William Maxwell and
Elisabeth (Leila) Maxwell
As told by William Maxwell
to his daughter Agnes Maxwell Penna
I was saved when I was twelve years old, after hearing a gospel message where the preacher read the verse 'My spirit shall not always strive with man' (Genesis 6:3), and as it was the third time that the Lord had convinced me of sin and the need of repentance for salvation, I felt, that night, as if it were 'now or never' and so accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.
In all these years since then, I have been unfaithful many times and I have had days of spiritual weakness, but I have never, never had any doubt as to my salvation. I grew up in a happy family atmosphere, with four brothers and one sister, along with the young people of Shiloh Hall, Glasgow, attending all the meetings and taking more and more part in the activities of the local assembly under the influence of godly elders.
A few of us held open air meetings in the centre of Glasgow, and I was also one of the 'Green Tent Gospel Campers' who spent our holidays in a green tent, put up on some village or beach camping site, where we not only enjoyed a holiday, but also preached the gospel daily.
I started going out with a childhood friend Leila Crawford, and even as we courted we talked about our desire to serve the Lord wherever He would show us, with some interest abroad, especially Africa or India. With this in mind Leila decided to take up nursing feeling that she would be more prepared to serve the Lord. We were married in 1936, and as I worked as a salesman we set up our home in a very nice and comfortable flat and felt very happy working and helping in the work of Shiloh Hall, in several different activities.
One night as we were walking home from a meeting in the company of an older sister she suddenly turned to us and said: "Willie, I always thought that you would be engaged in the Lord's service". Her words had a strong impact on me, so I laughed and said: "I am engaged in the Lord's work", to which she answered seriously: "You know very well what I mean". And I did know! That night Leila and I talked earnestly and prayed sincerely, putting our lives once again at the Lord's disposal.
However, instead of the doors opening before us, the very opposite happened as I became ill with a disease which at the time was considered very serious: tuberculosis. What now Lord? Where do we go from here? What about our call to missionary service?
This started a period of intense and serious treatment when I was greatly helped by my wife and her family, actually staying for some time on her parent's farm where the air was purer than in the city of Glasgow. During all this time, however we always had in mind that the Lord had called us, and that this would be a passing phase of learning to wait on the Lord and of preparation for service which would certainly open up before us in His time.
Finally the doctor gave his word that I was cured and the doors began to open up once more. Once day we heard the report of a missionary who worked in Argentina and our hearts were touched. The way did not open up to that country but our attention was already being focused on South America. Soon later we read a book called "Adventures with the Bible in Brazil" written by F C Glass, telling of his experience and adventures as a colporteur distributing and selling Bibles.
At that time we also had the privilege of receiving John Murray in our home for a weekend, as the assembly had invited him for some special meetings. This was his first visit back to Scotland, very weak due to a parasitic intestinal disease. He told us about the work in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, and of the need of more workers in that vast land.
Almost at the same time we met Mr. Edward Hollywell who worked in São Paulo and who also influenced us with his enthusiasm for the Lord's work in Brazil, a land so big and to us at that time so unknown and yet so needy. We then felt, very confidently that the Lord was calling us to Brazil. This was a calm and firm conviction which resulted in peace and inner happiness. During all this time the brothers in Shiloh Hall gave us their support in help and in prayer.
We began preparation and after a few months we left Central Station in Glasgow on the 25th. March, 1939 when a large group of Christians (about 200 people) went to bid us farewell. While the train slowly left that platform our young hearts beat faster, realizing that we would always carry with us the loneliness of missing our loved ones and at the same time the courage and strength that the Lord gave us, along with the burning desire to take the glorious message of the gospel to those who did not know it. As the train gathered speed we could hear the voices of those who sang more and more distant until the only sound was that of the train taking us further and further away from our loved ones, and our hearts rose to the Lord in prayer that he would bless us and use us in Brazil.
We sailed from London the next day on the Highland Monarch. While we watched the land slowly disappear, what thoughts filled our hearts! Anxiety, loneliness, wonder and expectation… We found strength in the Lord, however, remembering that He would be with us wherever we went, and what more could we wish for? We arrived in Santos after 22 days on the sea and after stopping at Recife and Salvador where the beauty of the country, which we were already learning to love warmed our hearts.
In São Paulo we were met by Mr. Edward Hollywell and Mr. Frederick Smith with whom we stayed for some months awaiting the Lord's guidance as to the next step. Eventually we spent a little time in Ituiutaba in the company of the Murrays, from there we went to São Joaquim where we saw people saved and a church established and in 1950 after the death of Mr. Alex Simpson we moved to Uberaba, where I still live, waiting on the Lord's guidance as to the next step.