Kenneth reads a journal entry about a Sunday school play he participated in. He comments on Wiley Young, a dramatic and powerful preacher who came to the church the summer before, competing with Kenneth for the position of pastor of the church.…
Kenneth's first funeral at the Deacons' was a big one, with crowds of people coming from all over Pennsylvania. It was all new to him, but he made no mistakes, even at the grave.
Kenneth tells about his painting of the car the church had bought him. The mixture of paint and enamel gave the car a gloss like a mirror. Margaret recalls that Kenneth once had all the "insides" of the car out.
Kenneth attracted some thirty new young people who came to listen on Sunday at the church. The usual older folks in the church couldn't believe it. Some of the young people who came were females, and Kenneth tells about the challenges this creates…
Kenneth spoke at a funeral and was invited to speak at several of them from that day. One day he asked why people so often wanted him to speak at funerals, and the answer came, "Well, you're always so cheerful."
Kenneth tells about his Easter Sunday at the Columbus church, his morning preparation and teaching, his sermon on the resurrection and its impact on the congregation. He commented how the church was willing to get him a car.
Kenneth recalls his first day at the church in Columbus, NJ. He describes the church building and its people. He comments on the order of service on this first day. He went in the evening for service at another church.
Kenneth recalls his April 5 tryout sermon at the church in Columbus, NJ. He always summarized a sermon in one sentence, and if he couldn't, he would feel he didn't know what he was talking about.
In March Kenneth was still looking for a church to lead. He recalls receiving letters from two of the churches he had written to, but there were no firm promises yet at this point.
Kenneth was a good preacher who had mastered the techniques of preaching. He never wrote his sermons and learned very early how to hold an audience. He was so comfortable with his audience that Brad wondered where he had gotten it.
Kenneth tells how he was saving money for marriage while pastoring the church in Columbus, NJ. He figured he could get up to $600 by the spring, which would give him enough money for his wedding in June
Kenneth learned about the death of Margaret's father right at the time when a group of young people were ready to join the church under his leadership as a newly appointed pastor. Reluctantly he decided not to attend the funeral in order to care for…
Brad was most alarmed when Kenneth retired from the mission field. He thought Kenneth and his family were going to come back and be a charge on him. He was planning to sell the house and prevent that from happening. This, of course, was the last…
Kenneth and Margaret had dinner with a family named Elder. After dinner, as he was turning the car the wires on his horn broke and almost immediately were on fire. Kenneth got a few burns but the car was fine. This was a miracle.
Kenneth played basketball with a group of young Siamese boys. He had a good time with them and the leader of the group offered him some tekal buttons, the real, old-fashioned ones.
Kenneth began taking long evening walks. He was getting used to walking several miles at the time, seeing but Siamese and Chinese, visiting shops, and talking with people. This gave him an opportunity for street evangelism.
The second week after the Landons arrived in Siam, Kenneth preached in a Siamese church to a white congregation. On Thursday, the vacation day, they went to visit a snake farm, where they saw vipers, cobras, and hamadryads. The handler of the snake…
The Danish Legation held an auction and Kenneth bought Margaret a China set there, the kind called Royal Copenhagen, for only $30 US gold (it was probably worth $300). Years later they sent it home to the US.
The Landons' house was outside the town and was not lit by electricity, so the nights were completely dark. They used a flashlight while going around in the house. One day as Kenneth walked into the toilet he saw a cobra, coiled on the seat of the…
Kenneth attended a civil Chinese wedding. Mrs. Seigle played the wedding march. It was quite a feast, with plenty of food that Kenneth enjoyed. The heat in Thailand was affecting him: he had gone from 140 to 131 pounds since arriving there.
Al Seigle and Kenneth went to register Peggy's birth both at the American Legation and the local police station. Both men did not speak Thai, and the police officers did not speak English, but they were able to communicate about the registration of a…
Kenneth reads a letter to his mother about Peggy's birth and his mother's health. He wrote to her, "I can tell from your letters, Mother, that you do not feel sure of seeing me again in life here."