I am by no means a speed reader. I prefer to take my time and savor the books I read. Yet the biography of Mary Slessor was different. It was one book I couldn’t put down. I completed it in one day and I still smile when I think of her life.
Mary was a fiery red head born in Aberdeen, Scotland December 2, 1848. She grew up in a difficult home. Her father was an alcoholic and was often abusive. Her mother, however, was a godly woman and committed to raising her children in the fear of the Lord. She was a member of the Belmont Street United Presbyterian Church. Mary said of her mother, “I had my missions enthusiasm from her.” Her mother got Mary involved in local missions at an early age teaching Sunday School classes to the poor.
There were 7 children in the Slessor home. Her father was a shoemaker but couldn’t make enough money in Aberdeen. So in 1859, he moved the entire family to Dundee hoping to find better work. His plan did not work very well and so he drank more and more and spent the family’s money. Her home life was hard. Sadly, only 4 of her siblings survived childhood. In addition to that sorrow, all the children but Mary died before age 30. Mary worked in the cotton mills of Dundee, Scotland until she was 27 years old to help support the family.
One thing I find so amazing in Mary’s life is that in her childhood, she read stories of David Livingstone’s missions activity in Africa. She dreamed of serving the Lord like that herself and reading Livingstone’s adventures fanned the flame.
May I take a moment to say something to parents of small children? Hey mom or dad…do you teach your children about missions and missionaries? Do you instill a love and passion in them for spreading the gospel and supporting missionaries? I can remember the way my mom talked about missionaries. I remember hearing her stories about Africa. My imagination ran wild as a kid and when missionaries came to my church, they were heroes in my eyes because of what my mom taught me about missions. You know what? Missionaries are still my heroes! The life of a missionary is filled with adventure, joy, sacrifice, hope and danger all at the same time. Teach your children to admire this and to look up too it!
So, at age 28, Mary quit the cotton mills. Her hero, David Livingstone, had fought the fight and finished his course and was now buried in Westminster Abby in London. Who would take his place? Who would sail to the “Dark Continent” filled with danger and uncertainty…yet filled with souls desperately needing the hope of the Gospel of Christ? Mary would…and Mary did!
As a single woman, she boarded a ship to sail the Atlantic toward Calabar (Nigeria). She became very sick multiple times on that hard voyage over the ocean, but she endured as a good missionary. As she settled into the life of a missionary, it became clear to her that she had to push inland just as Livingstone had done years ago. She lived with other missionaries for 3 years before stepping out on her own to push inland. It was dangerous for Livingstone…it was nearly suicide for a pale skinned, blue eyed, red hair single female.
In all of her enthusiasm for pushing inland, Malaria struck her body stopping her dead in her tracks. This sickness would delay her work by a year and half. I can’t imagine how discouraging this was to Mary. But God is sovereign! He knew why things needed to be delayed. Oh that we would trust His wisdom and sovereignty!
Once she recovered, she moved to Old Town, Calabar and immediately began her mission. Because life was not valued, babies were brought to her and in God’s love; she could not turn one away. As more babies came, she began to train the young girls of the village how to care for the infants and they began serving with her.
Witch doctors taught that if twins were born, it was a curse on the entire village so twin babies were murdered immediately. Mary heard of twins being born and she set out to rescue them. It was a boy and girl…she took both to her home to raise. Sadly, the boy was kidnapped and killed, but the girl survived. Heartbroken, Mary adopted the girl and named her Janie.
Mary spent a total of 39 years in Calabar. She stood 5 ft. tall but always stood her ground with witch doctors, chiefs, warriors and murderers. She rescued 100’s of babies, prisoners, slaves and wives from being murdered or mistreated.
She died at age 67 on January 13, 1915 of jungle disease. Janie and other of her “children” were by her side. She replaced David Livingstone in carrying the burden for Africa and in 1998; she replaced David one last time. She was commemorated on Clydesdale Bank notes replacing Dr. David Livingstone on the £10 notes.
