Monday, January 23, 2017

Out of Small Beginnings, God does great things!

Our amazing God gave us an unexpected gift of a trip to visit Linda’s home and friends in Adams, MA this week.  We have been able to connect with many friends and also had opportunities to personally say ‘thank you’ to many of our sponsors and donors.  

One event during our week was a visit to the Haystack Monument at Williams College in Williamsburg, MA.  

The story behind the monument is that in 1806, five Williams College students gathered together for a prayer meeting.  It started raining so they moved under a haystack to continue their prayer time.

Out of this group of 5 students the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was formed and in 1812 they sent their first missionaries to India.  During the 19th century the mission sent missionaries to China, Hawaii, and many nations in southeast Asia, establishing hospitals and schools, translating the Bible into local dialects, and establishing churches.  Out of this mission, thousands of missionaries were sent to Asia.  

This Haystack Prayer Meeting is viewed by many scholars as the seed planting event for the development of Protestant missions in the subsequent decades and century.