By Mary Vee
Year: April 1880
Hudson Taylor: age 48
From J. Hudson Taylor's Notes
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| Photo Courtesy |
Mary's days are long, her schedule busy. In the heat of the Chinese climate Mary sometimes fainted while telling groups of women about Jesus.
The women had come to love her gentle spirit and the Bible stories and wanted to help. Mary wrote me about one special older lady:
"One morning after I finished cleaning up our breakfast and prepared for my busy day, some men came to the door. They bowed and pointed to a chair. 'We have been asked to bring you to our master's house.'
"I recognized the chair and knew it came from a wealthy kind, older woman who lived in the city and had listened to many of the Bible stories.
"I accepted the gift, climbed into the chair, and closed the curtains around me to not be seen, as is the custom for women in China. The men lifted the chair and carried me to the older woman's house.
"I stepped down from the chair and followed the servants into the large home. The woman greeted me right away, 'Hello, Mary. Today you will have a different schedule."
"She didn't give me a chance to say no. In the Chinese culture I would have been impolite, and even insulting the sweet woman if I had said no thank you.
"I was shown to a room where there was a sofa. The woman sent all her servants away and pulled a chair close to me. 'Now, you will lay down and rest. You must have your health, you know.'
"Her tender and sweet voice touched my heart and eased the business away. She brought out her fan and swung it back and forth over my head, taking away the heat. I would never expect a wealthy woman to do this.
"When I awoke, the woman brought a tray of food she had prepared while I slept. She sat with me and we ate together. What a wonderful conversation we had talking about families and our Savior.
"After the meal, the woman called for her servants to take me back to the mission. I felt so refreshed and rested, ready to do a full days work in the time left.
"This sweet woman gave me this gift more than once. There were even days when she sent a hot breakfast for George and I to eat, incase our cook didn't have time to make one for us.
"Our home came to be a place where people loved to visit, listen to the Bible stories and talk. I loved this job that God gave me. In this whole province of twenty million people, I was the only foreign woman. Praise God they accepted me."
This ended her letter. Being accepted is very important for missionaries. How else will they have a chance to tell people about the God who loves them? God knew Mary Nicoll had the right personality to do this work, so He gave her the desire to go. Now many Chinese women have found not only a female friend they can trust, but Jesus Christ who is their Savior.
I am very thankful God sent Mary Nicoll to be a missionary here in China.
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
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