You Will Be Eaten by Cannibals!

Last November I went on a Mission trip to Vanuatu. I’ll be going again very very soon! I’ve had 4 almost finished blog posts waiting to be finished since the start of the year. I figured I should finish them before I go again!! READ THE FIRST 8 POSTS HERE.

Prior to gaining independence from Britain and France in 1980, Vanuatu was known as the New Hebrides. On November 20 1839, John Williams and James Harris, were the first Christians missionaries who sought to make Jesus known among the locals in the New Hebrides. Within moments of arriving, they were both killed and eaten by cannibals.

In the decades that followed, other missionaries ventured out to the New Hebrides seeking to proclaim Jesus to those perishing. Many were met with a response like the one that Williams and Harris received. But on some islands, the gospel bore much fruit with, in at least one case, the whole island professing faith in Jesus!

One of the missionaries who accepted the call to take the gospel to the New Hebrides was John G. Paton. He was a successful urban missionary in Glasgow. After hearing the plight of the people in the South Pacific, he was compelled to leave the comforts of his home city to travel to the other side of the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to a people desperate to hear it. All this despite the real threat of being eaten by cannibals.

During 1858, in his first 6 months, Paton’s wife and new born son both died as a result of fever. This was the beginning of a treacherous 4 years on the island of Tanna. He met with opposition on so many fronts. People were violent in their opposition to the gospel. The weather conditions were harsh. And they were at the whim of shifty trade ship captains to move around islands.

During that 4 years, a number of his co-workers died either from the conditions or at the hand of the locals. As you read Paton’s Autobiography it is a great encouragement to see his incredible perseverance in the face of suffering. His courage in adversity was based firmly in his trust in a Sovereign God.

After being driven out of Tanna by fierce opposition, he spend the next 4 years in Australia and back in the United Kingdom raising money and awareness of the great needs in the New Hebrides. As he recounted his stories of trial, he was able to raise enough money to buy a ship belonging to the missionaries, and helped fuel missionary desire in a significant number of young men and women.

Paton arrived back in the New Hebrides on the island nearest Tanna, Aniwa. They were initially met with much opposition, but in the 40 years to come, God did a remarkable work in the people of Aniwa. The gospel spread like crazy until the whole island professed to be followers of Jesus!!

Want to find out more?

1. LISTEN TO JOHN PIPER’S BIOGRAPHY OF PATON
2. READ JOHN PIPER’S BIOGRAPHY OF PATON
3. READ JOHN PATON’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

It really is an incredible story of God’s grace in bringing so many people from death to life. Paton’s autobiography is phenomenal! And Piper’s biography of him is a great summary.

One of the ways that I was struck was to consider the type of people that John G. Paton (and Williams & Harris) initially met in the New Hebrides compared to the beautiful people I was able to meet in Vanuatu. God has worked a precious miracle in Vanuatu bringing radical change of its people from the inside out.