. ▁ ▁Mission ary ▁work ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁China ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁where ▁he ▁started ▁on ▁the ▁China ▁Mission ▁Association ' s ▁mission ▁fields ▁around ▁La o he kou ▁in ▁H ube i . ▁A av ik ▁married ▁R agna ▁T org ers en ▁( 1 9 0 6 – 1 9 8 4 ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁Y un y ang ▁north western ▁mission ▁area . ▁The ▁situation ▁was ▁tur bul ent , ▁not ▁least ▁because ▁of ▁rob ber ▁bands ▁and ▁the ▁commun ist ▁ins ur gency ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁the ▁couple ▁decided ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Norway . ▁ ▁The ▁planned ▁return ▁trip ▁to ▁China ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁post pon ed ▁because ▁the ▁mission aries ▁in ▁China ▁war ned ▁of ▁increasing ▁uncertainty ▁and ▁une ase , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁A av ik ▁tra ve led ▁alone , ▁without ▁family , ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁mission ▁field ▁in ▁China . ▁The ▁Norwegian ▁mission aries ▁would ▁later ▁tempor arily ▁and ▁definitely ▁leave ▁this ▁field ▁because ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁commun ist ▁advance . ▁A av ik ▁returned ▁home ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁time ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁A av ik ▁still ▁came ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China , ▁now ▁Taiwan , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁with ▁less ▁inter ruption ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9