FAIR SUNSHINE

It was by the unmistakable leading of Divine Providence that I chanced upon this most precious recommended read, offered by a dear missionary brother laboring faithfully in the distant fields of Peru. Upon searching out the title and reading a small measure of its testimony, I was immediately moved to commit the last of my earthly savings to secure the digital volume. So deeply convicting was the very narration of that faithful servant, Bruce Olson, that my spirit could not lay the book aside; I was compelled forward, finishing the content in the brief span of three hours. In that reading, I found a profound and glorious realization that God had, in His tender mercy, already wonderfully steered my uncertain steps in the right direction from the very genesis of this work. I had long poured out my soul, seeking the mercies of God for a clearer and more definite vision, and with this timely message, the long-sought assurance was settled upon my heart as a blessed certainty. I commend this...

An Account of the Third Public Pleading, and the Mercies Granted Our third street meeting took place on the promenade of the town proper's municipal hall. By a sad necessity, owing to violent unrest and protests that transpired in the region of Metro Manila, the local administration saw fit to shut the park down, intending to shield the area from the grievous vandalism. The preceding Sabbath saw a similar disappointment, as the site was closed for a night market, forcing us to retire to a nearby diner, where we might share a frugal meal and yet continue our fellowship with the message of the chronological events in the life of our Blessed Christ. Despite the rain throughout the first two of our public pleadings, we persisted in the work. And this past Sabbath, we were favored with a beautiful and serene weather, a gift sent directly from the hand of providence.  It is with humble gratitude that I record the favor shown by the civil authorities, who informally permitted us to cond...

A year went by. Hudson read his Bible through for the fortieth time. He wrote hundreds of letters and prayed constantly for China and the missionaries who served there. The news that Jennie had cancer hardly changed their lives at all. Both of them were already living in the light of eternity. Although she was thin and weak, she told a friend, "I couldn't be better cared for or happier. I'm nearly home. What will it be to be there! The Lord is taking me slowly and gently." And so He was. On July 29, 1904, Jennie died with Hudson at her bedside. Hudson was now seventy-two years old and badly wanted to go back to China. There were so many people to encourage there and so many people to thank. So, in the spring of 1905, he and his son Howard, now also a medical doctor, and Howard's wife, Geraldine, set off on Hudson's eleventh journey to China. And what a trip it was. Hudson was able to visit many areas by train now. Trains were much more comfortable than the whe...

Triumphs come at a cost. Such is the story of the cross. There are no victories where none dares to count the cost. All die, not all die for something of eternal worth. Even our view of death is marred by sin as unfortunate. But for a child of God it is merely the end of sorrows and the beginning of endless joy. *** By Christmas 1869, Hudson and Maria had made the most difficult decision of their married lives. Their four oldest children, Herbert, Howard, Samuel, and Maria were to be sent back to England to stay with their grandparents. It would be safer for them there, and they could go to a regular school. At that time it was quite normal for children to be sent home like this, but it still upset Hudson and Maria to think they wouldn’t be seeing their children for a long time. They decided to keep one-year-old Charles with them because he was too young to be separated from his parents. Also, Maria was pregnant again and due to give birth in the middle of the year, so Charles would ha...

It was May 25, 1866. The following day, the first official group of missionaries from the China Inland Mission would set sail aboard the Lammermuir , bound for Shanghai. Hudson put his pen down and smiled. He had just completed writing a passenger list to give to Captain Bell the next day. He looked at the list. His name was at the top, along with Maria’s and their four children, six-year-old Grace, five-year-old Herbert, three-year-old Howard, and little Samuel, nearly two years old. Listed below the children were the names of the only other married couple in the group, Lewis and Eliza Nicol. Lewis was a blacksmith from Scotland. Below them were the names of five single men: James Williamson, George Duncan, Josiah Jackson, John Sell, and William Rudland. Following them were the names of the single women: Jane McLean, Emily Blatchley, Jennie Faulding, Mary Bausum, Mary Bell, Louise Desgraz, Elizabeth Rose, Mary Bowyer, and Susan Barnes. Hudson prayed for each name on the list and asked...

Very early in the course of His ministry, the Lord Jesus taught His people that they were to be the light— not of Jerusalem, not of Judea, nor yet of the Jewish nation, but— of the world . And He taught them to pray—not as the heathen, who use vain and unmeaning repetitions; nor yet as the worldly-minded, who ask first and principally (if not solely) for their own private benefit and need: "For," said He, " your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him. After this manner therefore pray ye:— " Our Father which art in heaven, " Hallowed be Thy name; " Thy kingdom come; " Thy will be done; as in heaven, so in earth." And it was only after these petitions, and quite secondary to them, that any personal petitions were to be offered. Even the very moderate one, "Give us this day our daily bread," followed them. Is not this order too often reversed in the present day? Do not Christians often really feel, and also act, as t...

