White elephants (as well as white cows and white monkeys) have always been venerated in Asia. Margaret describes the white elephant festival. Large crowds would go out in procession for this festival. The first time the Landons joined the crowd they…
The Tin Dredge was a huge boat built on dry ground before being moved to the sea. Kenneth and Margaret describe the fascinating process of moving the boat to sea. It was used to carry the tin, and several people with different expertise were working…
The Thai servants would fill the children with all kinds of superstitions. Margaret and Kenneth remember the lasting influence of these supperstitions on two children, their own Peggy and another missionary child. Margaret hired a second generation…
The Landons tell about Albert and Kenneth laying out a tennis court behind the two houses. Margaret talks about Dr. Theobald preaching on Sunday. They also tell of the operation that James had to remove his arm.
Margaret was convinced that all of the servants were eating out of the kitchen and some were taking food regularly to their families. The Chinese servants accused only the Thai servants of stealing things, but with the time Margaret had evidence that…
Kru Tim was a teacher at the school who had gone insane. She was dismissed from the school but later came back, claiming she was well. She toured the town in taxis and followed young men. There were rumors that Nai Nong, an evangelist from Bangkok…
Margaret recalls so many wandering animals in the town and how annoying and at times dangerous they were. The Buddhist culture saw the taking of life as sin, so these animals were all around in the town. Dr. McDaniel shot down so many of them.
There was a young police lieutenant in Trang, slender, inconspicuous, not at all the kind you would expect to arrest a "tiger bandit." Yet he was absolutely fearless and quite courageous, without ever showing a sign of these qualities. He managed to…
There were several New Year celebration in Siam. First the foreign New Year on January 1, then the Chinese New Year in February, and finally the Indian New Year celebration in March. The Indians had a grand time with their celebration. It lasted two…
Margaret tells about the move from Nakhon to Trang. She remembers the old cars they rode in. She describes the land, the homes, and the people they first met. she worked to improve the look of the house they lived in and recall the enormous and…
The McDaniels began to care for a large number of lepers at a leprosy asylum outside the town of Nakhon. Lepers were excluded from society and so he could not get a piece of land close by. Dr. McCain, another missionary, had successfully done a…
Margaret and Kenneth tell the story of a group of lepers who found a king cobra asleep (it had just enjoyed a full meal and was digesting). The lepers got a heavy box and forked sticks and coordinated their action to take the snake by surprise and…
Margaret stayed with the Sheehans for three and a half weeks. They were delightful people though uncultivated. Mrs. Sheehan was a devout Catholic and Mr. Sheehan was often singing a song (his only song) while working around the house. Kenneth sings…
Kenneth and Margaret scored very high for their language exam. Their teacher said they were the best students she ever had. Mrs. Welsh wrote them saying that she had been praying for their language study (she was still a friend to them at the time). …
Kenneth describes how the Landons learned to use durian (which the Siamese called "the king of the fruits") in ice cream. It was a delicious fruit though it smelled terribly awful. Both Kenneth and Margaret comment on their living conditions in…
Kenneth and Margaret helped two men get an education to work in mission. The two turned out to be very fine men. One decided not to go into mission--he did not have the personality for it. Instead he worked in a bank.
The Landons rode the train to the Nakhon Sri Tamarat station, where they planned to serve for three years. Margaret describes details about the train and the trip, how they met Dr. McDaniel from Nakhon Sri Tamarat, and their arrival in the town. They…
Margaret remembers the "cats" the Landon had. There was a small "panther" (a cheetah type). At some point the Landons had nine cats, seven dogs and one hornbill.Â
Margaret writes that Bill was learning to run, like a drunken sailor. Peggy is trying to sing, and since she knows no tune, her singing is always "original." Miss Eakin never came back from the US, so Margaret ran the school until she left for…
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…
Margaret talks about the house in Trang. She explains about property ownership in Trang and the acquisition of the mission compound. She describes the house they lived in and the building style that took into account the monsoon. She explains the…
Margaret tells about the furniture they owned. Kenneth tells of the way the Chinese made the furniture beautiful by rubbing it and polishing the finish to a gloss.
Margaret tells about the first Christian she met in Phuket, a regular patriarch who had been Christian for more than forty years through the ministry of Dr. Amner. He was an old man over seventy years old yet with a strong frame, who went along to…