Christians in His-Story Night By: Stella

       Hello Readers! We recently participated in a fun evening at our friends' church. They were hosting what they called: Christians in His-Story Night. They came up with the idea a couple of years ago and invited us to participate.  Everyone who comes brings a report on a Christian, a dish from the place they ministered in, and a fun craft to go with the report.  I did mine on Amy Carmichael and Leo did his on David Livingstone.  It was a very fun evening, and here are the reports and some pics.

 Here is Leo and his friend J.  Leo is dressed up as David Livingstone (note the lion shirt) and J is dressed up as another missionary explorer.

 Above is a picture of the Indian bracelet weaving craft I brought.

Here I am with my friend J.  I am dressed up as Amy Carmichael (real sari!) and J is dressed up as a Scottish woman.

 Above is my poster board. I did on one side a timeline of Amy's life, and on the other side I did quotes. In the middle I put pictures.

 Above is the map Leo made for his poster board.

 We outlined Leo's board so that on one side was pictures of him and his vocations. (Doctor, Reverend, Scientist, Missionary, Husband, Father) On the other side (see below pic.) is his country's flag and a typed up list of accomplishments that correspond with the pictures in the above picture.

First we had the delicious dishes from different countries.  We brought Indian curry and then everyone presented their reports.  Below are the reports Leo and I wrote.

Christians In His-story: Amy Carmichael

          My name is (Stella).  I recently read Elizabeth Elliot’s biography of Amy Carmichael entitled A Chance to Die.  I am eager to share with you an overview of the life of this extraordinary woman.

          Amy Carmichael’s ministry is an incredible picture of faith, humility, and prayer.  She is an example that we as Christians should follow and learn from.  Her life was truly one of tireless service; she spent 53 years as a missionary to the natives in India without a single furlough.

            In her early years, Amy was a rambunctious child, constantly getting herself and her seven brothers and sisters into scrapes.  One time after being warned that the berries on a nearby plant were poisonous, she took some to her brothers and suggested: “Let’s count how many we can eat before we die!”  Thankfully they got caught after making themselves only a bit queasy. 

            Amy, who would later become a spectacular example of the power of prayer, learned her first very hard lesson as a child.  She thought: If God can do anything, He can give me what I want more than anything else in the world: blue eyes!  She went to bed after her terse prayer, believing with all her heart that her it would be answered in the affirmative.  Imagine how dismayed she was when she woke up the next morning and upon gazing into the mirror saw the same plain brown eyes.  Later she would discover how providential this was when she became a missionary. 

            Throughout her teen years, Amy grew interested in missions.  She was deeply affected by the words of Hudson Taylor: “every hour four thousand pass through the gates of death into the darkness beyond-Saviorless, hopeless.” 

            January, 13, 1892 marked one of the biggest turning points in Amy’s life.  She heard the call repeatedly: GO YE.  How? Amy wondered.  It would be heartbreaking to leave her mother.  She wrote her a letter asking if she had unreservedly dedicated her daughter to God’s will.  Her reply was: “Yes, dearest Amy.  He has lent you to me all these years…So darling when He asks you now to go…from within my reach, can I say nay?  No, no Amy…I can trust you to Him and I do…All day He has helped me and my heart unfailingly says: ‘Go Ye!’”

            Amy planned to leave for China with a friend in autumn 1892 but her plans were thwarted.  Next she tried the Hudson Taylor China Inland Mission.  The doctor wouldn’t let her go.  Soon afterwards she got the call to go to Japan.

            After a short time in Japan, she learned how horrible the conditions were—far worse than she could have imagined!  She wrote pleadingly to those at home for support.

            Amy’s work was suddenly brought to a halt when she collapsed from the heat.  Due to numerous circumstances, she was forced to go back home.  She would not even consider prolonging her stay, but she did agree to go to India with its cooler climate.

            A big setback for Amy came in simply sharing the gospel.  The people were divided into social classes by the caste system.  That provided a major problem for the natives because they must break their caste if they converted to Christianity.  One woman said: “God is everywhere you say.  Then He is in the stone, the tree.  So we may worship the stone and the tree.  Why not, if God is there?” “If I come to him my devil-god will kill me!” 

            Amy wore Indian clothing to blend in as much as she could with the Indians, but she didn’t oil her hair or wear jewels.  Her lack of adornment made her conspicuous, yet she would not compromise her standards.

            An event that would forever change Amy’s life took place in 1901.  7-year old Preena was a temple child.  She didn’t like her life there.  One day she ran to a god and threw herself on it, pleading fervently that she might die.  That same night (as Amy says) an ‘angel’ came to Preena.  How else could she have slipped outside of the temple with nobody noticing her, making it safely to Amy?

