The month-long journey in the open ocean allowed him quiet time with the Lord. Among the passengers were fifteen other young men who happened to be going to China under the auspices of the China Inland Mission. Daily devotion with these new acquaintances reinforced their commitment to serve God wherever He led them.      On Oct. 28, 1931, the boat finally docked in Hong Kong. He was met by a Chinese Christian who accompanied him to his final destination, Kun Yiu, Kwong Tung Province. Upon arrival, he found that his new home was nothing but a small sampan on a river amongst other sampans of the local fishermen. The boat was so small he had to remain in a squatting position for most of the day. The river itself was both his toilet and bathtub. At night he tucked himself into a makeshift bed-- a piece of board across the floor of the sampan. Frequently, it would be long into the night before he eventually fell asleep with his head upon the tear-stained pillow.      The Mission Board arranged a traditional Chinese scholar to come to the sampan each day to teach Mills the Chinese language, the old fashioned way. After about five months of intensive memorization, he was able to have simple conversations with the local people. The constriction of the sampan also forced him to get out of his "humble dwelling" as often as possible. His early Chinese pronunciation frequently brought on fits of laugher since invariably it meant something completely different from what he intended to say. This did not stop him from making progress, rather it gave him a deeper determination to master the new language. He also used his free time to help local people with cleaning, repairing and launching boats. Before long, he won the friendship and trust of the locals, living amongst the villagers as if he was one of them.      Six months of separation from family and friends from his homeland of Winnipeg, Canada finally took its toll. In utter desperation, he wrote to his fiancée, Miss Alma Kenny: "I am so lonely in China I don't think I can continue any longer unless you come to China as well." What a commitment to each other! Without hesitation, Miss. Kenney responded positively on her telegram and set sail to Hong Kong on the ship, the Empress of Asia. Upon arrival in Kun Yiu, on April 2, 1932, they had a traditional Chinese wedding. The entire village witnessing this first ever foreign bride in a small little known fishing village in South China. The honeymoon was spent in studying the language and going to the villages spreading the gospel of Jesus. Their commitment to "serve God first, His work second, and family third" was the guiding principle for the rest of their lives.      Since the sampan was not big enough for two of them, they rented a small hut with a dirt floor, straw roof, and mud walls without windows. To provide better ventilation, Mills opened windows on walls and whitewashed the hut throughout. A big commotion resulted since the "foreign devils" were living inside, the evil spirits would fly out and bring bad luck to the village. The commotion would not subside until Mills promised to take all responsibilities for anything bad that might happened. It was this and many other superstitions among the villagers which convinced the Millses that God had sent them to China for a special mission--freeing the villagers from the bondage of sin and superstition through the mighty power of Jesus Christ.      The turning point occurred in Tsing Lin where he had been trying to start an evangelistic work. The villagers were so suspicious of foreigners that they were unable to rent a house. One night, after Mills had retired to bed in a small inn, he was awakened by a noise as if someone was choking. Investigating outside with a flashlight, he found a man laying on the ground, naked, bleeding, and convulsing, with foaming at his mouth. Bystanders told Mills that he was that way quite often, and there was nothing they could do to help him. Looking at the man, Mills could see the snarling face of the devil in the man, and a strong rebuke whelmed up within Mills. With no time to think of the correct Chinese words, he commanded in English for the devil to come out of the man in the name of Jesus. Miraculously, the man stopped convulsing and opened his eyes.      The next day the entire village was talking about a foreigner who had such a power that just by speaking a few words in his own language the devils would flee. Mills took the opportunity to explain to the people the power of God and His salvation for mankind. Over 300 people each day came from all over the greater Tsing Lin area, listening tentatively to the message of the gospel, and many souls were saved. Among them was the District Magistrate, Mr. Lai Yuen Foon, who in turn, led the entire village of Paak Waan to the Lord. The first church was formed there in 1936. With free labor and donated materials by the villagers, a church building was erected in Paak Waan outside of Tsing Lin, on March, 13th, 1937.      Another one of Mills' accomplishments was organizing the villages around Tsing Yuen area to build a dike to control flooding which occurred each summer. With flooding in check, land use in the river area was greatly expanded and the farmers enjoyed two harvests instead of one each year. To this date, the Tsing Yuen dike still stands tall, protecting the 200 plus villages in the area from the damage of flood.      During the next several years, Mills formed the Tsing Yuen Evangelistic Band. With his trombone and bible and her accordion in hand, they traveled all over Kwong Tung Province, performing music with Chinese songs he wrote himself, preaching the gospels, establishing churches and training local people to be pastors. Altogether, nine churches were formed by the Mills in the interior of Kwong Tung Province. In addition, he and another missionary, J. Elmor Morrison, founded the Evangel Bible School, training local pastors and "Bible women" to carry on the work they established. During this time, the Millses encountered many testings of their faith. Financial support from churches in Canada was variable. One month they were so short of funds they did not have enough money to pay the rent. As always, he decided to fast and pray. Early one morning he went down to the rocky shore and shut himself away from the rest of the world in a little cave. All day he poured out his heart to God, laying before Him his desperate need. For two days, there was no word or sign of God answering his prayers. He returned to his "prayer chamber" the third day, pouring out his heart in prayer again. At 11 am, it seemed as though the window of heaven was opened, such a blessing and joy flooded his soul that the little cave could not contain it anymore. He started home.      About halfway there Mrs. Mills came to meet him. Detecting a little twinkle at the corners of her eyes, he asked her: "Where is the letter?" Trying to tease him she said: "If you want the letter, you have to hunt for it." With her hands in his, they ran back home and, with much searching, he found a letter under his pillowcase. It was a letter from northern China written by Leroy King, a businessman he met on the ship to Hong Kong in 1931. The letter said: "Dear brother Verent, this morning, while in prayer, I felt urged by the Spirit to send you my tithes, which I have been looking to the Lord as to whom He would have me send them, so please accept the enclosed as from the Lord." Pinned to the back of the letter was a check for $90, Chinese currency; just enough to pay the bills that month with a little extra. The Lord is indeed faithful! The letter was written one week before Mills started to fast and pray. God had already provided before he knew he needed His help. God had utilized the delay of the mail system to test and strengthen his faith in Him.