And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. ~Luke 9:62

Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes,
All my own desires and hopes,
And accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all
Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.
Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit
Use me as Thou wilt,
Send me where Thou wilt
And work out Thy whole will in my life
At any cost now and forever.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

~the prayer of Betty Stam, wife of John Stam, missionary to China

Jesus told His followers that each had to take up his cross and follow Him. His listeners knew that a cross meant death. There is a price to pay for following Christ, but with it the greatest reward. John and Betty Stam realized this when they committed their lives to missions. China greatly needed missionaries, since many had been forced to flee the country in the previous years of political upheaval.

Despite news of Chinese violence, both John and Betty responded to a request for workers from China Inland Mission. Betty met John at a CIM prayer meeting. They were attracted to each other, but they agreed that marriage might hinder their plans for service in China, so Betty left for China alone in 1931. John followed a year later. At his graduation from Moody Bible Institute, John urged his classmates to make sacrifices for God.

"The Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial was involved," proclaimed John. "We are told to expect persecution, but with it victory in Christ."

When he arrived in Shanghai, John was delighted to see Betty, who had recently been forced to return for medical reasons. Their time together in Shanghai led to their engagement and marriage. The following year John and Betty served together in the land of China. Even though they didn't know the language very well, they always had a Chinese tract or Bible to hand out, and they gained many friends by their endearing and friendly manner. As their understanding of the language increased, John and Betty were able to spend more time proclaiming the Gospel. They were pleased to see the church grow as Chinese Christians began to take leadership roles.

In the fall of 1934, only weeks after the birth of their daughter, Helen Priscilla, John and Betty were assigned to the province of Anhwei. Missionaries had previously been evacuated from this station, but John and Betty were assured that the area was reasonably safe from Communist threat. But the situation had been misevaluated and within weeks of arriving, Communist soldiers were pounding at their gate. John, Betty and baby Helen were held captive, but John was permitted to send a letter to CIM. He must have known that they would likely be killed, but his letter shone with hope and contentment. He concluded with the words "may God be glorified whether by life or by death."

The next day the couple was forced to march to Tsingteh. Their captors paraded them before the townsfolk, who were amazed at John and Betty's calm expressions. One brave Chinese Christian dropped to his knees and begged for their release. John's last words were a plea for mercy for this brave man. Then with a swing of the sword, the Communists ended John and Betty's earthly lives, and placed them forever in the glorious presence of their Lord.

A Chinese pastor found little Helen thirty hours later, tucked in a sleeping bag. Ten precious dollars were hidden beside her-enough to get her to safety. John and Betty spent but a few years in China before they were martyred, but their deaths stirred a revival for missions. Money poured in to missions agencies and a new generation of young people dedicated their lives to overseas service. Through their faith and dedication, John's last written wish was honored, and God was indeed glorified in life and in death.