Page:«Armenia og armenierne.» (Bodil Biørn okt. 1944).pdf/7

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In the outpatient clinic, I began with devotions in Armenian, and Christian scriptures in Armenian and Turkish were distributed. Later, a Bible woman who was an avid soul-winner came to my aid. As she was also Turkish, I could send her to the Turkish women I treated. My first vacation I used to take the midwife exam, since so many poor women died of lack of help. What a joy it was to be able to help these patient women, both Armenian and Turkish. It was difficult as there were often difficult births, but they eventually learned to send for help in the right time. It is a great responsibility to stand there alone, and it often felt heavy.

When the war broke out in Turkey, the Armenians were sent as carriers to the front and suffered indescribably. They brought home typhus, and since they were not admitted to any hospital, Musch and the villages were devastated by typhus. For over 1 year I walked among these sick. Many died, but many were also rescued, most of whom were later murdered.

Sister Alma Johansson came to Musch in the summer of 1910 to help me while I was home on vacation, and when I returned in 1911, von Dobbler's traveled home and later went to another station. Thus, Sister Alma and I were all alone in Musch during the horrific massacre and had a very difficult time. In 2 rooms we also took in 10 sick soldiers, Christians and Muhammadans, as they otherwise received such poor care.

But then the massacres broke out in Musch in July 1915. It was a terrible time. Almost the entire Christian population was murdered, often in a gruesome way. Thus, 40 wagons with women and children were burnt. 11 cannons were set up on the mounds and fired on the Armenian part of the city. Some fled into the mountains, some escaped across Persia to the Armenian Republic, some were deported, but most were killed. The Armenian part of the city and all the Armenian villages were destroyed. I myself was very sick with typhus. A fanatical Albanian doctor tried to shoot Sister Alma but hit 2 elderly women who both died. Our children were taken from us, and this doctor entered my home with 20 Turkish soldiers and abducted our staff, but by God's grace we recovered some of them. Our 3 believing Armenian teachers were for 2 days in the violence of the Turks; but God heard our heartfelt prayers for them, and we received them back unscathed. Along with them and 6 of the other rescued Armenians, including 3 of our big girls and 1 boy, we came with Turkish escort to Mesereh after 10 days of riding through dangerous Kurdish areas. The Lord wonderfully held His hand over us. Es. 43, 2.

I thought things were for me as in Es. 49, 4: In vain have I labored, and to no avail have I consumed my strength. . . .

Our entire field of labor in Musch, to which we had such high hopes, was destroyed. It is a comfort to know that we had received the seed of God's Word and that many, many fell as martyrs for their faith in Jesus Christ.

In mesereh I only stayed for 2 ½ months and then returned to Musch on my own responsibility with my kind maid Zerpuhi who absolutely wanted to come along. We set off on horseback with an older Turkish major that I knew and arrived in Musch at the great grace of God despite the long and dangerous road. But how did it not look bad in Musch! Destruction everywhere and my home in poor condition. But Zerpuhi got to work immediately, and we got it in order again