Women Missionaries in the Bible

Were there female missionaries in the Bible that we can look to as examples for the modern-day Christian? The answer is a resounding yes! I have highlighted four such women, but I encourage you to look for more. It once again amazes me how a book, written 2,000 or more years ago, continues to speak to us today, in every area of our lives. God is so good!

Esther, whose name appears in the Bible more often than any other woman's, was an orphan Jewess, reared by her cousin. She was born of a noble Jewish family and carried into captivity when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. Four years later, however, she had risen to the position of queen of the Persian Empire.  She was most likely the only one of the king’s court who worshiped the true God. However, as a result of the warning from her cousin Mordecai, the king did not know that she was Jewish. As time went on, she won both his confidence and his love. Her position allowed her to play an incredibly important role in the lives of her people, who had been threatened with destruction.
Mordecai warned Esther that the Jews were to be destroyed at the request of their enemy, Haman. But Esther, if she was willing, might be able to intercede for them. He told her, "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). In order to seek the king's protection of her people, Esther risked her own life by going unbidden before the king. The end result was the downfall of the wicked Haman, whom the king ordered to be hanged, and the salvation of the Jews.
In today’s day and age, women missionaries are asked, time and again, to approach the throne of grace on behalf of a people group whom Satan has tried to destroy. His methods are varied: cannibalism, violent warfare, infanticide, jihad...but his intent is the same as Haman’s, destruction of the people God has made. A missionary goes before the throne of God to plead for this people, more often than not, risking their lives in order to live and interact with these, sometimes dangerous, people groups. The Lord, time and again, recognizes the sacrifice of these modern-day Esthers, and holds out His scepter of pardon and forgiveness to each people group who is willing to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord. Yet, it is not only the foreign missionary who does this, but each Christian has the privilege and responsibility to intercede for the lost, praying daily for salvation for the unreached people of our world.

Dorcas, (Acts 9: 36, 39) lived in the port city of Joppa, about 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem.  It was an important Christian center in the first century AD, a time when the new faith was spreading from Jerusalem across the Mediterranean. Dorcas had great compassion for the widows and the fatherless. She began making clothing for the poor, rising early each day to sew.
One day she was seized with illness . . . and death came suddenly. Saints in the Church and widows whom she had befriended came to her house to prepare her for burial. Some in the group knew that Peter and other apostles were performing miracles, and a few had faith that she could be raised from the dead. They sent two men over to Lydda where Peter had gone to preach, asking him to travel the ten miles to her home and raise Dorcas from the dead. Such faith!
Peter listened to them, left his preaching at Lydda, and hurried on foot to her house. He dismissed the people who stood around her body weeping, telling them he would pray. After a bit, he was heard to say, "Tabitha, arise" (Acts 9:40). Dorcas opened her eyes, saw Peter and sat up. Then Peter called the saints and widows and presented her to them, alive!
Dorcas is an example of the care and concern that women missionaries extend toward the poor, homeless, orphans and widows. This compassion can be seen throughout history in the lives of women such as Mother Theresa, Amy Carmichael, Gladys Aylward, Elizabeth Elliot, and the list goes on. God has designed women to be especially compassionate...a mother’s heart. This equips them for the very important missionary role of being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are suffering. This care and concern is often behind-the-scenes, as in the case of Dorcas, but it does not go unseen by the Lord, or by those whose lives have been impacted. Each of us, whether in America or overseas, can reach out to those in need with the love of the Lord, following in the footsteps of Dorcas.

Lydia, Acts 16:14, 40, was a businesswoman in the city of Philippi. She provided purple-dyed textiles which were greatly sought after by the people in the markets. She was easily recognized on the streets of Philippi and would often dress in purple herself.  A native of Thyatira in western Asia Minor, she was a Gentile, among Gentiles. But she was set apart because she worshipped the one God of the Jews. In her desire to know better the wonders and powers of the one God, she joined with some other women to become a small group of worshipers.
About this time, Paul and his companion Silas came over from Troas. As they came into the midst of her gathering, she and her companions listened to Paul as he related his story of the new Gospel proclaimed in Jerusalem by Jesus Christ and now spreading westward into Macedonia. As Lydia listened, “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14). Believing in what he had to say, Lydia and her household were baptized. Then she said to Paul and Silas, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house,” (Acts 16:15). They accepted her hospitality, and in return, she had the opportunity to learn more from them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Her prayers and friendship with Paul continued. It was to her house that Paul and Silas returned when they were released from prison. They had been cast into prison because of the complaint of some men who had been exploiting a demented girl as a soothsayer. Paul healed the child, and the men were angry about their financial loss. Even in prison though, Paul and Silas were fearless Christians. They sang and prayed, and a great earthquake opened the prison doors. The keeper of the prison was so moved at these wonders that he became a convert to the new faith before Paul and Silas departed (Acts 15:40). Arriving at Lydia’s home, they told of their experiences to her and others who gathered to rejoice with them.
Lydia personifies the spirit of hospitality which must be present in every female, and male, missionary. Just as the Lord Jesus throws open the gates of Heaven to welcome every wayward sinner who approaches His throne of grace, the missionary must be willing and eager to open their home, and their lives, to the people who they are trying to reach with the Gospel of Christ. Unlike in America, where much of the art of hospitality has been lost, in the East, hospitality is practiced by most and is one of the best ways for Christians to share the love of Jesus with those around them. It is often over a shared meal that the hearts and minds of those who are searching are enlightened by the Gospel. May we all, as Christians, be willing and ready to show hospitality to those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus.  