When a man's heart inclines him to rely upon his fellowmen for the easing of his earthly afflictions, he unwittingly learns a dangerous lesson: to place his faith in frail, mortal flesh. And when those upon whom he has fixed his anxious hopes fail to render the sought-for assistance, he is left to harbor the dark spirits of bitterness and self-pity. Yet, we must acknowledge the tender hand of our Creator.  God, in His boundless love, permits these very troubles to enter the lives of His beloved children for the sole, glorious purpose that we might be compelled to lift our gaze and look entirely to Him. Only when our full reliance is thus fixed upon the heavens does He then see fit to move the hearts of men to aid our cause. This temporal assistance is given, not as the primary relief, but as a final, blessed revelation—to help us finally behold that He was present with us throughout the entire trial; that He is truly Immanuel, and that our full and unwavering trust must rest in ...

Having spent these recent nights immersing myself in the faithful accounts of a few notable missionaries, I find the peculiar circumstances of our present station less disconcerting and altogether more comforting. It is a sweet solace to know, in spite of all uncertainty, that we are fixed squarely within the centre of God's will concerning the advancement of His holy Gospel. Previously, I devoted much anxious thought and effort toward steering our work into conformity with those accepted standards which modern society terms the "Church". I sought, with great diligence, to attain formality and official recognition. But what is this recognition, in its simple essence, if not merely to invite souls to sit in the pew, hear a Sabbath sermon, and confine themselves to acceptable "Christian" fellowship and activities? Twice have I pursued this well-trodden path, and twice have I met with a frustrating and unyielding wall. It is now abundantly clear that the Lord was g...

Bruce Olson and the Motilones are not preaching a “social gospel.” By faith they are born into the family of God. But this spiritual “new birth” naturally engenders the dedication to live and share Jesus’ example. The Motilones make sure that this is fully understood.  When one of the former presidents of Colombia saw the dynamic advancement of the Motilones as they employed scientific solutions to their problems, he said, “This is true development in response to the needs of the community.” He assumed it was these factors that had brought peace.  But Kaymiyokba, who was talking with the president, became disturbed. He knew it wasn’t preventive medicine or tropical agriculture that had brought understanding and coexistence between tribes. “It is because our tribe now walks in the footsteps of a new leader,” Kaymiyokba explained. To walk in a tribal member’s footsteps is to recognize him as chieftain.  Smiling, the president acknowledged that this was “Bruce, the missio...

More than thirty years have passed since God first led Bruce Olson to the Motilones. The illness, pain, loneliness, and death threats have continued. But through it all, Jesus is being glorified, and His work through Bruce’s tribal brothers and sisters increases.  Even his nine-month captivity and torture by the ELN in 1988–1989 worked for good. For years the Motilones had shared their faith with the Barís, Cuibas, Yukos, and Tunebos (Indians of the Catatumbo region). But they never could get the tribes to work together even though Bruce begged God for this breakthrough.  However, when he became prisoner, all five groups put aside their differences to plead for his life. Together they published open letters in national newspapers demanding his liberation. And in a special Sunday edition of Bogato’s “El Tiempo” [“The Times”], they cooperated in a full-page article, “A Norwegian Motilone Cry [sic] Out for Freedom.” God does indeed do more than we can ask or think.  The co...

The morning's program for the Children's Church concluded just as the rain began to fall. This downpour persisted until two in the afternoon, offering only a momentary lull for us to leave the premises. We had settled this course of action the previous week, confirming our resolve through prayer: our gatherings would henceforth be conducted in the public square, rather than sheltered within.  En route to Santa Maria, we drove through a little rain. I must admit to some anxiety concerning the comfort of the company, but by a fortunate arrangement of events, all proved agreeable and bore the rain with good cheer. Upon arrival, we found only a few people seated idly under the small gazebo. My own spiritual preparation had been a week-long trial. I had spent every dawn in devotion, pleading for strength and struggling with the natural limitations of the physical self. Drowsiness, doubt, fear, timidity, and a general coldness of spirit—these were the infirmities that threatened ...

When one is but halfway through a jungle trail, the path may appear, to the frail senses, to lead to no clear destination; yet, we know by faith that every such trail possesses a certain end. And so it is with our present labor. Our own spiritual trail is clearly marked: it leads directly to Christ accomplishing His redemptive work through the very lives of the dedicated teachers, and all for the precious sake of the children entrusted to our care. If it is indeed our sacred duty to compel men to come into the Kingdom—to bring them by force of conviction into the Gospel fold—then the very same necessity and urgency must be applied to the young children, whose souls are yet tender and whose hearts are yet open to the call of the Savior.  Mary's back was to her class as she wrote a lesson on the board for her students. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw figures at the window. As she turned to look, she let out a gasp. There were three men with spears in hand, headdress, body pierc...