of staff on her graduation.
PARA-CHURCH ORGANISATION
Jamaica Child Evangelism Fellowship is part of Child Evangelism Fellowship an international para-church organisation with staff and volunteers operating in more than 150 countries. Its purpose, as stated on its website is: "To evangelise boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living."
Linda's job took her all over the island. But it was in her home ministering to her nephew that the importance of child evangelism was most indelibly etched in her heart.
"My little nephew became a Christian at three years old. And I did not believe that a three-year-old child could be saved," she explained.
She was at home preparing a lesson for a Daily Vacation Bible School at Olivet Gospel Hall in Kingston, when her nephew Paul came to her and asked her what she was doing, and the meaning of the colours for her flannel graph, and she explained. "At the very end he said to me, 'Could I ask Jesus then to be my Saviour?' I said: 'No Paul. You are too young.' He said: 'I hear you down at Olivet telling the other children that they can. How come I cannot?' I said: 'For the simple reason that you are too young'. Then he began to cry. I said: "Okay, okay. If you would like to ask Jesus to be your Saviour, then you do it you tell Him.' And he did. He said one sentence 'Lord please forgive me of my sins'.
"At four years old he consecrated his life to the Lord. I still could not believe. I said who told you that (consecration). He said: 'Two weeks ago at Good News Club you said 'Children it is Christmas, the best gift to give to Jesus is your life for him to use you. See aunty, you said it ... He just knelt there and dedicated his life to the Lord."
A few years into her career as a child-evangelist, she visited the United States for advanced training.
While there she was exposed to the great need for child-evangelists in other parts of the world. When she saw the need in Hong Kong, and being of Chinese heritage, she sensed in her heart God calling her to serve there.
She indicated her interest to serve in Hong Kong. She was initially turned down. That decision, Linda said, had something to do with her being a single woman and the prevailing political climate at the time. But later the panel reversed its decision when an American missionary couple agreed to take Linda with them to Hong Kong.
SUPPORT
Having received the green light from the CEF headquarters to go to Hong Kong where there was no active CEF presence, Linda returned to Jamaica and set about raising support. Then in 1963, while in her 27th year, Linda Lowe, a Jamaican woman born in Banana Ground, in Manchester, left the island for Hong Kong.
While there she convened Good News Clubs in her home as well as in other locales. Good News Clubs constitute the flagship ministry of CEF worldwide. It is a Bible-study tailored for children which is complemented by fun activities.
What was the soul of the average child in Hong Kong like? Linda explained: it is "school, school and more school." Many children, she said, "do not have time to play during the week since they are so stressed out with home work. During exam time, they may be found at home studying with no time for play or even going out together as a family to eat out. Parents would like their children to be successful in school and thereby have a good profession which, of course, would lead to a good job and the ultimate riches."
Her first two years in Hong Kong were spent learning the Cantonese language. She was at a distinct advantage over other westerners, as she knew Haka her parents dialect bore similarities to Cantonese.
Yet, despite her 29 years in Hong Kong, Linda concedes her disappointment that she never really mastered the language.
CHINESE FEATURES
The people of Hong Kong, she said, did not consider her a Jamaican because of her Chinese features. "If I were a Westerner they would have been more patient in listening to my terrible tones. In those days, it (Hong Kong) was not as cosmopolitan a city as it is today and the area where I lived was a very Chinese area. Everything was in Chinese. I would move around ...but when I begin to speak, they realise I cannot speak their language well."
"I think my greatest challenge was being a Chinese and not being able to read or write Chinese. You know, I have come back illiterate. Chinese languages have no alphabet...The language (Cantonese) is tonal and I am tone deaf. When God called me," she said, "He did not call me to go over there and learn the language. But knowing the language would be great. Knowing the language would have made things easier."
As with anyone living in a foreign culture, Linda had her share of culture-shocks. Among those that stood out was the Chinese love for indirectness. "I am direct person. I was reminded over and over 'No. You don't speak directly. You just go round and round and round. And you come to the point some time in time.' That was when you were speaking to adults especially if your co-workers were not doing what they should be doing. You just don't go straight and tell them," she said.
Many territories in the Asia-Pacific, she said, are ripe for missionaries from Jamaica. In some territories such as Fiji, many Jamaicans bear similar physical characteristics and this would help for smooth assimilation in such countries.
Furthermore, Jamaica is far more sophisticated than many of these territories which are in certain respects almost less than Third World, she said.
"I was just an ordinary missionary with no skills who went to Hong Kong. I learnt skills there. They taught me. The missionary of today must go in with a profession. Today's missionary needs to get as much education as you can and he/she needs to go in with a heart to serve. If you are not teachable you might as well stay home. You think you know it all and you are going to teach them? They are the ones who are going to teach you. I have had to learn teachability," she said. Today's missionary must also be a person of person of patience, prayer and a love for the people.
After 29 years of ministry in Hong Kong, she became the CEF regional Prayer and Promotions Co-ordinator for the Asia-Pacific region. That job took her to about 19 of the 22 countries in the Asiatic-Pacific.
She looks back at her career with pleasure at the many persons who she taught as a child who grew into adulthood and are now passing on the lessons learnt from her.
If she were to relive her career, Linda said, she would spend more time with her co-workers, praying with them and guiding them.
She resettled in Jamaica last year. "You see I am a true Jamaican. My vision and my burden was always to come back to Jamaica to continue to serve. A friend once told me: 'Linda don't come back when you can't walk. Come back when you still can be happy and enjoy Jamaica'."
Now that she is back at home, she is busy assisting the local chapter of CEF and serving in the missions department at Swallowfield Chapel in Kingston, where she worships. She also preaches once monthly at the Chinese Christian Fellowship which meets in New Kingston.
Linda holds the view that many churches have missed the boat where child evangelism is concerned. "Some churches have an area where children go to play when the adult service is going on. Children can be taught during that time." Furthermore, to be a good preacher, she recommends that a person take Child Evangelism Fellowship courses."
Send feedback to mark.dawes@gleanerjm.com