            Amy’s ministry to the temple people was truly amazing.  She would slip into the temple disguised as a Hindu woman.  She stained her skin with dark coffee beans and slipped into the temples to ‘kidnap’ the children and minister to the women.  How thankful she was now for her brown eyes!

            Amy continued to travel from place to place, taking in children here and there.  At first, Amy didn’t see that God was calling her to settle down with the children for life.  Their family quickly grew and soon 17 children were under Amy’s care, six of which were temple children.   

            They needed a new building.  Faithful as ever, Amy stated: “There is no myth, no imagination about it: God does hear when we speak to him; God does answer us.” Sure enough, in 1906, they received money to expand and purchase a field.

            Amy wrote that people were still anxiously continuing their: ‘Get-Amy-Carmichael-out-of-India’ movements.  Mostly this was because of her ‘strange’ ways.  She was against Indian/European segregation and dressed like the Indians.  She also was ‘picky’ about her staff members.  The reason? “We could not bear to live on minute out of love with one another.”

            The Lord provided money for nurseries, bedrooms, schoolrooms, etc.  They showed their gratitude by keeping the buildings spotless. 

            Amy rode all over the compound on a tricycle.  She always took simplest mode of travel.  When asked why she always traveled third class, Amy answered: “Because there isn’t any fourth class!”

            Amy desperately wanted to extend her ministry to the boys of India (up till now she had been mainly active with the girls.)  She prayed about it consistently.  By 1926 there were 70-80 boys in Dohnavur, which was now split up into the boys’ section and the girls’ section.

            On July 6, 1925, the ‘Family’ broke all ties with other organizations.  They were renamed the ‘Dohnavur Fellowship’ in 1927.

            More people streamed into Dohnavur as workers.  Amy cautioned: “Bring to India a strong sense of humor and no sense of smell.”  Amy was thankful for the new arrivals, for, though she didn’t admit it, she wasn’t as spry as she used to be. 

            On October 24, 1931, Amy fell and broke her leg, dislocated her ankle and twisted her spine.  After 46 miles she finally made it to the hospital.   Amma asked for her illness, which she called her thorn, to be taken, but the answer remained: My grace is sufficient.  Amy accepted God’s will, saying humbly: “I am nothing and less than that.”  

Amy made preparations for when she would no longer lead Dohnavur life.  She quoted John the Baptist: “He must increase and…I must decrease.”  She talked with the children and staff for hours each day, writing nearly forty books and millions of letters.

On June 23, Amy tripped and fell again.  She became confined permanently to her bed.  She wrote that she “seemed to see ‘Him’ for a few immeasurable minutes, not upright but laid flat on His cross.”  One morning she said to her nurse: “Alison, I have been trying all day to join thumb and forefinger and I cannot…will [I]…move them again?” The answer was no, and now Amy had to dictate her books. 

Upon parting with a dear friend she said: “We won’t meet again in this world.  When you hear I have gone, jump for joy!”

Sure enough, Amy lapsed into a coma and died on January 18, 1951.  She was carried on a bed of flowers and laid into the ground.  Above her grave there was no stone, just a simple birdbath with the word ‘Amma’ inscribed on the top. 

Amy Carmichael is a beautiful witness to God’s love, the power of prayer, and a spectacular model of the very essence of missionary life which Amy sums up in these words: “A Chance to Die.” 
Here are some quotes from Amy:

“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.”

“And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.
I pray Thee hush the hurrying, eager longing,
I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire—
See in my quiet places, wishes thronging—
Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.”

"Satan is so much more in earnest than we are--he buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost.”

“To me there is no more tragic sight than the average missionary. …We have given so much, yet not the one thing that counts; we aspire so high, and fall so low; we suffer so much, but so seldom with Christ; we have done so much and so little will remain; we have known Christ in part, and have so effectively barricaded our hearts against His mighty love, which surely He must yearn to give His disciples above all people.”

“The mere telling of how a need was met is often like telling of a need, which is asking crookedly instead of straight out. But this much I will say--with every fresh need has come a fresh supply.

“It is more important that you should know about the reverses than about the successes of the war. We shall have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but we have only the few hours before sunset in which to win them.”

“The best training is to learn to accept everything as it comes, as from Him whom our soul loves. The tests are always unexpected things, not great things that can be written up, but the common little rubs of life, silly little nothings, things you are ashamed of minding one scrap ”

“If we were less of what seems like ease in our lives they would tell more for Christ and souls...We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could. I don't wonder apostolic miracles have died. Apostolic living certainly has.”

