The first Methodist missionary to China

Today I happened to read about Judson Dwight Collins who is known as the first Methodist missionary to China in 1847. Fuzhou was the base. He was 24 years old. Foreigners were not welcome there. He could only distribute gospel pamphlets on the streets, but bricks were thrown at him, or he was pushed down. He was only there for around 3 years, became ill, went back to US and died age 29 (my age this year). 😯 But maybe about 10 years after he first arrived in China, the first Foochow convert was baptized. 

He did not see the fruits of his labour, but today, 177 years later, I can say that I am a follower of Christ because of the sacrifices people like him made during their lives. As the Fuzhou people became Christians. Batches of them migrated to Sibu in Sarawak. My parents are descendants of those people. And the Methodist churches exist and grew over the last 100 years or so because of missionary work. And I grew up knowing the gospel in a Methodist church (and also other churches). 

Actually, Judson Collins was actually accompanied by Dr Moses White & his wife (so technically, they were all 3 pioneer Methodist missionaries to Fuzhou). And Dr Moses White's newly wed wife died about half a year after they arrived in China from TB :( these missionaries were younger than me or about my age when they bid farewells to their parents and sailed for 5 months from the U.S to China. Wow, do we realize the cost of the faith we inherit today? The sacrifices of these missionaries. Ultimately, they were willing to sacrifice so much because our God made the biggest sacrifice through Jesus His Son. 

Am I willing?