Why Do We Tell Bible and Missionary Stories?

By Mary Vee

Happy New Year!!






We celebrate the start of a fifth year of this blog.

Sharing Bible stories on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 

Missionary stories on Mondays

These stories are told in the first person to help take you back in time to the event.

See the sites

Smell the scents

Taste the food

Touch the objects

Hear the sounds

The purpose of this blog is:

to help you experience these very real events 

to help you understand in maybe a small measure why God included this important event in His word.

to help you want to learn more and grow closer to God

For this reason you will not see advertisement on this page. 

This blog is all about God, His word, and how its importance in our lives.

In five years we have:

Walked from creation to Elisha's life events 
Walked with Gladys Aylward through her missionary journey in China
Walked a portion of J. Hudson Taylor's journey
Played Bible games (see tab at the top to find the games)
Discussed ways to keep safe (see tab at the top)



This year we will:

Continue Elisha's story
Continue and probably finish J. Hudson Taylor's journey.

May God bless you and your family in this new year. 

We look forward to your visits.

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.

Hudson Taylor-When God Speaks

By Mary Vee

From J.Hudson Taylor's Notes

**author's note: Very little is knowing about Hudson Taylor's eleventh missionary journey other than he went to Songjiang on January 29th and it lasted two weeks. This entry will start with the twelfth missionary journey.

photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

My new partner, William Burns, and I planned to reorganize and restock the ship with literature and fresh medical supplies while back in Shanghai. We planned to return to Songjianga and continue our ministry there, until God changed our minds.

One night while still in Shanghai, Burns and I attended a prayer meeting at Dr. Medhurst's house. A Christian captain happened to attend as well. His ship had docked after arriving from Swatow. 

Captain Bowers told about the spiritual needs of the people living in the coastal city of Swatow located six hundred miles south of Shanghai. Five miles away on Double Island, British merchants sold drugs and traded slaves. He shook his head sadly, "There are no missionaries on the island."

He then looked at Burns and me and furrowed his brows, "If these foreign business people can live there, than missionaries can live there, too. It won't be an easy life for a missionary. The corruption is great."

As he told me about the island, nothing turned my thoughts away from wanting, desiring to go. God stirred in my heart a need to tell the people about His love. But the problem was I didn't want to break up my newly formed missionary team with William Burns. How can I tell him that I need to leave and go to Swatow?  I have no right to insist he go there, especially after we made plans to return to Songjiang.

A few nights later, I still felt the burden in my heart to go to Double Island. I attended a meeting at a friend's home. While there the wife sang a missionary song. It was as if the Lord spoke out loud to me. Go, Hudson. I made up my mind to tell Burns.

As I walked away from my friend's home I asked Burns if I could speak with him. I told him how God had spoken to me about going to Double Island. I was sorry that we would have to break up our team. I went on blubbering for a few more minutes and took a breath.

To my surprise, Burns was not upset in the least. "Taylor, old man." He laughed. "I was trying to figure out how to tell you that God clearly has led me to go to Double Island. I didn't want to force you to go."

We both laughed. God had spoken to each of us separately to do the same work! We went right away to speak with Captain Bowers and told him God led both of us to go to Double Island. Captain Bowers was so pleased, he offered us both free passage which would leave in a few days.

Imagine that! I love when I get to see God's plan work together.

Next time we sail for Double Island. Oh, and please do pray for financial help. The board has cut my salary again.

J. Hudson Taylor
Missionary to China

Do you have any questions?    


Photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

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. & Mrs. Howard Taylor.