Missionaries’ Impact

I was very interested to read your article about missionary William Hugo Parkman in the Loving Memory section of this week’s paper. I remember seeing the announcement of his and Doris’ appointment by the Foreign Mission Board in 1957, but I had no idea at that time I’d ever meet them.

Then a few months later God called us to Thailand and we began our long voyage across the Pacific Ocean. 

Our ship, the President Cleveland, made a two-day stopover in Manila in late October 1958 and we had the privilege of being at the Parkmans’ home for a Saturday afternoon cookout. Their warm southern hospitality was a very welcome treat after a three-week ocean voyage, and it introduced us to the special bond among our SBC missionary family — which we came to experience more and more during our 36 years in Thailand.

Bob Stewart
Retired Southern Baptist missionary