A Woman's Place

A Woman's Place
William Raws, the founder of America's KESWICK, considered it essential in determining God's leading regarding the founding of such a ministry that he have the wholehearted agreement of his wife, Dora. At the time the property became available, Dora was in California attending a Christian Endeavor Convention and visiting relatives. William desperately needed to know her mind on the matter before proceeding. He sent a wire to her asking whether she was willing to leave the city (Philadelphia), and the relative security of an established mission (The Whosoever Mission), to pioneer a ministry in New Jersey. Her reply was prompt and brief, citing the Bible reference Ruth 1:16 which reads, "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
(the above excerpt was taken from Monitoring the Movement of God/A History of America's KESWICK, by William Addison Raws.)
After marrying William Raws, Dora and he established a home and began a family in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. They were increasingly involved in missions work in Center City. They began to take one or two of these men into their home until they could get on their feet. Having seen the same needs in so many on the streets of Germantown they had an increasing desire to see a work started there. They began to pray about the need and heard that an old building was for sale. It was a familiar building since it housed the saloon where he had done most of his drinking before he was delivered b y God's grace. They founded the Whosoever Gospel Mission. They had three children, Eva, Dora Mae (Dottie), and Addison. They also sent to England for the two boys, now teens, in the care of the grandparents. Dora would often play the piano during the services at mission.
When the property Raws considered for the Colony of Mercy came up, Dora was willing to leave a measure of security she had in their already established home in Philadelphia without hesitation. What a joy is must have been to be part of a team as husband and wife that shared such a passion and commitment not only to each other but to the Lord. So with five children and herself they all moved onto the grounds of America's Keswick. Which was at that time primitive, to say the least. She even had to endure the death of her precious daughter Dottie who at the young age of 12 died in her very arms. Dottie seemed to have been a close likeness in spirit to her mother Dora. At young age she ministered to the hearts of many a colony man, in fact bringing them to tears. Here grave site Is located just outside of our Women's Ministry Building and to this day is well tended to by the men of the colony.
I have a unique privilege in that William Addison Raws, Dora's grandson is here to give us a peak into this amazing woman's life. He shares some of his recollections of her: she was a minister's daughter and from "good stock" so to speak, she came from a family of good, moral people that lived quite comfortably. Pastor Raws remembers Dora as a strong woman, and by her very presence could seem intimidating at times and was a very take charge person. She worked very closely with her husband, in the Colony of Mercy. She was a member of the Christian Endeavor Society and the Anti-Saloon League. She was a crusader for Christ. Often after her husband would assign the men their work for the day he'd head out to Philadelphia to preach or meet with other Christian leaders and Dora would see to the day to day needs of the ministry. For two years after her husband's death while her son Addison attended Rutgers, she actually ran the Colony of Mercy. Eventually her daughter Eva became secretary to Addison. Pastor recalls many a colony man giving loving testimony of Dora or as she became known to them, "mother Raws". In later years as she grew older and Addison became fully in charge, she still sat in on the leadership meetings and gave her input and advice.
A woman's place...just where is that? Wherever God places her, is her place.
Where is your place?
Dina