| Berry ©. and Ruth Z Hanson 5 2 A a OT RE RF Mola, Kansas December 16,1942 FIRST OF ALL, our hearty Christmas and New Year Greetings to each one who receives this letter. IT WAS IN JANUARY, 1904, that our first “Report Letter’ was sent from China to our friends in USA. It is interesting, for us, to look through this long series of reports now, with the record of our experiences through the years. The letters also record the history of the Shantung Annual Conference as we are the only missionaries to have had uninterrupted - contact with that great field from the time when-there was but one Chinese ordained Pastor to the-time of organiz- ing the Annual Conference, 1925, when there were 25 ordained men. There hasbeen continued growth since that time. ONE YEAR AGO, DECEMBER ‘1941, our last letter went to you. What a-year it has been. Then I wrote “Victory is sure for-us and our Allies. Anew and better world is. in the making.” This truth I have not ceased to voice during the year no matter what temporary -discowragements appeared. Our nation’s spirit. and our nation’s achievements during the year surely make me proud to be an American. Statesmanlike post-war planning now brings assurance that just as our war between the states brought forth our “United States of America” with permanent peace and pros- perity, so we may believe that the “United States of the World” with similar. oe ideals of mutual helpfulness will result from the present great travail.: : IT HAS BEEN A BUSY YEAR for us. We have had many wonderful opportunities to speak for Missions and interpret the Orient-in conferences, institutes, churches, clubs and schools. About two-thirds of my time has been spent traveling and Mirs. Hanson has also filled avery large number of speaking engagements. We have found that there is real need for this type of work because the Missionary enterprise is certainly not well understood by our Christian people in USA. SOME CHANGES IN OUR FAMILY have occurred since our letter of a year ago. In the first place, three Grandchildren have been added, making a total of ten. Our son Hobart enlisted at Fort Leavenworth and is now in Georgia, perhaps to sail soon. Betty’s husband, graduate of Harvard Medical, is now Lieut. E. M. Hayes, M. D., about to sail from Norfolk, Va. Richard is still a missionary in China, but we hope he may be on'the next repatriation ship, (he has not seen his son Richard Jr., now almost 17 months old.) Perry Jr. is on the Staff of the Church of All Nations, N. Y. City; Perry O. III is one of the new arrivals. Eleanor and her family are here but a few steps from our apartment; Ada Ruth and her family are in Vermont and Margaret continues her work in Cleveland with the Child Welfare Board. WILL YOU INVEST ONE CENT and one minute in helping us to re-write our letter list. Just drop a.line saying whether or not you wish to be continued on our list and give your latest address. We often drop names only to learn later that the person concerned was really interested in reading our reports but had not let it be known. Please co-operate with us and as promptly as pos- sible. Thank you. (OVER)