I apologize for the tardiness of this post. My April book for my Missionary Biography Challenge was Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor (Hudson Taylor’s son and daughter-in-law). Hudson Taylor was an English missionary to China and the founder of China Inland Mission.

In this biography, one of the strongest recurring themes was God’s provision. At times, Taylor almost seemed a bit foolish, perhaps to be testing God, in the manner in which he relied on God to meet his needs (the particular example that comes to mind is not asking his employer to be paid after said employer had requested that Taylor remind him when his salary was due). However God did meet his needs. It wasn’t always easy or comfortable, but God provided. This provision was frequently at the last hour, but it was on time and never in the form of debt (of which Taylor disapproved).

One thing I admired about Taylor was his risky decision to adopt Chinese style. This style wasn’t just dress- he had to shave the front part of his head with a long braid (and he first used a fake braid while his hair grew). Doing this inevitably resulted in some rejection by the other foreigners (including missionaries) in China. However, it was beneficial in his ability to reach the Chinese.

Feel free to join me this month in reading Mission to the Headhunters by Frank and Marie Drown. As always, reactions to missionary biographies you’ve been reading are welcome in the comments.