The Book of Missionary Heroes

True stories of the thrilling adventures and daring deeds of the great heroes of sea and land who have faced perils among wild beasts and wilder men to tell of the love of God. Through the centuries, the world has been witness to an unbroken trail of heroes--men and women who braved privation, danger, and death to bring the light of Jesus Christ to the darkest corners of the earth. Some are well known, others long forgotten, but all belong to the same indomitable band of torch-bearers. Join a few of these heroes as they face cannibals, battle slave traders, and care for sick enemies, always with one mission at the forefront--to serve their Lord and bring others into His light. “No field of experience offers greater possibilities for stories of heroism and adventure than the lives of pioneer missionaries. Mr. Mathews is a master narrator as his lives of Livingstone and Paul clearly prove. Here he has given us stories of early pioneers such as Wilfred of Sussex and Francis of Assisi; adventurers in the South Seas, like John Williams and Patteson; African pathmakers like George Grenfell and Alexander Mackay; apostles to Moslems like Raymond Lull, Henry Martyn and Archbald Forder. There are also stories of native Christian converts like Kapiolani of Hawaii, Khama of Africa, and Abdallah, the Moslem boy. These true stories are especially good reading for boys and give excellent material for teachers of boys and girls.” -The Missionary Review, Volume 45, January, 1922 “In this book Mr. Mathews presents the Missionary Movement in action. Starting with Paul, the lives of a number of hero missionaries ‘are told as yarns to boys and girls around a camp fire.’ The volume is divided into four books, taking up in turn, The Pioneers, The Island Adventurers, The Pathfinder of Africa and Heroines and Heroes of Plateau and Desert. “Although written for boys and girls, it provides an excellent insight for an older person into the lives of twenty-five men and women who have been faithful. Every Student Volunteer should gain a greater consciousness of the bigness of his task, and every non-volunteer’s sympathy for the missionary cause should be warmed after reading this book.” Eugene A. Bond, Student Volunteer Movement Bulletin, Volumes 3-4, January, 1922 Book One: THE PIONEERS CHAPTER I The Hero of the Long Trail (St. Paul) CHAPTER II The Men on the Shingle Beach (Wilfrid of Sussex) CHAPTER III The Knight of a New Crusade (Raymond Lull) CHAPTER IV Francis Cœur-de-Lion (St. Francis of Assisi) Book Two: THE ISLAND ADVENTURERS CHAPTER V The Adventurous Ship (The Duff) CHAPTER VI The Island Beacon Fires (Papeiha) CHAPTER VII The Daybreak Call (John Williams) CHAPTER VIII Kapiolani, the Heroine of Hawaii (Kapiolani) CHAPTER IX The Canoe of Adventure (Elikana) CHAPTER X The Arrows of Santa Cruz (Patteson) CHAPTER XI Five Knots in a Palm Leaf (Patteson) CHAPTER XII The Boy of the Adventurous Heart (Chalmers) CHAPTER XIII The Scout of Papua (Chalmers) CHAPTER XIV A South Sea Samaritan (Ruatoka) Book Three: THE PATHFINDERS OF THE PATHFINDERS OF AFRICA CHAPTER XV The Man Who Would Go On (Livingstone) CHAPTER XVI A Black Prince of Africa (Khama) CHAPTER XVII The Knight of the Slave Girls (George Grenfell) CHAPTER XVIII "A Man Who Can Turn His Hand to Anything" (Mackay) CHAPTER XIX The Roadmaker (Mackay) CHAPTER XX Fighting the Slave Trade (Mackay) CHAPTER XXI The Black Apostle of the Lonely Lake (Shomolakae) CHAPTER XXII The Woman Who Conquered Cannibals (Mary Slessor) Book Four: HEROINES AND HEROES OF PLATEAU AND DESERT CHAPTER XXIII Sons of the Desert (Abdallah and Sabat) CHAPTER XXIV A Race Against Time (Henry Martyn) CHAPTER XXV The Moses of the Assyrians (Dr. Shedd) CHAPTER XXVI An American Nurse in the Great War (E.D. Cushman) CHAPTER XXVII On the Desert Camel Trail (Archibald Forder) CHAPTER XXVIII The Friend of the Arab (Archibald Forder)