Adoniram Judson, First Missionary from the United States
 Judson's
faithful wife, Ann, waits outside the prison to visit her husband. She
had to bribe the guards to provide his daily food and a mat to sleep on.
A Call to Burma
One day I found a book in the seminary library that talked about a British
officer who was sent to Burma in 1795. As I read about the land of Burma
where people worshiped idols, I felt a strange fiery excitement inside.
I am staring at my future! I thought. I'll tell the Burmese people about
Jesus!
On February 18, 1812, shortly after I was ordained as a missionary, my
new wife Ann and I sailed away from our family and friends in America.
Four of my friends became missionaries with us and, in fact, we became
known as America's first missionaries. While our friends went to India,
Ann and I followed our hearts to Burma, where we hoped to tell the Burmese
about Jesus.
 After
we arrived in Burma, Ann and I learned the new language. It took me years
to do it, but I translated the entire Bible into Burmese. Although we
told them about Jesus all the time, it took six years before one person
accepted Jesus as their Savior.
Postscript
Adoniram and Ann Judson went through many hard times in Burma. The poor
food, unbearable heat, and widespread diseases made life difficult. Two
of their babies died in the terrible climate, and both Ann and Adoniram
were imprisoned during the war with Britain. But when Adoniram died in
1850, there were 7,000 baptized believers, 63 Christian congregations
and 163 missionaries in Burma. To this day, over 150 years later, his
Burmese Bible translation is still in use.
Make It Real! Questions to help you dig a little
deeper and think a little harder.
- Judson told people about Jesus all the time, but it took six years
until the first person accepted Jesus. Have you ever prayed for someone
for years before you saw an answer? How did you feel?
- Do you know anyone who believes in God, but doesn't believe that
God cares about them? How can you help them to understand that God
does care?
- Considering all the difficulties the Judsons faced in Burma, would
you say that God blessed their lives? How about when you consider
that 7,000 believers were baptized into the family of God as a result
of their work?
- II Corinthians 4:18 says, "So we fix our eyes not on what
is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but
what is unseen is eternal." How does this verse relate to the
story of Adoniram Judson?
- How old do you think a child must be in order to understand the
Gospel and become a Christian?
- Suggested reading:
- Adoniram Judson, Bound for Burma by Janet and Geoff Benge
(Christian Heroes Then and Now, YWAM)
- Adoniram Judson: A Grand Purpose by Renee Taft Meloche
(Heroes for Young Readers, YWAM)
- Imprisoned in the Golden City by Dave and Neta Jackson
(Trailblazer Books, Bethany House)
- Websites:
- Activities:
Back to part one of this Adoniram Judson "Glimpses
for Kids" children's worship bulletin insert.
©2005 by Christian History Institute, Box 540, Worcester, PA19490.
Tel.: 610-584-3500, Fax: 610-584-6643, E-mail: glimpses@chinstitute.org,
Web: www.chinstitute.org or www.glimpsesforkids.org. Prepared by C. Hope
Flinchbaugh with Ken Curtis, PhD, Dawn Moore, Ann T. Snyder and Beth Jacobson.
Photo credits: CHI Archives.
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