This Week in AG History -- May 17, 1930

The Assemblies of God fellowship has always loved missionary stories. One of the most well-known stories is that of Aggie Berg Hurst, whose 1986 autobiography, Aggie, tells of her journey from the early loss of her parents in the Congo through her remarkable search for family identity as an adult. However, many are not aware that the interest in Aggie’s story began with an earlier book published in 1930 by Gospel Publishing House, Jungle Trails.

In the May 17, 1930, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel, Associate Editor Charles E. Robinson reviewed the new missionary biography written by Anna Berg, wife of missionary Arthur Berg, titled Jungle Trails: A Little Girl Without a Country. Robinson described it as “not a story about missions but about missionaries, not about missionary work but about missionaries at work.”

In Jungle Trails, Anna Berg recounts the winding journey that led to the adoption of their daughter, Aina Cecilia Flood. In the early 1920s, a young Swedish couple, David and Svea Flood, responded to the call of God and set out for the Belgian Congo (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo). Along with their son David Jr., they joined fellow missionaries Joel and Bertha Erikson, determined to bring the gospel to a region untouched by Christianity.

When they arrived, the tribal chief of the village of N’Dolera refused to allow them into the village. Undeterred, the Floods and the Eriksons built mud huts on a nearby hillside and began their ministry in isolation. Their efforts appeared fruitless. The villagers avoided them, and the only regular contact came from a young African boy who brought them food.

Despite years of hardship and sickness, the only visible spiritual fruit was this one boy, who gave his life to Christ. Yet Svea Flood remained steadfast, pouring her heart into sharing the gospel with him.

In 1923, the Floods welcomed their second child, a daughter named Aina. But joy soon turned to sorrow. Just 17 days after the birth, Svea died from complications related to malaria. David Flood, broken with grief and bitterness, buried his wife on the hillside and made a devastating decision. He returned to Sweden with his son but left baby Aina behind — believing the infant would not survive the long journey.

David entrusted Aina to the Eriksons, but their guardianship was tragically brief. Along with another missionary, both Joel and Bertha Erikson died within days, likely of disease. Arthur and Anna Berg, American missionaries in the area, helped care for the sick and bury their colleagues. Left with no one to care for the orphaned baby, the Bergs took Aina in as their own.

Jungle Trails contains the usual elements of missionary life — illness, sacrifice, triumph, encounters with wild animals — but the heart of the story centers on little Aina, whom the Bergs renamed Agnus (nicknamed “Aggie”), and the bureaucratic red tape often left out of missionary accounts. Because Aggie was born to Swedish parents, she could not become a Belgian citizen. Her father was unavailable to apply for a Swedish passport, and the American Bergs could not secure U.S. citizenship for a Swedish child. The 1930 book, and Robinson’s review, concludes with the complicated and emotional path toward Aggie’s eventual adoption and citizenship — but her story did not end there.

As Aggie grew, she married a pastor named Dewey Hurst and committed her life to Christian ministry. Although she lived faithfully, she carried a longing to learn more about her origins. In 1963, a Swedish magazine arrived in her mailbox. She was stunned to find a photo of her mother’s grave, along with a remarkable story.

The article described how the young African boy Svea led to Christ had remained faithful. After the missionaries had gone, he convinced the chief to allow him to build a school in the village. Over time, many of the students and their families came to faith. By 1963, there were over 600 Christian believers in that village alone.

Deeply moved, Aggie began to investigate further. Her search took her to Sweden, where she found her biological father. David Flood was an old, frail man living in a modest apartment. Decades of guilt and bitterness had left him emotionally and spiritually devastated. When Aggie introduced herself as the daughter he had left behind in Africa, he wept.

Initially, David could barely speak about the past. “God abandoned us,” he said. But Aggie gently shared what she had discovered — that Svea’s single convert had become a catalyst for a spiritual movement. Their faith and sacrifice had not been wasted. Their mission had produced an abundant harvest — beyond what either of them could have imagined.

David Flood’s heart softened. Though bedridden, he rededicated his life to God just weeks before he passed away — at last at peace, knowing God had used their efforts after all.

Aggie’s journey continued. Some years later, she and her husband traveled to Africa and visited the village where she had been born. There, she met the man who had been her mother’s only convert. Now a respected church leader, he embraced Aggie and introduced her to a congregation of thousands.

Pointing to the crowd, he said, “Your mother was the one who brought the gospel to us. We are all here because of her.” Before Aggie stood a living legacy — hundreds of believers whose faith could be traced back to one woman’s obedience, one boy’s conversion, and one family's sacrifice.

This extraordinary story — first introduced in a 1930 book published by Gospel Publishing House and highlighted in the Pentecostal Evangel — is more than a missionary biography; it is a powerful testament to the unseen work of God, the enduring impact of faithfulness, and the redemptive nature of grace.

Read Robinson’s book review of Jungle Trails on page 8 of the May 17, 1930, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.

Also featured in this issue:

• “A Singing Church,” by Ernest S. Williams

• “Delivered from Sorrow, Suicide and Sin,” by Alice Bowne

And many more!

Click here to read this issue now.

Pentecostal Evangel archived editions courtesy of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.