Excerpt from her poem, \u201cCome Over and Help Us\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nYe, on whom the glorious gospel,
Shines with beams serenely bright,
Pity the deluded nations,
Wrapped in shades of dismal night;
Ye, whose bosoms glow with rapture,
At the precious hopes they bear;
Ye, who know a Saviour\u2019s mercy,
Listen to our earnest prayer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See that race deluded, blinded,
Bending at yon horrid shrine;
Madness pictured in their faces,
Emblems of the frantic mind;
They have never heard of Jesus,
Never to th\u2019 Eternal prayed;
Paths of death and woe they\u2019re treading,
Christian! Christian! Come and aid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the Afric\u2019s hope so wretched,
Which at death\u2019s approach shall fly;
By the scalding tears that trickle
From the slave\u2019s wild sunken eye;
By the terrors of that judgment,
Which shall fix our final doom;
Listen to our cry so earnest;
Friends of Jesus, come, oh, come!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- She has a verse on Islam and Hinduism as well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- In a letter to a friend, \u201cHow can I be so inactive, when I know that\u2026 millions in other lands are at this very moment kneeling before senseless idols!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Even before her conversion, she was interested in missions, but afterwards, she guided her life by missions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1820<\/strong> She was converted and baptized at 16 years old.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- A gifted young man<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- 1823<\/strong> James Colman, Baptist missionary in Burma, died and calls rose from Baptist churches to send another man to replace him.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- At 19 years old, Sarah wrote a poem about Colman\u2019s life and death.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A 21 year old son of a pastor, George Boardman read the poem, and purposed to meet the author.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- George was a tall young man who loved to learn so much that he would go to school even when sick.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1817<\/strong> He became a school teacher at 16 years old.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1819 <\/strong>He entered college at 18, but is not yet converted. The entire student body commits to pray that God will save him.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1820<\/strong> God opened George\u2019s eyes at 19 years old and he is then baptized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Immediately he turned his thoughts towards missions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The president of the college where he was a student was so impressed by this young man that he predicted George would lead the school one day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- To Burma<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- 1825<\/strong> George and Sarah are married at 24 and 21 years old.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The day after their wedding, they left for Burma.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In his journal he wrote, \u201cWelcome separations and farewells; welcome tears, welcome last sad embraces; welcome pangs and griefs; only let me go where my Savior calls and goes Himself; welcome toils disappointments, fatigues and sorrows; welcome and early grave!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A newspaper published that George would probably die very soon because his body was weak.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- While on the boat to Burma, Sarah writes that \u201ctrials, and even persecution often develop the power of Christian principle and the strength of religious faith; while ease and outward prosperity seem to lull the souls of believers into an unworthy sloth and a sinful conformity with the world around them.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Before she arrived at Burma, she writes a lengthy letter to her brother: \u201cMy brother, have you a heart to pray to God? Have you repented and turned to Him? Or are you careless and indifferent respecting your precious soul? \u2026 You must stand before a righteous God at the judgment day. What will be the state of your soul if Jesus is not your friend? Think of this.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1827<\/strong> When they arrive in Burma at 27 and 24, they have a little girl, the first of three children.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Their first house in Maulmain<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- 1828<\/strong> In January, they moved about 50 k\u2019s from the other missionaries to Maulmain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Their new home was made of bamboo and could easily be cut open with a machete.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They were robbed by a band of armed thugs late at night in this dangerous location and house.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Upon seeing that her husband and child were safe she wrote, \u201cI quite forgot the stolen goods, and thought only of the treasure that was spared. \u2026 If ever the world appeared to me worthless as vanity, and if ever I wished to dedicate myself, my husband, my babe, my all, to our great Redeemer, it was at that time.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- This was only one of numerous dangers including a massive forest fire, snakes, and tigers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Ministry with the Karens<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- They move again about 250 k\u2019s to Tavoy, and a 50-year old new convert, Ko Tha Byu, moved with them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ko Tha Byu had previously been guilty of at least 30 murders, but since Judson led him to Christ, he has helped the missionaries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In Tavoy, they engage to evangelize the unreached Karen people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Karens worshipped a single God whom they call \u201cYuwah.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They believe the one true God had spoken to them and made them poor and miserable because of their sin. He had given a message to them, but they had lost it, and now they must wait until the message returns to them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- One of their songs:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
When the Karen king arrives
Everything will be happy;
When Karens have a king
Wild beasts will be tame. Stuart 153<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- George wrote, \u201cTheir whole [religious] system has a tendency to cramp their intellectual powers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They were accustomed to believing without evidence, denying regardless of sense experience, and attributing causes without good reason. Stuart 196<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Burmese call these people wild, ignorant, and savage. The Karen people had long been slaves of the Burmese.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sickness returns<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- 1829<\/strong> Both George and Sarah are violently ill.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Upon recovery, George prepares a 3 week trip into the jungle to evangelize the Karen people; Sarah is left in the hut with 2 infants.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In another letter at this time she wrote, \u201cSome of these poor Burmans, who are daily carried to the grave, may at last reproach me and say, \u2018You came, it is true, to the city where we dwelt, to tell of heaven and hell, but wasted much, much of your precious time in indolence while learning our language. And when you were able to speak, why were you not incessantly telling us of this day of doom, when we visited you?\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- George wrote in his journal, \u201cWe considered ourselves worthy to be trodden under foot of men, and were astonished to think of our pride and selfishness. \u2026 We were filled with the most distressing views of our utter sinfulness in the sight of God.