After four years this school closed on account of lack of students.
There arose a dark cloud of sorrow and disappointment to poor Daniel.
What shall I do to continue my studies, was the despairing cry of the
consecrated boy. But his strong will soon found a way. He was now
sixteen years old. There was a small village of three hundred families
called Golpashan two miles distant from his home town. Golpashan
contained a high school and a Presbyterian church of three hundred
members. Daniel decides to go to school at this place, but again meets
opposition from his father, who wants him to stay at home and work for
him. But his mother met his father with the strong argument that she
had consecrated her child to God before he was born, because God gave
him to me after the death of my six children. But the mother lived in
continual fear that her son would be devoured by wolves on his way to
school and then she said, "I will go down to my grave in a miserable
condition." But the son, willing to sacrifice even life itself for
study, said, "I will go, mother, trusting in God and your prayers."
Events soon proved that the mother's fears were well founded. Once,
very early in the morning, while on his way to school he was attacked
by a large, ferocious wolf. But he made good his escape up a tree near
by. But he received such a shock from this attack that he was
prostrated three months and his life was despaired of by all his
friends. But God graciously restored him to health for His holy
ministry. Daniel always believed in the out-stretched hand of God that
snatched him from the wolf. Hundreds of times he thanks God in his
prayers for this deliverance.
When Mr. Daniel was seventeen years old he reached the greatest crisis
of his life. His parents decided to marry him to a girl a few steps
only from his residence, because the parents of the couple had decided
when they were children to marry them to each other. This was in
accordance with a foolish custom of the Nestorians. His father had
firmly decided to make the match, but his mother said, "Only if he
himself wishes." But Daniel's aim was very high, he was running to
obtain a higher prize. He said to his mother, "I am married to my
studies." His mother replied, "My son, I have dedicated you to God, I
cannot compel you to marry." His father was full of indignation and
anger against the disobedience of his son, and he said, "I will never
send you to the Presbyterian college. I cannot spend one cent on you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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