Testimony of Healing January 13, 1951 Issue

Early in Britain's battle of the...

Frances Van der Meid Tustin

Early in Britain's battle of the flying bombs I was assigned to England as a Red Cross club director. I worked in the industrial town of Chelmsford, where most available labor was conscripted for war work, and the local American Red Cross Club was always short of help. Feeding and entertaining the troops placed heavy demands on each worker for long hours and for much unaccustomed hard physical work. Willing hands were badly needed, and Red Cross workers found themselves doing many tasks in addition to those they were sent to do.

In those days there was much loss and damage to civilian property by the flying bombs, and in addition to the long hours of work, I was greatly saddened by what I mistakenly felt then was sympathy for innocent sufferers. My admiration for the courage and steadfastness of the civilians under their long trial was beyond words.

So rapid was the impact of the war once I reached that zone that I did not sufficiently protect my thinking, and I allowed this erroneous condition to seem very real to me. Was it any wonder, therefore, that my strength failed, my health broke, and my spirit was rapidly being crushed? Many people told me: "You can't stand the strain of the war and this hard work. You should return at once to America. You were foolish to come." I was tormented by the fear that I might not be able to remain to do the work I was sent to do and for which I was well qualified.

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