Lettie Cowman visited the Far East in 1939 in her role as The Oriental Missionary Society‘s president.
The world was falling apart in 1939 as Hitler started marching through Europe.
China, which had become the site of OMS headquarters, was falling apart politically.
OMS missionaries needed Lettie to visit the Far East for a meeting with the Board of Directors.
So, off she went.
Whom did she meet while sailing?
At dinner the first night out, Lettie met Dr. Blanche Houseman, an osteopathic physician, on her way to a family wedding. Dr. Houseman’s grandson sent me this story about their travels.
Lettie sailed out of San Francisco on the Asama Maru to Japan on July 10, 1939.
Among their fellow travelers was author Dale Carnegie, “who would very much like to be introduced,” to Lettie.
The two spent an entire evening on the veranda, along with Dr. Houseman.
Imagine the discussion between the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People and Lettie Cowman!
(He also wrote The Art of Public Speaking, and of course, he swapped stories with a professional that night!)
Lettie’s friendliness and confidence in God’s hand at work
Because of shipboard dining arrangements, Lettie dined with Dr. Houseman every night and established a firm friendship.
Ironically, Dr. Houseman practiced medicine in Hollywood, California–which is where Lettie lived at the time.
Lettie went to her berth after dinner each night “because I have many matters requiring my attention.” (An exception, of course, for meeting Dale Carnegie!).
She undoubtedly spent her usual hours in prayer before retiring. At 69 years old, she also suffered pain in her body.
One night, Lettie accepted a “treatment” from the osteopath and received a few more such treatments over the voyage.
During the second week of the voyage, she made a surprising announcement to Dr. Houseman.
“The Lord has very definitely spoken to me. I feel led to take you with me to Korea.”
She then added. “I do not know where the money is coming from, but your expenses will be paid. He hath spoken, and now that (the funds) is his responsibility.”
Lettie’s friendliness and invitations to potential missionaries were infamous. So was her confidence that God always provided the necessary funds.
The Far East in 1939 with OMS
Once they arrived in Japan and Dr. Houseman attended the wedding, Lettie invited her to travel to Korea.
Why?
“Mrs. Cowman said she felt not only would her missionaries benefit . . . but it would be giving me an interesting trip, as well as a spiritual blessing.”
Well, why not?
The two joined the OMS missionaries at Wha Chin Fo Beach for what became a week of storytelling.
Dr. Houseman was fascinated to learn about Korea and meet people from all over the world.
She also treated “patients to the limit of my strength.”
Dr. Houseman loved the experience and appreciated learning about missionary life.
Mrs. Cowman made this an interesting and spiritually profitable trip to Korea possible.
True to her word, she took me under her wing from the night I left Tokyo until I returned to Japan.
Dr. Blanche Houseman, letter home.
What do we learn from this letter describing Lettie’s trip?
The 1939 trip was difficult. Lettie needed to justify all her time and energies spent in Europe, rather than paying attention to the ministry.
The missionaries were “enthralled” by her stories–which took her five afternoons to recount.
Lettie was her folksy, generous self–thinking of others’ needs.
Dr. Houseman was a convenient, and happy, person to help her missionary friends.
And, of course, Lettie was always happy to talk with people she met on board ships.
It was a sad trip. OMS co-founder Juji Nakada died while she was in Korea.
As the last living founder of the Oriental Missionary Society, Lettie Cowman went home sobered.
She had another ten years of ministry ahead of her and the hardest years–World War II–were still to come.
2026 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Oriental Missionary Society.
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