The relative freedom, so heady after the strictures of all their former years, was too much for some of the girls and, as Amma had feared, they rebelled. Furthermore it was discovered at first that Agnes Naish’s system was not superior after all, and some of the girls did poorly in school. But the release into education in the public system was to lead into a new future for the work, with college graduates and other trained personnel moving into careers, often in Christian institutions in India and other countries. Some are now among the leaders of the present work in Dohnavur.
Studies in child psychology were brought to Amy’s attention and she was able to accept the recommendation that children ought to be in mixed age groups in the cottages. They had always been divided into peer groups, ages two to six, six to eight, eight to ten, and so on. This meant that the children experienced several times, as they grew up and were moved from cottage to cottage, what amounted nearly to the death of their mother (their accal). Though the leaders had tried to make these moves gradual, having the children go first to play at the new house, the final transfer broke the children’s hearts. It also broke the mothers hearts. It took a long time before anyone recognized the reason for many of the difficulties that resulted.
Margaret Wilkinson, a university-educated woman from northern Ireland, felt strongly the need for some sort of a “break out’’ from the time-honored ways of Dohnavur. It was an out-of-the-way place. They were cut off not only by the war and by Amma’s illness, but even, to a much greater degree than in Amma’s early days, from other missions. They needed to establish links with the outside. There simply were not enough choices. Margaret’s conviction was that the character of a young person is developed through learning to choose. She saw that they needed something other than spiritual training and proposed that Dohnavur girls be allowed to join the Girl Guides movement, of which she had been a leader in Ireland. She presented, for the consideration of Amy and the other leaders, her reasons:
1. It may not be possible to shelter future generations as we have sheltered past ones. I feel we must therefore try to prepare them to test things that differ and to weigh up other points of view, so that if the day should come when they have conflicting ideals forced upon them from without they may be able to make a considered judgment.
2. Our senior accals had nearly all some experience of life outside the compound even if only as a child. The generation from whom the senior accals of the future must come have not that experience; yet not only may they have to fill the place held by the seniors of today but circumstances may arise in which they will have to shoulder responsibilities to carry which a knowledge of the world has been essential to sitties.
Then followed an explanation of the specific ways in which Girl Guides could provide just the help that was needed. The proposal was rejected, “but I did not feel I was not listened to,” she said. Years later she broached the subject again. This time it received Amma’s blessing and a Guide company was formed.
The interests of Amy Carmichael might understandably have been restricted by this time in her life to the Family. Weren’t the burdens she bore for them quite an adequate load for an elderly shut-in who had a large share of pain to bear besides? In fact her attention and concern continued to range outside the compound walls where there were still huge numbers who did not know Christ. All new DFs were required to live for a time in a Hindu village with non-English-speaking companions in order to learn the language by the saturation method, and the religion and customs at first hand. She wanted news of them and their progress. When evangelistic teams of twos and threes returned from visits to the villages, Amma wanted to know exactly what questions they had been asked, how they had answered. What of the Tamil tracts and booklets produced and distributed in the DF book room—were they being read? Sometimes, until she became too ill, she asked to meet patients who had come to trust the Lord in the hospital.
Evangelistic efforts in Dohnavur suffered from too exclusive use of the Family’s men as preachers. Yearly at Christmas a four-day convention called the Meetings of Vision brought together Hindus, Muslims, and others to hear again the Gospel which many had first heard through the personal witness of the hospital staff, or through visits to the villages by Dohnavur people. In 1948, at the suggestion of Dr. Kinnear, an outside Indian speaker (a “trusted” one) was invited to address these meetings. It was the thin edge of a most significant wedge, bringing to Dohnavur in due course many leaders of a new evangelical awakening in Tamil Nadu.
The Dohnavur “river” was certainly flowing in new “channels.” It was a testimony to the vigor of Amy’s mind that she was able to accept as many of the new proposals as she did. It was also greatly reassuring to those in charge. The question she had forbidden them to ask—Would Amma have done it this way?—was always there, spoken or unspoken. To have her blessing on the new channels obviated the question.
Chapter 50
Fettered and Yet Free
Three rules of prayer helped the Family to save time and energy in prayer meetings. It was Amma, of course, who wrote them.
1. We don’t need to explain to our Father things that are known to Him.
2. We don’t need to press Him, as if we had to deal
