Never Been Done - Ann Judson

1789–1826

“I don’t know if it can be done. No one has ever done that before.”

Have you ever heard those words when you wanted to try something different? Maybe it was a new way to do something at work, a new ministry at church, or even a new hairstyle. Doing something that breaks the mold can be difficult. Just ask Ann Hasseltine Judson, regarded as the first American woman to go overseas as a missionary.

You have to wonder how many people told her she shouldn’t do it. It was dangerous, not “women’s work.” But at the age of sixteen, Anne had dedicated her life to God, and she felt God wanted her to be a missionary.

In 1812, with her husband, Adoniram Judson, she set sail to India to begin missionary work. Shortly after they arrived, they were ordered by the government to leave. Instead of giving up, though, the Judsons went to Burma, a country that had yet to hear the gospel.

Ann wasn’t just the wife of a missionary. She herself was a missionary. Together, she and Adoniram translated the Bible into the local language, brought many to faith, and helped to start the Christian church in Burma. It sounds wonderful and romantic, but it came at an immense personal cost to their family.

When war broke out between Britain and Burma, Adoniram was suspected of being a British spy and imprisoned. A pregnant Ann worked tirelessly for Adoniram’s release, also sneaking food and supplies to her husband and other prisoners. After eighteen months, he was released, but Ann’s health problems took their toll, and she died at age thirty-seven.

Some naysayers might think Ann’s early death proved their point. Missions work was difficult and dangerous. But consider the impact of Ann’s work. Adoniram stayed in Burma, and at the time of his death, that country had sixty-three churches and 163 missionaries. The ministry that Ann helped to start and build was flourishing.

Next time someone says to you, “It’s never been done before. It’s risky. You probably shouldn’t do it,” think of Ann Judson. Her ability to listen to God’s calling and not society’s admonishments made all the difference.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 1:37