By Mary Vee
My name is Amy Carmichael. I am a missionary in India.
Now that I am getting older, my heart's desire is to make sure every part of this mission has someone who can take care of it. Someone to care for the boys. Someone to care for the girls. Doctors. God has supplied some wonderful people to come and stay.
I also hoped we could have a hospital. This facility would attract Muslim and Hindu people who needed medical help. While in the hospital we will be able to tell them about Jesus.
Once we drew up the plans, though, we found out the cost was incredibly high. Even for the simple facility we wanted.
All the children, all the staff, even those who sent support money knew of the need to raise money to build the hospital. The little children, they were so sweet, went out each day to gather fruit and sell it to people passing by. They turned their coins in to a jar set aside for the hospital.
Slowly, so slowly the money trickled in.
Some of the staff became concerned about how slow the money came in. They talked among themselves then came to me with an idea.
"If, and we'd like you to really think about this. If we were to eliminate the maternity ward from the hospital plans, the costs wouldn't be so unreasonably high."
"What?" I was shocked they would say this.
"Oh, wait. We aren't saying that we couldn't let women have their babies here. We would simply have them go to one of the regular rooms. Do they really need to have their own section of the hospital?"
The two doctors and I stood there with our jaws open. We shook our heads. I was so happy they agreed with me. Dr. Powell spoke first. "No. These women need special care. The needed equipment must be available immediately in rooms designed to give each baby a chance to survive. We never know when a baby decides to be born."
"I agree," I said. "God has the money. He will give it to us at the right time. We must pray and be patient.
I didn't know this when the staff brought up these concerns, but a Christian man who lived far away happened to be praying at this same time. God spoke to his heart and told him to give a gif of one thousand English pounds to our mission. What made me cry was the man said he wasn't rich. What made me laugh with joy was the man said, "The money just came to me out of the blue. I never expected it."
This money paid for one tenth of the hospital. All the money needed for the maternity ward and more.
Oh my. God has his ways doesn't He? I think He especially loves to surprise us and watch us smile and laugh, and cry tears of joy.
We really do have a good God.
Come back next week to read more of Amy Carmichael.
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.
Year: January, 1928
Amy Carmichael: 60 years old
From Amy's Journal
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| Photo Courtesy |
Now that I am getting older, my heart's desire is to make sure every part of this mission has someone who can take care of it. Someone to care for the boys. Someone to care for the girls. Doctors. God has supplied some wonderful people to come and stay.
I also hoped we could have a hospital. This facility would attract Muslim and Hindu people who needed medical help. While in the hospital we will be able to tell them about Jesus.
Once we drew up the plans, though, we found out the cost was incredibly high. Even for the simple facility we wanted.
All the children, all the staff, even those who sent support money knew of the need to raise money to build the hospital. The little children, they were so sweet, went out each day to gather fruit and sell it to people passing by. They turned their coins in to a jar set aside for the hospital.
Slowly, so slowly the money trickled in.
Some of the staff became concerned about how slow the money came in. They talked among themselves then came to me with an idea.
"If, and we'd like you to really think about this. If we were to eliminate the maternity ward from the hospital plans, the costs wouldn't be so unreasonably high."
"What?" I was shocked they would say this.
"Oh, wait. We aren't saying that we couldn't let women have their babies here. We would simply have them go to one of the regular rooms. Do they really need to have their own section of the hospital?"
The two doctors and I stood there with our jaws open. We shook our heads. I was so happy they agreed with me. Dr. Powell spoke first. "No. These women need special care. The needed equipment must be available immediately in rooms designed to give each baby a chance to survive. We never know when a baby decides to be born."
"I agree," I said. "God has the money. He will give it to us at the right time. We must pray and be patient.
I didn't know this when the staff brought up these concerns, but a Christian man who lived far away happened to be praying at this same time. God spoke to his heart and told him to give a gif of one thousand English pounds to our mission. What made me cry was the man said he wasn't rich. What made me laugh with joy was the man said, "The money just came to me out of the blue. I never expected it."
This money paid for one tenth of the hospital. All the money needed for the maternity ward and more.
Oh my. God has his ways doesn't He? I think He especially loves to surprise us and watch us smile and laugh, and cry tears of joy.
We really do have a good God.
Come back next week to read more of Amy Carmichael.
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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