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suddenly opened the way for the fine and splendid property in
Pasadena to come into our hands. Consequently, we proceeded from
there with the program to open the college Sept. 22, this Fall.
May 1st, its president, Walter E. Dillon, joined our staff,
to devote full time to organizing and preparing for this fall
opening. July 1st, we took full possession of the buildings and
grounds for the college. Prior to that, we had opened a temporary
office in one of the buildings and added the secretary-registrar to
the staff. July 1st, our librarian started active duty, preparing
for the purchase of the college library.
But beginning July 1st we entered, as I stated, the most
hectic month since this work began. We ran into certain
difficulties and barriers in even gaining possession of the
property. With four of the college executive staff (including the
buildings-and-grounds superintendent) in full-time service, things
began to "click." The entire staff was quickly completed---an
amazing experience, for God literally SENT us a hand-picked faculty
of highly trained, experienced, competent professors--a faculty
that would add prestige to the highest-standing universities in the
land--yet every member is a Christian, committed to and having at
heart the ideals upon which Ambassador is founded! Certainly THAT
is a miracle!
But then, some ten days ago, we came abruptly to our "Red
Sea." The fire marshall and building inspector inspected our
buildings, and showed us some "small print" regulations in the
building code respecting educational institutions which
necessitated some $30,000 or $40,000 in structural changes before
the building would be passed and approved for use as a school!
None of the experts we had called in for counsel, before making our
original deal for the property, had caught any of these
technicalities. Neither our attorneys nor the bank appraisers had
caught them. This came as a stunning blow!
Many centuries ago God performed miracles and started the
children of Israel on a definite course--out of Egypt, the holy
land their goal. They came to the Red Sea, and they were stopped
dead. They began to grumble. They reasoned that this proved God
had never started them out of Egypt--those were not real miracles
but only imagined--they should have stayed there, and many wanted
now to turn back and GIVE UP going on to Canaan. Well, for two or
three days I felt almost like this. WHAT A RELIEF, my wife and I
both felt, it would be if we could just give up the college
altogether, with all its trials and problems and griefs. But,
after a few days filled with almost constant prayer and even
fasting, God spoke as plainly as He does speak to His children
today, and said, as He said to His children at the Red Sea, "Stand
ye STILL, and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE ETERNAL."
EASY going is no proof that God has started a thing. The
surest proof in the world that God is in it is ROUGH GOING,
obstacles and difficulties from which ONLY GOD can extract us, and
which compel us constantly to cry out to HIM for help and to rely
continuously upon HIS GUIDANCE AND DELIVERANCE.