Priscilla, Acts 18:2, 18, 26 – Romans 16:3 – I Corinthians 16:19 – II Timothy 4:19, was a woman who had an impact for God in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece and Asia Minor. With her husband Aquila, they supported Paul, hosted him in their home, “led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, ‘instructing him in the way of God more perfectly,’ (Acts 18:26)” (Kraft, 294). Her role in mission outreach did not seem out of the ordinary which leads one to believe that many women were involved in the Great Commission from the beginning.
She and Aquila were tentmakers and teachers. They came out of Italy first to live at Corinth and then about a year and a half later they went to Ephesus. They left Rome at the time when Claudius expelled all Jews. Their home, in the weaving sections of Corinth and Ephesus, became a rendezvous for those wanting to know more about the new Christian faith.
At Corinth, Paul, the tent-making missionary, lived and worked with them. Then when Paul departed from Corinth and embarked for Syria, they went with him. When they reached Ephesus, Paul left them there. Upon taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills," (Acts 18:21). Then he set sail from Ephesus. It was a year or more before Paul returned to them at Ephesus, and he found that they had established a well-organized congregation.
Not long after they arrived in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila had the opportunity to teach  the eloquent and learned Apollos.  He was well versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. He had been introduced to the Christian religion first by John the Baptist, but he had only a superficial knowledge of the new Christian faith, and so they “explained the way of God to him more adequately” (Acts 18:26).  He accepted Christ as his Savior and after traveling to Achaia, “he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ,” (Acts 18:28). It was the teaching of Priscilla and Aquila that helped him enter this very public role for Christ.  
Priscilla, working as a team with her husband, exemplifies the missionary role of witness, partnership and church planting. They were bold witnesses to Apollos, not being intimidated by his scholarly prowess but sharing the Gospel as people who had been lost to one who was currently lost. In addition, they were first of all partners with each other as all married couples should be on the mission field. Also, their partnership with Paul was evidenced a few times in Scripture.
The Christian life is not meant to be walked alone. God grants other Christians as friends, encouragers and supporters, Priscilla, Aquila and Paul fulfilled this role for each other. Thirdly Priscilla, with her husband, also planted a church in Ephesus, building on the foundation that Paul had set while he was there. Church planting is so very important in today’s mission field...it is one of the pillars. This wife/husband team should be used as an example for any Christian couple who desires to follow God more closely, fulfilling His Great Commission in this world.

In conclusion, one can see through the lives of Esther, Dorcas, Lydia and Priscilla, some of the key roles women of today are asked to take in their desire to fulfill the Great Commission: intercessory prayer, compassion and outreach to the poor, hospitality, witness, partnership and church planting.

(some of these writing attributed to Beverly Whitaker, http://freepages.religions.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/Biblewomen.html)

Women in Missions

"After the last road ended, there was still a 2-day hike to where the Balangao people lived. Two single women missionaries were making that hike. The Balangao, a tribe of former headhunters in the Philippines, continued to sacrifice to powerful and demanding spirits who caused sickness, death and constant turmoil. These women, trained in Bible translation, had volunteered to work among them.

When they arrived, they were greeted by men wearing G-strings and women wrapped in cloth from home-made looms. It is hard to say who was more amazed. The Balangao had asked for Americans to come live with them and write their language, but they never dreamed the Americans would be women!

An old man offered to be their father and was faithful in looking after them. Besides the work of translation, these women began giving medical assistance, learning about the spirit world, and answering questions about life and death. One of them, Jo Shetler, stayed for 20 years, winning her way into the hearts and lives of the people and completing the New Testament translation. Because of this dedication, thousands now know Jesus as Lord of the Balangao.

