RANSOM A MISSIONARY!

By Esther Jakel

Cambrian Park UMW

Our wonderful Education and Interpretation coordinator, Ruth Peters, who sends birthday cards to missionaries discovered via the Prayer Calendar, has put us in touch with Carol Partride in Macedonia. Reading the December, 2001 newsletter from there, we discovered project "Ransom a Missionary"!

About 100 years ago, Macedonian peasants planning a revolt against the occupying Turks, sought to raise funds for guns and ammunition for their cause by kidnapping an American missionary, Ellen Stone, and a local pastor's wife, Mrs. Tsilka.  While held captive in the Macedonian hills, Mrs. Tsilka gave birth to a baby daughter, Elena. Taken on September 3, 1901, almost six months later, on Febrary 23, 1902, they walked out of the woods into a village near Strumica. An amount of gold then worth $68,200 had been paid for Miss Stone's release.

What a story! Miss Stone has become a legend in Macedonia - and not just among Protestants. We remember her for her work in Macedonia; today's United Methodist congregations are her legacy. She trained women to teach Bible classes; she opened a school for girls. She said, "Let it be understood, that a woman who is known as a Protestant knows how to read and write".

As part of their celebration in Macedonia, we wanted to help MATCH THE RANSOM! Oour churches were invited by the mission station to help raise funds for a small house to serve as a church for their fledgling congregation in Resen, in southwestern Macedonia. About 30 enthusiastic people were meeting there in a home.

Cambrian Park United Methodist Women in San Jose brought this project to our congregation and were happy to be able to send $365.00 to them. We received a long letter of great appreciation with many details of the activities of this wonderful missionary. She also sent us some pictures and it was a great "connection"!