A Sincere Heart

"It is a wonderfully thrilling feeling to hear that Esther wants to work for the Lord on the foreign mission field. I should list the qualifications as follows: Formal education, augmented by a good knowledge of the Bible: zeal for God's work, held in leash by good common sense: Practical knowledge of Christian work, especially of the way to lead souls to God: sound health and health habits. The knowledge of the Bible and zeal for the Cause are the most necessary things. Too often we let these things slip." John Bickford, Aug. 8,1939 You've most likely never heard of John Bickford. He's one of the thousands of Christians we never heard about, who gave their lives to missions in the twentieth century. The ones who learned new languages, made friends of foreigners, and raised their families in remote places so strangers could know the truth about their Savior. In 1920, John took his pregnant wife to China and came back to America for good in 1948, leaving behind a tiny grave in an obscure town in a Communist country. He oversaw five growing churches in little villages, took pride in his Chinese colleagues, but agonized over his own shortcomings. His family often fled political unrest and civil war, but they always returned to the people he loved. During the World War, he spent two years under Japanese confinement, patiently trusting God while he longed to be with his beloved wife and children who escaped to America. He cheerfully accepted his own physical suffering, but his heart broke over his son's looming blindness. He was an ordinary missionary with an extraordinary story, the story of God at work through a man with a sincere heart.