“Exodus to a Hidden Valley” is a powerful and deeply moving memoir that centers around the unwavering faith and God’s providence in the lives of American missionaries and thousands of Burmese Christians during World War II. It takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the dense jungles of Burma, where they sought refuge and found a new home amidst chaos and danger.
When the Burmese government forced the Morses to leave their mission work in Putao plains, where they had been missionaries for fifteen years, they were not able to leave by regular routes. The only option was for them to find a path over the Indian border. Unfortunately, the Indian bureaucracy wouldn’t allow them to enter their country thus locking the Morses out of the only path of escape. However, in the heart of the wilderness, the missionaries and their native friends discover a Hidden Valley, a no-man’s land between India and Burma, a place that would become their sanctuary.
Eugene Morse paints a vivid picture of the valley’s beauty and the challenges they face as they build their new community from scratch. The descriptions of their daily struggles, from encounters with dangerous jungle animals to building a hydroelectric system, reveal the profound resourcefulness and adaptability of people who trust in their God.
What sets “Exodus to a Hidden Valley” apart is the depth with which the author captures the bond that develops among the diverse group of people, their shared faith, and the friendships that sustain them through the darkest of times.
Here is a short excerpt from “Exodus to a Hidden Valley”:
“In the end, we found that survival in the jungle was as much a matter of mental attitude as of experience. In the first place, you needed a kind of pride, a feeling that nothing could defeat you. In many people, this pride was often coupled with a dream, a goal, a drive for a new life free of the fears and repressions they had suffered in Putao. But even this sense of pride and motivation was not enough without still something more: an openness to new experience, a willingness to improvise, a capacity to trust in Providence.
“’The way it is in the jungle,’ as my brother Robert put it, ‘is that if one thing doesn’t work, another will. You need that you-just-can’t-lose frame of mind. The people who had a relaxed expectation that things would work out got through, and the people who had a negative outlook gave up. We all knew that the jungle would keep producing. Cut it down, and it’ll grow back; pick a whole mess of bamboo shoots one day, and a few days later there will be another mess of them. Knowing that, feeling that, it was always possible to sustain hope, even in the worst of times.’”
In conclusion:
“Exodus to a Hidden Valley” is an extraordinary testament to God’s power and His grace in the lives of His people. Eugene Morse’s skillful narration beautifully captures the story of this remarkable group of people, their unyielding faith, and the divine guidance that shapes their incredible journey. This memoir stands as a heartfelt reminder that even in the darkest of times, God’s presence and His plan for His people remain steadfast, offering hope, strength, and purpose. For readers seeking a profound story of faith, divine intervention, and the transformative power of God’s love, “Exodus to a Hidden Valley” is a must-read.
Additional Note:
This book can be purchased used from most second-hand online bookstores (for example, Thriftbooks, or AbeBooks). New copies can be found on Amazon.
