Kenneth tells again about their language training, his doing three years in one, and Margaret two years in one. She kept up with me, he says. Margaret remarks that it was agony.
The Landons completed their first quarter of study, which they did in two months. As it turned out, Kenneth completed in one year a three year language program.
The Landons were learning about 30 new words a day, and memorizing two verses from the Siamese New Testament. Each week was a significant advance in their learning of the Siamese language.
Paul Fuller invited the Landons to his house for tea and to meet the Prince and his daughter, who was an expert tennis player and who asked Margaret to be her tennis partner in a tournament in February. Kenneth also was asked to become member of the…
John Eakin asked the king to give a speech in English, and he replied that he could do so if Eakin would give a speech in the Siamese langugae. Eakin was just beginning his time in Siam, but he managed to have a speech written in perfect Siamese. At…
Mr. McKenzie, the American minister, was entertained by Prince Damrong and wanted to reciprocate. He sent his number one "boy" to buy the best kind of Chinese tea for the prince's visit. It turned out that the tea cost much more he had thought, but…
Margaret and Kenneth talk about the buying and selling of Women in Siam. A young girl was bought for $10 in Hong Kong from her parents. Another was sold for 110 tekals. They were working as housemaids for wealthy people in the town.
Margaret tells about some odds and ends in the Siamese culture: cloth colors for each day of the week, pythons used for food or medicine, Mrs. Fuller and the rickshaw ride, the fire that wouldn't burn the mission compound, etc.
Kenneth and Margaret talk about the Seigle family, their house, and the first day staying with them. The stayed there for some time, getting used to the city and beginning Siamese classes the very next day of their arrival. They tell about the…
The Landons boarded an English ship for Bangkok. It was very clean and comfortable. They talk about the journey to Bangkok and the food they ate on the ship, and the people they met.
The Landons arrived in Singapore, where they met Mrs. Dorothy Richard Starling, from Meadville, PA. She had married a man who worked for an oil company in Singapore, and her mother had specially asked the Landons to look her up when they reached the…
Margaret rehearses the dates of the Landons' journey to Siam. They left Wheaton May 16, 1927, and arrived in Bangkok July 4, 1927. She gave dates, times, and places they traveled through between Wheaton and Bangkok.
Kenneth talks about their encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, who were missionaries in Siam and were now serving in China. The Landons arrived in Shanghai, where they celebrated their first anniversary. They met the Thomases who had also gone to…
Kenneth speaks of the disturbance in China that started in March of 1927 and filled the country. It was a civil war between the Kuomingtang forces of Chiang Kai Shek and the various warlords of the country. It has been a guerrilla area ever since.
The ship arrived in Kobe, Japan, for one day, and the Landons spent the time with their usual group, visiting the town and the countryside. Everything looked small, and the area seemed overpopulated. Margaret talks about Japanese quarantine officers…
Margaret and Kenneth tell about their time in Honolulu, where they had only one day break. A fellow traveler, Mr. Kennedy, rented a big Packard car and they all rode in it, touring the city and the countryside. The Landons recall Kenneth becoming the…
Kenneth and Margaret describe their sea trip to Honolulu. They read letters from that trip about their daily schedules, the food they ate, the activities they had, and the many people they met. Margaret remembers an elderly lady, the gayest person on…
Kenneth and Margaret describe their train ride from Chicago to San Francisco. Many people came to the Wheaton train station to say goodbye, bringing flowers and other things that Margaret liked. They tell how they felt about leaving home, describe…
Kenneth reads an account of his ordination from the Meadville newspaper. It was May 10, 1927 (contra an earlier account in which Kenneth insists that it was April 19, 1926). The articles describes the hymns, the sermon, and the ordination prayer…
Kenneth preached his last Sunday at Columbus. He only had his final Bible conference to do before leaving for Siam. He talks about his travel arrangements, the shipment of his car to Siam, and his travel expenses.
Kenneth was called in to New York in April for further examination because the doctor suspected a heart problem. The heart specialist cleared him, but the mission board doctor remained skeptical. Finally, after a long interview, the doctor…
Kenneth had wanted a good pictures of both his father and mother since college days, and for his birthday that spring of 1927, they sent him pictures which they had specially framed and which he kept the rest of his life.
Margaret reads a letter to her mother telling her that Kenneth's visit to the passport office was not fruitful because her birth certificate wasn't worth anything. The letter explains to her mother what needed to be done so that she can get proper…
Kenneth was given money from the church to pay the note off on his car and take it with him to Siam. Mrs. Ridgeway presented Kenneth with the gift and tried to make a speech, but she began to weep instead. Other people in the congregation began to…