Jo Shetler, a shy farm girl with a dream, has stirred many with her story. However, stories remain unwritten of multitudes of women who likewise obeyed the call of God to serve Him on the far horizons. Many women do not realize how greatly God can use their giftedness and commitment in situations such as this."

This excerpt was taken from an article entitled "Women in Mission" by Marguerite Kraft and Meg Crossman. During now of our past school years, our family truly enjoyed reading about Jo and the tremendous way God used her in an excellent book entitled And the Word Came With Power.

God has used women tremendously in the missionary movement. Beginning with Jesus, he recognized and enlisted the help of women, as did Paul. One such woman was Priscilla. She had an impact for God in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece and Asia Minor. With her husband Aquila, they supported Paul, hosted him in their home, “led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, ‘instructing him in the way of God more perfectly,’ (Acts 18:26)” (Kraft; Grossman). Priscilla' role in mission outreach did not seem out of the ordinary which leads one to believe that many women were involved in the Great Commission from the beginning.

Despite the Protestant Reformation’s restrictions on women, some women did enter the mission field, usually married to missionaries. Their husbands recognized the role they could play in reaching women and children in these nations...people who would generally not respond well to a man or who may not have been allowed any contact because of their culture. These women “received very little recognition for the heavy load they carried, managing the home and children as well as developing programs to reach local women and girls,” (Kraft and Grossman).

“Overall, probably two-thirds of the missions force has been, and currently is, female. Many mission executives agree that the more difficult and dangerous the work, the more likely women are to volunteer to do it!” (Kraft; Grossman) This is an amazing truth that may not be very well known. In fact, though most Americans would probably think that the largest women’s movement in American history was the suffrage movement, in fact, it was the women’s missionary movement...”By the early decades of the 20th century, the women’s missionary movement had become the largest women’s movement in the United States, and women outnumbered men on the mission field by a ration of more than two to one,” (Kraft; Grossman).

One group of people who are difficult to reach are Muslims. Yet, God is using women to reach them, partly due to the non-threatening nature of women. One such story is set in a nomadic Muslim group in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a single woman is effectively training Imams (Islamic teachers) in the gospel. They perceive her to be non-threatening, 'just a woman.' Building upon a foundation of interpersonal relationship and Biblical knowledge, she does not give them answers herself, but directs them to the Word. The Lord has confirmed her teaching giving dreams and visions to these leaders. As they have been converted, they are now training many others. She is accepted as a loving, caring elder sister, who gives high priority to their welfare," (Kraft; Grossman).

“From Mary Slessor, single woman pioneer to Africa, to Ann Judson of Burma and Rosalind Goforth of China and Sara Cronbaugh (a sweet friend from college) reaching the Northern Caucasus region, wives who fully served; from Amy Carmichael of India to Mildred Cable in the Gobi Desert; from Gladys Aylward, the little chambermaid determined to go to China, to Eliza Davis George, black woman missionary to Liberia; from translator Rachel Saint to medical doctor Helen Roseveare; from Isobel Kuhn and Elizabeth Elliot, mobilizing missionary authors, to Lottie Moon, pacesetting mission educator; from simple Filipino housemaids in the Middle East to women executives in denominational offices to unsung Bible women in China, to my dear friend Katie DePooter who is training even now to become a Bible translator in India, the roll is lengthy and glorious!

That roll, however, remains incomplete, awaiting the contribution of current and future generations. God's women now enjoy freedoms and opportunities their forebearers never envisioned. Most small businesses started in the U.S. are owned by women. Women now hold highly responsible positions in government, business, and medicine. "To whom much is given, much is required." How will women of God today harvest such opportunities for their Father's purposes?

Women, stirred by the task that lies ahead, can mobilize, devoting their skills, their accessibility, their knowledge, their tenderness, their intuitiveness, their own distinctive fervor to the work. The pioneer spirit, full of dedication and faithfulness, which women throughout history have shown will set the standard. The task is too vast to be completed without all God's people!" (Kraft; Grossman).

A Hot Water Bottle and a Dolly

THE HOT WATER BOTTLE - A True Story By Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa

One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "...and it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby'll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, " ...And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - - that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. As I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, "A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!" I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "That afternoon!" "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Helen Roseveare a doctor missionary from England to Zaire, Africa, told this as it had happened to her in Africa. She shared it in her testimony on a Wednesday night at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Katie in Uganda

I would like to introduce you to a modern-day Mother Theresa. Her name is Katie Davis Majors and she lives in Uganda (she is originally from Brentwood, TN). She went to Uganda on a mission trip when she was 18. God touched her heart, broke it for His people, and she gave up her dreams of college, marriage and living near family to move to Uganda permanently (that was 10 years ago).
She has since adopted 14 little girls, gotten married and helps hundreds more every week through a Compassion-like sponsorship program.

