Hudson Taylor- He Calls and He Sends

By Mary Vee
Year: July, 1865 
Hudson Taylor: age 33

From J. Hudson Taylor's Notes

Stephen and Richard Truelove boarded the ship Corea and set out for China, called by God. Unfortunately, Richard became sick on the ship. His stomach could not handle sailing. He hoped the sensation would go away, but it didn't. And when the captain became side tracked after seeing a stranded ship and returned back to England, Richard took the opportunity to leave the ship.

It became clear to me that none of this was a coincidence. God knew Richard would not be able to survive in the stress and difficult work ahead of him in China. But now, Stephen needed a new partner, because we in the missionary office believed in sending workers two by two, as Jesus did.

George Crombie had been living in the missionary house, preparing diligently for a future departure to China. I thought about George. There seemed to be one slight problem in asking him to go. He was engaged to Anne Skinner and planned to get married right before the originally planned date for his departure.

We went to George and explained the problem. The ship, Corea, was to set sail again. Stephen needed someone to go with him. 

George answered "Let me pray about this. Give me one hour." 

During the time he prayed, his sweetheart, Anne crept into to prayer room and placed her hand on his shoulder. She whispered in his ear, "Go. Go to China and show the people there that you love the cause of God more than me." She wasn't angry. This was the words of a servant's heart. One who knew God had called George.

George left the prayer room with the face of a happy man. "I will go."

We hurried to gather the clothes and supplies he would need and on April 12th, 1865, George and Stephen started their long journey to China.

George showed his great faith weeks later when he mailed several letters back to England from their stop in the Canary Island. The one letter he did not write was to Anne. He knew God would provide the funds and approval for his sweet Anne to leave England and sail for China.

Here is the rest of this beautiful story: Anne left on a ship bound for China two weeks after George, days before his letters arrived in England. She arrived safely in Ningbo and stayed in a missionary family's home, helping them while she learned the work. On a sunny October 1, 1865, George and Anne were married in Ningbo, China.

How good and how pleasant our God is. He calls and He sends. 

Please pray for all five new missionaries sent from England to Ningbo, China to have a strong conviction to carry out the work God has called them to do.

J. Hudson Taylor

Missionary to China--home, in England--wishing I could be in China

Blessed by God

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

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. &and Mrs. Howard Taylor.