Article published in the Goldsboro News-Argus on June 4, 1952:
Palestine, the country of century-old religious and political disputes, holds more than a historic interest for Bill Mooring of 308 N. Audubon avenue. Mr. Mooring has recently returned from Palestine where he assisted in the building of Berachah sanatorium located eight miles south of Bethlehem.
Berachah is located in Hashemite Valley of the Jordan which has pools built in it by Solomon. The pools were used by General Allenby, Englishman who conquered Jerusalem in the first World War. Unique name of the sanatorium was taken from the Book of Second Chronicles chapter 20, verse 26, in the Old Testament and means blessing.
In September 1949 Mr. Mooring volunteered for the work in Palestine as an assistant to Dr. Thomas A. Lambie, veteran medical missionary of the Independent board for Presbyterian foreign mission. Work has begun on the hospital, which will be open for patients in August of this year, after a home for the missionary was constructed.
At first the patients came to the house for clinical treatment. Each day a long queue of patients stood outside until their turn came for examination or treatment. Later an out-patients clinic was built which ministers to from 300 to 50 people daily. Approximately 50,000 people in Palestine with active cases of tuberculosis need hospital care, Mooring said.
Cost to run the out-patients clinic monthly is $300. The most money taken in thus far for one month is $55. The average amount taken in for one month is $25 or $30. The out-patients clinic is operated on a faith basis; payment is not compulsory because many of the patients are unable to pay.
Mr. Mooring volunteered for the work in Palestine while a student at Shelton College in New York. Here he majored in Christian education. While in Palestine he taught a class of Arab boys from ages 15 to 25 every Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Mooring became acquainted with many of the refugee children who live in tent-camps outside of the cities. One of the children he remembers especially is Sophia, a little Arab girl, who loved to come to the clinic. Sophia would go into the tents and get babies from the refugee women and bring them to the clinic in order to get inside.
Many of the refugees come to the house asking for tin cans in which to cook. They also ask for milk and food for their children.
Once an Arab woman came to the house and asked the men why they had stolen the garments of her baby which she had put on the fence to dry. Of course, no one knew anything about the clothes. A few days later Mr. Mooring came upon the cook who was using some old cloths. He found out that she had taken from the fence. She thought that some of the servants had rinsed out scrubbing cloths and put them on the fence to dry.
The Arabs are hard and conscientious workers if treated kindly, Mr. Mooring said, and are the most generous people on earth. In Palestine also are Jews and other races of the European countries, with their different religious beliefs and political ideas.
Mr. Mooring believes that interference in the Palestine situation is equally as dangerous as indifference. He also believes that althought it is the Holy Land and the birthplace of Christ that it will receive no more devine protection than any other country of the world.
A native of Goldsboro, Mr. Mooring is the son of J. B. Mooring. He would like to go back to Palestine as a missionary, but at present is uncertain of his future plans. He plans to receive further education at Shelton College and at New York University.