When I first found out about her, I took a few days and read through all her blogs. Her life and witness have touched me so much!!!!

I wanted to share her latest blog entry to give you an idea of how God can and will use one willing heart! I pray that her story encourages you and blesses you and I pray that we, as her sisters and brothers in Christ in America, can pray for her!  Her main website is https://amazima.org                 

and the website for her blog ishttps://katiemajors.blog/2017/07/30/a-decade/

A Decade

JULY 30, 2017 / KATIEMAJORS

It has been ten years since my feet first stepped onto this red dirt to call this place home. A decade. Something about that word makes it sound like a very long time. Sometimes, it feels like a very long time, but sometimes it feels like only a blink.

Ten years ago I moved across the ocean with something that I thought was hope but in reality was more like a naïve optimism, a young but confident faith in who I thought Jesus to be then, and a wild spirit for adventure. I would like to say that if I could go back and do it all over again, I would do some things differently, I would make less mistakes, I would live more graciously, but in saying that I might discredit the grace of God who worked so tremendously in my naivety that only He could get any credit. And so today I sit and remember and giggle at a bold and inexperienced 18-year-old who thought she might change the world.

I didn’t know it then, the truth that sinks deep into my bones now: It’s not our productiveness “for” God that counts, it is our worship, our time at His feet. It isn’t our public life, the accolades and the “well-done”s and the applause of the world that matters, it is our silent, continuous reach for Him in the places where no one is watching. It isn’t our “world changing” that makes any difference, it is the way we let Him change and shape our hearts to more reflect His.

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is Mary of Bethany. By the world’s standards, she didn’t do much of anything extraordinary. She sat at Jesus’s feet while her sister ran around serving; she poured her life savings in perfume over Him while others looked on and called it a waste. But I think Mary knew this secret, the one the world doesn’t teach us, the one I didn’t know at eighteen, when my productive and radical life was going to make a difference – the only thing that matters is Him. Not what we do for Him, but that we know Him.

Ten years in Uganda, pretty much my entire adult life. I drive much better on the left side of the road than I do the right and I can’t parallel park in anything other than a 14-passenger van. I take my shoes off before entering a home regardless of whether the host cares, and I find the floor a more comfortable seat than furniture. This place has brought me my husband and my babies, my dearest friends, my best days and my worst days. This place has held my greatest trials and my biggest celebrations. This place has become home. But something so much more extraordinary has happened – I have found my home in Him. This decade has brought me, like Mary, to sit at His feet.

In ten years of living and loving, of huge loss and great blessing, deep sorrow and immense joy, I have known Jesus more intimately than I originally thought possible. He met me here. He met me in the unexpected places of my story and He met me when the trials were too great and the night was too long. He invited me to sit at His feet, to know the better thing, relationship with Him. When my story was not what I expected He picked up each piece and held it tenderly and wrote His name on the pieces and on my heart. Jesus took my naïve optimism and forged a deep hope that grew in long hours and months and years of clinging only to Him. Jesus took my wild-eyed desire for adventure and showed me that the greatest adventure would be in allowing Him to peel back the layers of my heart, in searching the lines on His face, in truly knowing Him and being known by Him. He showed me that He wasn’t Jesus who desired my productivity, He was Jesus who desired me. All of me, poured out before Him.

I don’t know what season of life you are in today, if you are like me, watching your babies grow in front of your eyes, marveling at all God has done that is so beyond what you could have dreamed up or imagined, or if you are like me ten years ago with absolutely no idea what God is going to do, baffled as He strips away all the “good” plans you have a replaces them with His. But I know this – He wants you. He wants your worship. He sees you reaching for Him when no one else is looking, when no one sees or recognizes your tireless serving, when there are no applause. You are beautiful to Him, here. His eyes are on you and He is pleased with who He made in you.

Let’s find ourselves at His feet today. We may pour out tears or we may pour out praise or maybe a bit of both, and Jesus who cups our faces in His hands wants every bit. His arms stretched out to you are safe, His gaze toward you is loving and His deep desire is that you would know Him and be known by Him.

God Uses Women in Missions

"After the last road ended, there was still a 2-day hike to where the Balangao people lived. Two single women missionaries were making that hike. The Balangao, a tribe of former headhunters in the Philippines, continued to sacrifice to powerful and demanding spirits who caused sickness, death and constant turmoil. These women, trained in Bible translation, had volunteered to work among them.

