Curated by It’s That Part™ — Originally published by Faith and Proverbs on .
Reading missionary biographies has been an important part of my spiritual formation. In the hierarchy of recommended spiritual disciplines, reading biographies often doesn’t rank as highly as consistently attending church, cultivating a vibrant prayer life, or diligently studying Scripture. However, many would benefit from the practice.
The stories of faithful gospel servants like David Brainerd, William Carey, and John G. Paton have inspired men and women to evangelize more faithfully. Similarly, the writings of missionaries like Elisabeth Elliot and Brother Andrew have encouraged some people into cross-cultural vocational ministry.
I’ve just encountered the extraordinary story of Helen Roseveare, an English missionary to the Congo. She was a doctor who left the comfort of her homeland to train local medical staff, care for the sick, and share the gospel. Her story is filled with amazing ups and surprising downs.
Throughout her ministry, Roseveare often asked, “Has it all been worth it?” Her autobiography, just republished in a single volume, helps us understand that it was. I interviewed Betsy Childs Howard, who wrote the introduction and afterword to the new volume, Helen Roseveare: A Life in Her Own Words, and gained a deeper appreciation for this powerful story of God’s faithfulness.
You’ve written and spoken about Roseveare’s story several times. Why is her story so important to you?
I’m not a foreign missionary, but missionary biographies have been key to my spiritual formation. I’ve never met a missionary more honest about herself and her weaknesses than Helen Roseveare. She wasn’t, however, someone who gloried in failure or ever celebrated sin. She longed to know God and the power of his resurrection, and she hated her own sin. Her books have shown me what repentance in the Christian life should look like. Plus, they’re full of really wonderful stories!
What’s your favorite story from Roseveare’s life?
Helen’s life included many stunning answers to prayer that can accurately be described as miracles. But the story that comes to my mind most often is one where God didn’t intervene in a difficult situation.
Helen lived in the Congo in a brick cottage with a thatched roof. As the thatch wore away, the roof became leaky, and she decided to replace it with corrugated metal. She and her helpers waited until the dry season, when they could expect five to six weeks with no rain. They removed the thatch one day and planned to put the new roof on the next. Helen went to sleep that night under the stars, but she awoke in the night to a downpour, something unheard of in the dry season! Her house filled with water, and her beloved books, so hard to come by on the mission field, were soaked. It took weeks to dry out and clean all of her possessions.
This discouraged Helen the same way that it would have discouraged you or me. She struggled to “count it all joy.” But she kept walking by faith, reminding herself of the line from Hebrews 10:34: “You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property.”
I suppose this story has stuck with me because God so often allows trials and inconveniences into our lives, even when we’re trying hard to do his will in ministry. Sometimes, we can’t see any good purpose in what he has allowed. But just as Helen believed in God’s goodness and loving care, even when all she could see with her eyes was soggy books, we can too.
There’s a temptation to view some stories as being most helpful for a particular audience because of the life circumstances of the protagonist. Who should read Roseveare’s autobiography?
First, I’ll tell you who shouldn’t read Helen Roseveare—anyone who prefers not to be challenged to grow in his or her walk with the Lord. Readers should also avoid her books if they don’t like to hear about amazing instances of God’s meticulous providence in answer to prayers. Helen’s stories are full of these. I commend her books to everyone else.
I believe Christians in full-time ministry will be especially helped by Helen’s writing. She wrote honestly about her difficulties in relating to fellow missionaries and mission staff. No one could come away from her books with a rosy view of ministry, but readers will come away with a smaller view of themselves and a bigger view of God.
Her story will also be encouraging to single Christians. Although she would have liked to marry, she never did. She talks frankly and faithfully about her desires, her loneliness, and the blessings of God’s provision.
What’s the most important lesson we can learn from the life and ministry of Helen Roseveare?
Helen’s story isn’t one of stunning ministry success; it’s the story of a woman who continually submitted herself to God’s will and to his painful refining. It’s easy to think this is somehow easier for a missionary or a famous writer than it is for me, but it wasn’t. It’s tempting to think we’ll reach an age or level of spirituality where God will let us coast. But Helen’s whole life was a testimony that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Heb. 12:6). He didn’t love Helen any less when she left the mission field or became a sought-after speaker or grew too old to travel, and his sanctifying work in her life continued until the day she took her last breath.
For truth in every fact, visit itsthatpart.com.
Originally sourced via trusted media partner. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/roseveare-biography-interview/
