Amy Carmichael-The Grumpy Captain and Tiny Unwanted Visitors

By Mary Vee

Year: 1893 

Amy Carmichael: 26 years old

From Amy's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Amy. 

I get to be a missionary in a foreign country! This is so exciting!!

I spent several day on the island of Ceylon. You'll have to read my last post for all the details. Scroll down to last Monday.

This morning, I boarded the SS Sutlej with the same three missionary ladies I traveled with from England. We set sail for Shanghai after sailers loaded the supplies and set the sails. 

The Sutlej had a few teensy problems. The cabins were as small as a closet. And--Rats. Cockroaches. Everywhere.

Living in a small room with rats and cockroaches wasn't a new adventure for me. My tiny apartment in the slums of Ancoats, England had the same problem. 

Would you believe me if I said my excitement for being a foreign missionary made dealing with these monsters easier? Well, it's true. I found a large piece of cardboard and wrote these words from the Bible "In Everything Give Thanks," and hung it over my bed. 

Each night as I opened my cabin door, I saw the my handmade sign--then checked the blankets for droppings and unwelcomed tiny visitors. 

The captain didn't seem to be a happy man. He barked orders to his men day and night. I offered to help the crew, but he wouldn't let me. Maybe he felt guilty about the poor conditions on his ship, after all he saw me sleeping on the deck several nights.

One day he called me to his office. "Amy," he said. "You have show such a positive attitude every time I see you. Other passengers grumble about the terrible conditions on board. I must admit, the ship isn't what she used to be. But, you...you are content and offer kind words to everyone on board. How do you do it?"

His question made me so happy. Because I lived the life Jesus wanted me to, the captain of the ship at that very moment gave me the opportunity to tell him about God's love.

EEEEEEEEE! I answered all his questions and showed him some Bible verses to think about.

Each day he met with me on the deck, or had me to stand by him while he worked. He had so many questions, wanting to know more about Jesus. Each night I prayed, asking God to give me the answers to the questions the captain would ask the next day.

Then it happened. One morning after breakfast, the captain had the one question I longed to hear. He wanted to know how to have the same faith in Jesus as I had. 

My heart beat wild with excitement as I showed him the Bible verses and asked him if he truly wanted to ask Jesus into his heart. He said yes! I wish you could have seen the joy on his face when he finished his prayer. It was like watching someone opening their most wanted Christmas present!

The captain asked me to make some cardboard signs with Bible verses. I did. He hung them in his cabin. 

Photo Courtesy

I must admit, the long ship ride became boring and dealing with the rats and cockroaches did wear me down. The day the ship steamed up the Yangtze River and then the Huangpu River to dock in Shanghai was a day that made me very happy.

I said my goodbyes to the captain and walked down the plank to the dock. Missionaries from the China Inland Mission took me to their home where I waited for the letter from the Japanese missionaries.

I haven't reached my final destination, and I'm so excited to see my new home and work.

Come back next time. I have much more to share!


Resources used for this series:
Benge, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 1998. Print.
Davis, Rebecca Henry. With Daring Faith: A Biography of Amy Carmichael. Greenville, SC: Bob Jones UP, 1987. Print.
Dick, Lois Hoadley. Amy Carmichael: Let the Children Come. Chicago: Moody, 1984. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 2002. Print.
Wellman, Sam. Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God. Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Pub., 1998. Print.

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