When they arrived, they were greeted by men wearing G-strings and women wrapped in cloth from home-made looms. It is hard to say who was more amazed. The Balangao had asked for Americans to come live with them and write their language, but they never dreamed the Americans would be women!

An old man offered to be their father and was faithful in looking after them. Besides the work of translation, these women began giving medical assistance, learning about the spirit world, and answering questions about life and death. One of them, Jo Shetler, stayed for 20 years, winning her way into the hearts and lives of the people and completing the New Testament translation. Because of this dedication, thousands now know Jesus as Lord of the Balangao.

Jo Shetler, a shy farm girl with a dream, has stirred many with her story. However, stories remain unwritten of multitudes of women who likewise obeyed the call of God to serve Him on the far horizons. Many women do not realize how greatly God can use their giftedness and commitment in situations such as this."

This excerpt was taken from an article entitled Women in Mission by Marguerite Kraft and Meg Crossman. You can read it in its entirety at Women in Missions. During the last school year, our family truly enjoyed reading about Jo and the tremendous way God used her in an excellent book entitled And the Word Came With Power. 

God has used women tremendously in the missionary movement. Beginning with Jesus, he recognized and enlisted the help of women, as did Paul. One such woman was Priscilla. She had an impact for God in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece and Asia Minor. With her husband Aquila, they supported Paul, hosted him in their home, “led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, ‘instructing him in the way of God more perfectly,’ (Acts 18:26)” (Kraft & Grossman). Priscilla' role in mission outreach did not seem out of the ordinary which leads one to believe that many women were involved in the Great Commission from the beginning. 

Despite the Protestant Reformation’s restrictions on women, some women did enter the mission field, usually married to missionaries. Their husbands recognized the role they could play in reaching women and children in these nations...people who would generally not respond well to a man or who may not have been allowed any contact because of their culture. These women “received very little recognition for the heavy load they carried, managing the home and children as well as developing programs to reach local women and girls,” (Kraft and Grossman). 

“Overall, probably two-thirds of the missions force has been, and currently is, female. Many mission executives agree that the more difficult and dangerous the work, the more likely women are to volunteer to do it!” (Kraft & Grossman) This is an amazing truth that may not be very well known. In fact, though most Americans would probably think that the largest women’s movement in American history was the suffrage movement, in fact, it was the women’s missionary movement...”By the early decades of the 20th century, the women’s missionary movement had become the largest women’s movement in the United States, and women outnumbered men on the mission field by a ration of more than two to one,” (Kraft & Grossman).

One group of people who are difficult to reach are Muslims. Yet, God is using women to reach them, partly due to the non-threatening nature of women. One such story is set in a nomadic Muslim group in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a single woman is effectively training Imams (Islamic teachers) in the gospel. They perceive her to be non-threatening, 'just a woman.' Building upon a foundation of interpersonal relationship and Biblical knowledge, she does not give them answers herself, but directs them to the Word. The Lord has confirmed her teaching giving dreams and visions to these leaders. As they have been converted, they are now training many others. She is accepted as a loving, caring elder sister, who gives high priority to their welfare," (Kraft & Grossman).

“From Mary Slessor, single woman pioneer to Africa, to Ann Judson of Burma and Rosalind Goforth of China, wives who fully served; from Amy Carmichael of India to Mildred Cable in the Gobi Desert; from Gladys Aylward, the little chambermaid determined to go to China, to Eliza Davis George, black woman missionary to Liberia; from translator Rachel Saint to medical doctor Helen Roseveare; from Isobel Kuhn and Elizabeth Elliot, mobilizing missionary authors, to Lottie Moon, pacesetting mission educator; from simple Filipino housemaids in the Middle East to women executives in denominational offices to unsung Bible women in China, the roll is lengthy and glorious!

That roll, however, remains incomplete, awaiting the contribution of current and future generations. God's women now enjoy freedoms and opportunities their forebearers never envisioned. Most small businesses started in the U.S. are owned by women. Women now hold highly responsible positions in government, business, and medicine. "To whom much is given, much is required." How will women of God today harvest such opportunities for their Father's purposes?

Women, stirred by the task that lies ahead, can mobilize, devoting their skills, their accessibility, their knowledge, their tenderness, their intuitiveness, their own distinctive fervor to the work. The pioneer spirit, full of dedication and faithfulness, which women throughout history have shown will set the standard. The task is too vast to be completed without all God's people!" (Kraft & Grossman).