User:Nancy hurst

Bold textMY FATHER'S NAME IS SIMEON HURST AND HE WAS BORN IN ONTARIO, CANADA TO OLD ORDER MENNONITE FARMING FAMILY. HE IS THE MIDDLE CHILD OF 12 CHILDREN. HIS PARENTS WERE GOD FEARING PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN A HARD WORK ETHIC AND ALSO IN RASING A FAMILY THAT WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN SERVING GOD.

HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE IN SCHOOL AFTER GRADE SCHOOL AS HE HAD TO WORK TO HELP SUPPORT THE FAMILY. WHEN HE BECAME OF AGE HE FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL THAT HE MET FROM THE PRESTON AREA THAT WAS ONE OF 11 CHILDREN. HER NAME WAS EDNA SCHMEIDENDORF AND SHE HAD A BURNING DESIRE TO SERVE GOD AS A MEDICAL MISSIONARY IN AFRICA. SHE ALSO HAD TO WORK FOR MONEY FOR HER WIDOWED MOTHER AND SO COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL TAKING CLASSES AT NIGHT.

SHE THEN MOVED TO LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA WHERE SHE DID HER NURSING TRAINING AT SAINT JOSEPHS HOSPITAL. DURING SHE TIME SHE MAINTAINEDA FRIENDSHIP WITH SIMEON HURST AND SHE FELT THAT IF THEY WERE TO MARRY, SHE WOULD INSIST THAT THEY GO TO AFRICA AND BE MISSIONARIES THERE BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE AFRICANS THAT HAD HAD NO EXPOSURE TO CHRISTIANS TEACHINGS.

IN 1939 THEY MARRIERD AND BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR THEY LEFT NEW YORK CITY ON A SHIP THAT WOULD TAKE THEM THE LONG ABOUT WAY TO THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA BY WAY OF SOUTH AFRICA. THEY SPENT SOME TIME THERE AND LEARNED TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM THAT AREA. THEY LANDED ON THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA AT MOMBASA WHERE THEY THEN TOOK THE TRAIN TO NAIROBI AND THEN ON ACROSS THE BORDER IN TANGANYIKA TO LAKE VICTORIA AND TO THE MISSION AT SHIRATI.