Hudson Taylor's Thoughts
It was time to prepare to be a medical missionary in China.
This would be no easy task. I lived in London, I hadn't started medical school, I was physically out of shape to climb mountains and lead a rough life, and I had everything I needed.
Yes, having everything I needed was a problem, because I wouldn't have everything I need in China.
I thought about all I had, what I did with my day, what skills I had to give as a missionary in China. Needless to say, I didn't give myself a good report. I needed to get in physical shape, study, and learn a trade that would help the people.
So much to do. I needed to get busy, right away!
That very morning my boot camp training began I set time aside to:
Start an exercising program outside.
Replace my soft, comfortable feather bed with a firm, tough mattress
Cut out all expensive foods and eat only enough to survive each day.
Give away any clothes I didn't absolutely need
Volunteer to teach Sunday School
Go to poor communities in my city to tell the people about Jesus.
Study a copy of the book of Luke and later a copy of Mark and Acts written in Chinese Mandarin, comparing it to my
English copy and teach myself over six hundred Chinese characters. I felt like a detective.
Continue teaching myself to read and write Chinese Mandarin
Get out of bed at 5am to study Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Chinese
Pray every day, throughout the day
Read magazine articles about other Chinese missionaries
Study the Bible
One year later I accepted a training position as the assistant to Dr. Robert Hardey, a leading physician, a surgeon, and a teacher at the school of medicine.
I found cheap housing, a tiny cottage located near a drain outside the city. By living alone in the poor area of town I could
Study without bothering anyone or anyone bothering me,
Visit the poor
Tell people about Jesus in the evenings,
Save money by eating any buying only what I truly needed to survive
Give the money I saved, which was most of my money to the poor
I didn't just do these things for a days or months. I practiced for a few years. I wanted to teach myself how to live as a missionary.
The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, made me feel happier that I've ever felt before. Seriously, every day I wanted to sing and laugh with Jesus. This was what I needed to do to serve Christ in China.
Have you ever had the feeling deep in your heart that you were doing the right thing? That is exactly how I felt.
Next week I'll tell you about the silver coin.
J. Hudson Taylor
What questions do you have?
Photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com
Research resources: J. Hudson Taylor, An Autobiography by J. Hudson Taylor; It is Not Death to Die, a new biography of Hudson Taylor by Jim Cromarty; Hudson Taylor Founder, China Inland Mission by Vance Christie; J. Hudson Taylor, A Man in Christ, by Roger Steer, and Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor.
2 comments:
What would you do if someone tried to hurt you in the inner city?
Where did Taylor get his money from?
Are you going to write about Taylor's missions in China?
How how till Taylor goes to China?
How long did he practice for missions?
What kind of medicine did he learn, did he use, and how did he use it in China?
Did they have shots back then to heal people?
Written by the fourth and fifth grade students of Mrs. McConnell.
1. When I lived in the inner city, I took many precautions for safety. Still, I had to trust God to keep me safe.
2. He ended up getting money from several places. These will be shown in stories yet to come.
3. I sure will. I will be doing all of Taylor's life based on the many biography resources I have and the Internet.
4. Here is a clue, he decides not to finish medical school. That is your only clue. Guess you'll have to keep reading.
5. He practiced perhaps 3-4 years before feeling ready to go.
6. He studies surgery. I think he also learned family medicine. How he used it will be told in a future story.
7. Hmmm. This is a good question that I will research. The issue was not did they have vaccines, but did they take the vaccines to China. the diseases of the Chinese people would be different than ours.
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