David Livingstone: Explorer, Missionary and Abolitionist
This is an electronic version of our Glimpses for Kids children's worship bulletin inserts.
These are designed to present Christian biographies for Children's church, educational or worship ministries.  For
the first time in my life, I was afraid of one of God's creatures. Hiding
in the bush, not ten feet from me, a four hundred pound, ferocious lion
crouched, roaring angrily. I slowly reached for my rifle. Within seconds
I pulled the trigger, firing a powerful blast at the lion's neck. The
shot should have killed the animal instantly but only made it angrier.
I tried to run, but the lion lunged at me, swatting me with its paws and
digging its teeth into my left arm, breaking it as if it were a twig.
It then raised me into the air and shook me like a rag doll. My life would
have been over if my trusty African helper Melbawe had not fired another
shot at the lion as it tossed me about. After releasing me, the lion turned
on poor Melbawe. Would nothing kill this vicious beast? Only the spears
of the stunned warriors standing by finally brought the powerful animal
to its death.
Looking back at my life, I never would have guessed that God would call
a poor Scottish factory worker like me to be a missionary explorer in
Africa.
Growing Up in Scotland
At 12 years of age, I loved reading books about science and nature more
than anything else. My father taught me how to read when I was only six
years old, but there was little time for reading now. Like most other
children my age, I worked 14 hours a day, six days a week, in a cotton
mill. Most of the money my siblings and I made helped pay the rent on
my family's one-room apartment. We were so happy when a new law was passed
requiring the factory to set up a school for us. Unfortunately, the law
didn't say what time school had to be held. The factory owners scheduled
class from eight oêclock until ten oêclock at night--after we had worked
all day. By that time of the night, most of the children were too tired
and didn't go. But I was so determined to learn that I made myself stay
awake, not only for class but also late into the night as I studied, even
though I was exhausted.
God or Science
Sunday afternoon was my favorite time. I would lie in the meadow and read
or study nature. I always felt guilty studying nature because my father
thought Christians could not study science and love God. My love of science
was so great that for many years I could not decide between serving God
and becoming a scientist--I thought it was impossible to do both. But
when I was 19 years old, my pastor read a letter from a missionary that
changed my life. The letter described the great need for missionary doctors
in China. After hearing the missionary's letter, my father allowed me
to study science. I immediately decided that I would become a missionary
doctor to China and combine my love of science with my love of God!
I worked hard and saved my extra money for college. But just as I graduated
medical school and completed missionary training, a war broke out between
England and China. The London Missionary Board decided that it was too
dangerous to travel to China. Since it could take years for the war to
end, I knew I needed a new plan to share the gospel with people who had
never heard it.
 Missionary
to Africa
One day I heard the missionary Robert Moffat speak about his life in South
Africa. I was spellbound as he spoke about the thousands of Africans who
had never heard the gospel. In his 20 years as a missionary to Africa,
only 40 Africans had become Christians. To me, that was unbelievable!
How could I let Africans die without ever hearing about Jesus? I could
not wait to take the gospel to the many tribes of Africa.
Learn how David Livingstone fought slavers and
found a huge waterfall in part 2 of this "Glimpses for Kids"
children's worship bulletin insert.
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