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| Mary Mitchell Slessor Christian Missionary |
Mary Mitchell Slesssor was born in the city of Aberdeen,
Scotland, though she spent most of her early days in Dundee. The winds were
wild on December 2, 1848, when Shoemaker Slessor came home and found that a
baby girl had been born to his wife. Doubtless he went out that night and drank
a toast to his new child. For he was a drunkard as well as a Poor Shoemaker.
His wife (mother Slessor) was a Christian. Being the second child of seven born
to the Slessors , Mary was going to suffer more from her father’s drinking than
the other children.
The home was humble and needy but the frail, refined,
soft-spoken, praying mother knew the power of prayer. When problem comes, she
will lift up her voice and ask God to supply all the family needs according to
the richness of His glory. Having lost his job in Aberdeen because of
drunkenness (her father) decided that he would follow the family as they moved
to Dundee. Secretly Mother Slessor hope that a change of cities will alter the
companies of her husband and that he will give up drinking. But she was
disappointed, for he spent all his money on drinking. Often the family was in
need of food, this forced the frail little Mary to long hours of work at the
weaving mill when she was just eleven years old. At fourteen Mary was an expert
weaver. Though her days were filled with factory duties, she found time during
the evening to attend school. She loved to read. The stories of the great
Livingstone in Africa were especially interesting to her, for he was her hero,
Mary’s soul thrilled at the Challenge he (Livingstone) gave, ‘‘I go to Africa
to make an open door…do you carry out the work I have begun’’ sitting in
church, tired from her long hours at the weaving mills, Mary had a sudden
vision of Africa. Not of beautiful pictures, but horrible with slave scenes,
natives captured being taken to other lands as slaves, Alligators and
crocodiles swimming in the muddy water’s ever ready to devour black children, cannibal
Chiefs at their awful feasts, battles with Spears, and bloodshed. These were
all the things Mary saw.
Mary’s heart was
really stirred by a missionary from Africa who came to their little Church and
told of his experience. She said ‘’I wish I could do something to help the
bush-children. I am going to be missionary
when I grow up and go out there and teach those folks the right way’’. ‘’but
you’re just a girl’’ came her older brother (Robert). I’m going to be the
missionary in this house’’. Waiting for her time, Mary worked in the Sunday
school and assisted in a slum mission. One day William Anderson, a missionary
to the west coast of Africa, came to the little church and told of needs of his
district. Mother Slessor prayed that her son (Robert) would feel the called to
go. Instead, Robert became a missionary to New Zealand where he died a few
years later; this left Mary to carry the missionary torch in the family. She
was sent to Aberdeen for a three months training course. She asked mother
Slessor about going to Africa, the godly woman replied, ‘’my lassie, I’ll
willingly let you go, you’ll make a fine missionary and I’m sure God will be
with you’’.
On August 5, 1876, Mary finally sailed as she went on board,
she caught sight of many whiskey casks which carried liquor to the dark-skinned
natives. ‘’Scores of casks and only one missionary’’ but she got a dauntless
spirit. Mary knew that with God by her side she was going to match any problem
that stand in her way. Mary was now twenty-eight years of age when God lead her
into the jungles, God took her where no white man ever had trod, where she
brought many savages under the Gospel power single handed. She lived in Duke
Town on mission Hill with the Andersons, whom she affectionately called Daddy
and Mummy. Her time was occupied with language study and teaching.
Green Africa was a feast to her factory-tired eyes. Mary will
eagerly climb the highest trees in the neighbored-hood. She soon discovered
that in the jungles and waters were deadly fevers and lurking animals, the
likes of wild Elephants, Hippopotamus, Chimpanzee, Lions, Gorillas that would rend her limb from limb but this
made very little difference to Mary, for she had come to torch hearts with the
Gospel and not to fear jungle diseases
or savages tribes.
Mary longed to boat up the river which ran through the town
into the jungle. When three years had gone she was stricken with a tropical
fever, knowing that a sick missionary could never hope to bring the Gospel to
the jungles. Mary asks to be returned to Scotland where she could recuperate.
After a short visit to the homeland, she returned renewed in body and soul.
