CameronCA1930Every novel has a seed of inspiration that launches the author into storytelling mode. For Through the Shadows, it was the story of the great San Francisco missionary, Donaldina Cameron.

Cameron, a tireless servant of Christ, rescued as many as 3,000 victims of human trafficking in Chinatown in the early 1900s. While most people turned a blind eye to the troubles in this small cornerDoldinaRescue of the city, Donaldina (and her predecessor, Margaret Culbertson) routinely stormed dark alleys and brothels to rescue young women and girls, taking them back to live at the mission home.

In Through the Shadows, Elizabeth King arrives in San Francisco in 1908, just after the mission home had been rebuilt. She’s hired as a teacher, but though she knows plenty about her subjects–sewing and music–she has much to learn about God’s grace.

Visiting the Donaldina Cameron House

This past year, I had the great honor of touring the building that housed the mission from 1908 onward, now called “Cameron House” in Donaldina’s honor. I could almost feel Donaldina and Elizabeth’s presence as I walked the halls. Today, the old mission home serves many functions in the local community. If you’d like to learn more about it (or even visit!), check out their web site: CameronHouse.org.

IMG_0412If you’re coming from Chinatown, it’s a steep climb up the hill (true of many location in SF) to what Donaldina always referred to as “Old 920,” 920 Sacramento Street.

Standing in the portico, a rush of excitement overwhelmed me. While writing Through the Shadows, the mission home became such a vivid part of my imagination–it was odd to be standing right there! Here are a few pictures I snapped.

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Not a great shot of me–but here I am reveling at actually being at the entrance to the mission home!

 

Cameron House Entrance
The Occidental Board Presbyterian Mission House

 

Clinker bricks at Cameron House
“Late afternoon shadows wrapped the stocky building, odd bricks jutting out at irregular angles. Elizabeth ran a hand across the rough facade, clasping one of the protruding blocks. She drew a deep breath, willing her knees to stop trembling. This is the opportunity she’d hoped for, after all. ‘They’re clinker bricks left over from the earthquake.’ Ruby walked up behind her and slipped an arm around Elizabeth’s waist. ‘All around you in this city, you can see God bringing life from the ashes.’ She gazed up at the Mission Home. ‘And He’s redeeming these girls from the ruins of their lives as well.'” ~ Through the Shadows, Karen Barnett. 2016.

 

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The front door–where so many great story moments happened. It’s where Elizabeth first met Kum Yong, where little Yoke Soo greeted guests in her bright red tunic, and where Charles & Elizabeth shared a first kiss.

 

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The main dining room. If you look closely, there’s even a piano up front. This building still serves the local community, and this day it was busy with summer programs. Can you imagine how it might have looked in 1908?

 

The hallways were covered in photographs from the house's history, including this sweet one of Donaldina with some of her "daughters."
The hallways were covered in photographs from the house’s history, including this sweet one of Donaldina with some of her “daughters.”

 

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As we were preparing to leave, I was touched by the beauty of the light pouring in through the door. Donaldina worked to spread Christ’s light and love through this community, but she knew that in order to do that, she had to confront the darkness. That thought became a major element in Through the Shadows.

Learn more

There are several wonderful biographies written about Cameron’s work, and I encourage you to look for them in your local libraries.

  • Chinatown’s angry angel: The story of Donaldina Cameron (1977) by Mildred Crowl Martin
  • Fierce Compassion: The Life of Abolitionist Donaldina Cameron (2012) by Kristin & Kathryn Wong
  • Chinatown quest: One hundred years of Donaldina Cameron House, 1874-1974 (1974)
    by Carol Green Wilson (Author)

 

Happy reading!

SignatureKaren

 

 

 

 

 

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