Early in 1959, Ruth left her home on the South Dakota prairies and traveled by cargo ship to Hong Kong, on the south coast of China. She was answering a call from God.

The ship's officers smiled in amusement and asked, "What do you think a twenty-two-year-old girl like you can do in Hong Kong?"

She thought she knew-until she found herself a "foreign devil girl" surrounded by poor working class people, whose language, culture, and life experiences were totally foreign to her. God was her only confidante and friend as she struggled to learn how to fulfill her mission.