Hudson Taylor-Tell the Girls About Jesus

By Mary Vee

Year: April 1880 

Hudson Taylor: age 48

From J. Hudson Taylor's Notes

Photo Courtesy

Having missionaries in all of the Chinese provinces has taught us so much about the culture. Whether they live in the mountains by the ocean, or in the city, all the Chinese have the same basic cultural ways.

I wrote an article in our mission's magazine that would be read by thousands of English to let them know about the children and women here in China.

We have long been able to tell the men about Jesus simply by respecting many the Chinese ways. The problem is, we can't seem to speak with the women. The mothers teach the children. If the mother has not learned to read or write, or learned about God's love then she can teach only what she knows.

The girls have a difficult life. While she is still very little, she is allowed to play with boys, have fun outside, and laugh. But when she reaches the age of a girl she will have her feet bound and must stay inside doing chores. She may be taught to read and write while in her home.

In the Chinese culture, marriages are promised when the girl is a baby. When she is a teenager she is sent to the family's home where her future husband lives. Sometimes she is sent when she is still a little girl because her family can't afford to feed her. 

At her future husband's home, the girl must obey all the rules of the boy's mother. Any one can tell the girl to do work in the house. If something goes wrong, the girl is punished, whether she did the wrong thing or not.

Many girls suffer so much they run away or kill themselves.

We want to find a way to help these girls. In my article to the English, I asked more women to come to China to be missionaries to the girls. These women will be able to go in the homes and talk with the ladies, maybe talk with the girls, too.

I pray for the girls in China, that they can know God's love and not surfer so much.

My wife, Jennie has some great ideas. Now we need workers.

J. Hudson Taylor

Missionary to China--Inland China!

So Very Blessed by God

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