“Sometimes in Dohnavur we, who dearly love the little children about us (and the older ones too), have looked up from some engrossing work to see a child beside us, waiting quietly. And when, with a welcoming hand held out, to the Tamil "I have come," we have asked "For what?" thinking, perhaps, of something to be confessed, or wanted, the answer has come back, "Just to love you." So do we come, Lord Jesus; we have no service to offer now; we do not come to ask for anything not even for guidance. We come just to love Thee.”

 David Livingstone

            My name is (Leo) and I selected David Livingstone because of his love for science and his unbounded love of exploration.  David Livingstone was born on March 19, 1813.  His family of seven lived in a one-room apartment in the small town of Blantyre, Scotland.  He worked with his brothers fourteen hours a day, six days a week at the a cotton mill.   Despite his harsh, miserable job, he managed to get an adequate education.  Recently, a law had been passed forcing mills to provide children ages twelve and under with schooling.  Because the law did not give any specific time for the classes to be held, the mill did not offer the classes until the end of the day, when most of the children were much too tired to take advantage of them.  David, however, absorbed the information like a sponge.  At this time, David’s father, like many other men in early nineteenth century, believed that it was unacceptable to learn about science.  They thought that God had given man the knowledge he had, and it was not right to question his creation.  This presented David with a problem. He did not share the beliefs of the men and boys of England; rather, David believed that God wanted him to explore creation.  He often went with his brothers to the nearby hills.  On one of these occasions he brought a biology book.  David’s father had prohibited him to read it, and if David was caught, he risked punishment.  As David grew, he began to wonder how he could give up science for religion.  A book solved his problem.  David read about Doctor Dick, a Christian man, who explained that science brought a student closer to God.  After praying about what to do with his life, David learned from his pastor the need for missionaries in China.  David made up his mind that he would become a missionary.  After years of saving every extra penny, David enrolled in a nearby college and rented a room in a boarding house on Rotten Row.  After two terms at college, David sent an application to the London Missionary Society.  He was expected to receive the recommendations of a reformed minister.  Shortly after David graduated from the minister’s class, David received his PHD and the title Rev. Doctor David Livingstone.  David had been expecting to be sent to China, but the Opium War prohibited him from doing so.  An answer to his dilemma soon came after talking to Reverend Moffat, who ran a mission station in Kuruman, Africa.  The London Missionary Society accepted David’s proposal and David was soon on his way.  The ship, however, ran into a tempest and landed in South America.  After the repairs on the ship were made, David boarded and continued his journey to Africa.  In the port, he and a fellow missionary bought a team of oxen and a wagon and began the trek to Kuruman.  On the way David was awed by the abundance of wildlife. After much thought and prayer, David decided that Kuruman was not the place for him.  There were thousands of natives further north, who had never heard of the gospel.  After receiving permission from the London Missionary Society, he recruited an African guide to accompany him north.  As he travelled further north, David met many difficulties.  The first was the common practice of having many wives. It was also a great dishonor to a woman and her family if a man divorced her to convert to Christianity.  Another problem was the insects; they could be fatal to cattle and even to humans.  The natives did not have the equipment to get rid of them.  David also learned quickly that he would have to learn the native dialects in order to carry on an effective ministry among the people.  Many of the dialects were tonal languages.  Once, after confronting sin in sermon, David learned that because of his pronunciation he had actually been preaching against cow dung.  One morning David heard the villagers yelling.  A lion had attacked a flock just outside of the village.  When the villagers found the lion, David marvelled at their bravery.  After a vicious fight, the lion ran off only to return and attack David, shaking him like a cat would shake a mouse.  In the distance, David could hear gunshots and shouts from the villagers; then he lost consciousness.  In the following weeks, David slowly recovered from his nearly fatal encounter with the lion.  While he recovered, David thought of Reverend Moffat and his family, particularly  their oldest daughter, Mary Moffat.  David prepared for the long ride back to Kuruman, where he would make his proposal.  To his delight, Mary Moffat eagerly accepted David’s proposal and wedding preparations were made.  Soon after the wedding, David decided that the mission house was not the place for him and Mary, so they moved to a nearby village.  Before moving, Mary learned that she was to have a baby.  Before many years had passed, David and Mary had four children.  Throughout David’s lifetime, he found his attention divided between the needs of his growing family and his commitment to mission and exploration.  He decided to send his family back to the safety of Scotland, where his children could get a proper education.  He promised Mary that their family would be reunited in two years.  Soon after the Livingstones rejoined him in Africa, David’s beloved wife, Mary, contracted malaria and died.  David sold his possessions and went to England, where he received a hero’s welcome.  He was celebrated for his many accomplishments, particularly his success in exploring and mapping Africa.  After five months David returned to Africa.  David, however, was found to be very ill.    On May 1, 1983 he knelt down to pray and was later found dead. 

As I studied the life of David Livingstone, I was inspired by his perseverance, love of adventure, and unwavering commitment to the African people.