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Then their baby girl dies at 2 years and 8 months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Then the Burmese revolt against the British and suddenly bullets are flying through their hut.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- During all these weeks and months, George is evangelizing with Ko Tha Byu among the Karen people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1830<\/strong> George\u2019s sickness returns and Sarah sees that he will be dead in a few more months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- As George is recovering, Sarah and her second child are then attacked by disease and only the mother recovers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cBoth of these devoted missionaries knew, however, that the best defence against such trials as they endured, is found in a steady performance of duty. \u2026 How different from those who make a sot of merit of \u2018indulging the luxury of grief;\u2019 and show their regard for the memory of the dead by neglecting their duties to the living!\u201d Stuart 172<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- To his family in America from his deathbed he wrote, \u201cA perfectly right action, with perfectly right motives, I never performed, and never shall perform, till freed from this body of sin. An unprofitable servant, is the most appropriate epitaph for my tombstone.\u201d Stuart 174<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Revival among the Karen<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- George and Sarah took a three-day hike with George being carried on a bed into the jungle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- There they saw scores of Karen believers testifying and being baptized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The change was nothing short of a miracle considering that three years earlier the entire people group had been degraded in ignorance and false religion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The trip satisfied George deeply and he had no regrets though he anticipated that the extra strain hastened his death.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Both he and Sarah assumed that missionary service meant a shorter life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- After the baptism service, he addressed the believers in a weak voice pleading with them to persevere so that they would see each other in glory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- During the hike back to their home, a heavy rain drenched him, and they were forced to beg for housing with the Burmese.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- However, the Burmese would not permit them to enter the house since they were teachers of the new religion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- On his death, Adoniram Judson wrote, \u201cOne of the brightest luminaries of Burma is extinguished, dear brother Boardman is gone to his eternal rest. He fell gloriously at the head of his troops, in the arms of victory, thirty-seven wild Karens having been brought into the camp of our king since the beginning of the year, besides the thirty-two that were brought in during the two preceding years.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Judson had waited 6 full years for his first convert, and Boardman had seen 10 times that numbers in 4 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By his death in 1831<\/strong>, Boardman saw 70 Christians, mostly Karens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By the 1850\u2019s<\/strong>, the church counted more than 10,000 members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- By 1980<\/strong>, 150 years after the beginning of his preaching, there were 100,000 Christians among the Karens.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sarah without George<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Judson wrote to Sarah, \u201cI can assure you, that months and months of heart rending anguish are before you, whether you will or not. I can only advise you to take the cup with both hands\u2026 You will soon learn a secret, that there is sweetness at the bottom.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A few weeks after her husband passed away, she was teaching 80 Karens who came to her house with 20 new candidates for baptism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Rather than take her only remaining child and return home to America, she filled her schedule with evangelism and translating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sarah administered and taught in Karen schools as well as traveling through the jungle evangelizing with her 7 year old boy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sarah with Adoniram<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- For three years, Sarah served the Karen people until Judson came to visit her.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1834<\/strong> Four days later, the 30-year old Sarah was joined to the 46-year old Judson.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cShe was altogether different from Nancy\u2014calmer, less dominant, with less fire, but perhaps more glow.\u201d Anderson, 413<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 11 children were born to Sarah, 3 to George and 8 to Adoniram, but only 7 lived to adulthood.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sarah learned Burmese when she arrived, and then Karen to reach that tribe. Eventually she added Taling in order to translate the catechism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- While mothering 8 children to Adoniram over 10 years, she wrote Burmese hymns, a children\u2019s curriculum, and translated part of The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- She sent away her first son to be educated in America, but God answered the dying prayers of George Sr. by making George Jr. a godly pastor long after his parents were dead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1845<\/strong> Before her 42nd<\/sup> birthday with seven of her 11 children still alive, Sarah passed away in the loving arms of her second husband.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Eventually, 3 of her sons would become pastors, one a doctor, one a soldier (in the US Civil War), and her daughter a teacher.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Lessons from the Boardmans<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n- Biblical view of death<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Urgency in evangelism<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The necessity of genuine spirituality to Christian ministry<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sweet and happy marriage<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Stuart, The Three Mrs. Judsons<\/em>, pages 115-216.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Anderson, To the Golden Shore<\/em>, pages 380-440.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya<\/em>, pages 130-132.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Neil, A History of Christian Missions<\/em>, pages 294-295.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- George and Sarah Boardman modeled <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scripture is filled with godly men and women who lived and served faithfully, yet they remain virtually unknown. Ahijah, Iddo, Azariah, Oded, Micaiah, Huldah, and several others whose names aren\u2019t even listed were godly prophets. George and Sarah Boardman are … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[546,8],"tags":[422,427,357],"class_list":["post-3098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-biography","category-missions","tag-biography","tag-george-boardman","tag-missions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3QrZa-NY","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3098"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3099,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3098\/revisions\/3099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonofcarey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}