Choice Missionary Quotes
Jake Hanson
February 20, 2010
I have been reading a book by a missionary for some studies I have been doing on Billy Graham and thought I would share a few choice quotes. Didn't want to lose them.
The missionary is Ruth Stull. The book is Sand and Stars: Missionary Adventure on the Jungle Trail. She was a missionary with her husband to the isolated people groups in Peru. I love the title and tenor of the book. She felt that her eyes were always looking to the heavens, the stars, but her feet were always on the ground, the sand. Thus the name of the book.
In a description of the failures of the people group to which she ministered, she discussed their worship of the sun, and the fear of the night. She said this: "...they worship a half-time god [the sun is only up half of the day]. They are children of the forest. They spend their lives under the trees, but the trees do not tell them of salvation. They gaze meditatatively into the sparkling waters of their rivers, but those rivers do not sing of a Saviour. They mark their directions by the stars which lay highways of light across their rivers, but those stars do not guide them to heaven. They date the passing of the time by the moon, but that moon does not reveal to them a God who shines on when life is past. Nor have they any trustworthy plan of salvation. The way to God and heaven must be explained to them by lips of witnesses sent with the message of peace." p. 51
"The Indians [sorry p.c. people...she also call them "Red men" and other non-politically correct terms. Chalk it up more to the times than some major flaw in her] sleep near their fires for protection from violent nocturnal enemies, for they have discovered that light keeps them away. But there is another Light, another darkness, another vampire, and He who is the Sun of righteousness must rise if the gloom of sin is to be destroyed and the power of the great antagonist broken. Jungle paths must have the light of the Word of God, that Campas [the people group] may walk, run, even leap, fearlessly and without falling. As yet few of them have heard of that lamp for their feet, or that light for their path. The vampire has anesthetized them. They sleep the long sleep of death." p. 122
And a quote concerning a skewed view of missions:
"In due course I was to find that while missionary service has in it something of exotic beauty, the ugliness of the barrel, and the tensions of fear, yet basically it is none of these. It is a reasonable service to be rendered by human beings like you and me. Hard facts will dissipate missionary fancy; a vibrant personality will conquer 'barrel' ugliness; faith will drive out fear.
"Let neither glamor nor a flare for adventure draw you to the trail. Neither permit dread of danger to keep you from it if God summons you. For He who calls will cover every experience with all necessary provision." p. 130
By the way...if you happen upon this site and have some history with Ruth Stull, I want to hear it. Just click here and let me know.