"Father of Modern Missions" - William Carey

William Carey was born in England in 1761. Because his family was poor; he went to school only until he was fourteen. At that age, he became an apprentice (learner) to a shoemaker. But having a thirst for reading, he studied languages and Science on his own. It wasn't long before he learned Latin, Greek, French, and Dutch. A fellow apprentice shared the gospel with him, and he was saved. William spent all his free time reading the Bible and other books, studying languages, and telling others of Christ. He became a preacher, married, and supported his family by making shoes.

William Carey read in the Bible, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations..." (Matthew 28:19). He read of David Brainerd and his great work among the American Indians.. He read of the terrible conditions of people without Christ in other lands. He thought, "Someone must go and tell these people of Christ." It took a long time for Carey to find people who were interested in missions. In those days, very few people thought of the needs of people in other lands who had never heard of Christ.
But finally, in 1793, William Carey and his family sailed for India. The Careys settled in Bengal, now a part of the country of Bangladesh. William Carey's ability with languages aided him greatly in his work in India. He learned the Bengali language, and other languages of India, very quickly, and began preaching. Most of the people of Bengal were Hindus, and they were very resistant to new ideas. Carey preached to them for six years before the first Hindu came to Christ.
William Carey served in Bengal for fifty-nine years. He translated the Bible or portions of it into over forty languages and dialects. He helped to encourage education in India, and he was able to help the Indians improve their farming methods. Through his influence, the evil practices of sacrificing children to idols and of killing widows were abolished..
William Carey's motto, "Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God," and his dedication to Christ inspired many people to become missionaries. For this reason, he is called the "Father of Modern Missions."             
  -Information gathered from Abeka 'Old World History & Geography' book

Where would you be willing to go? Would you speak to that difficult neighbor, clerk or a that family member that you have been arguing with?  Do not wait because there may not be another opportunity...