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How does a person become a hero? Heroism comes in many shapes, sizes, and degrees of significance. The short, pioneering life and dramatic story of Rev. George E. Stone (1873-1899) gives one answer to the question. Heroism arises when people choose to serve others.
Travel with George from the small town of Mexico, New York to Hamilton College, Auburn Seminary, and a two-month journey in 1898 to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf as a new and eager Christian missionary. He became the seventh member of the Arabian Mission. The Mission's goal became George's passion—to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to Arabia, the homeland of Islam. It was not a popular aspiration then, and it still is not today. He said he was going to Arabia "Because while I was unwilling, God kept laboring with me until He made me desirous of going."
After arriving in Bahrain, George embarked on the required one-year rigorous Arabic language training. He made tremendous strides in a short time. His friends and family knew his knowledge, skills, experiences, and fortitude held promise for a long, productive career.
In 1899, George accepted an unexpected reassignment to the mission station in Muscat, Oman. The married couple there needed to leave due to serious health issues. The mission station needed healthy leadership to oversee the house repairs and the eighteen rescued slave boys in the mission's school. George's service helped the couple recuperate. They served an additional forty years in the Middle East. The rescued slave boys continued their education. George's coworker, who was scheduled to replace him, failed to arrive for several weeks. This situation created the perfect storm for George's modest but crucial heroism to show itself then, and now, in this full-length account of his short life.
The reader follows George's journey to England, France, Egypt, India, Bahrain, and Oman. His hometown newspaper printed excerpts from his letters to his parents in Mexico, New York. They give the reader a glimpse of a large portion of the world in the last years of the nineteenth century. George's cultural and religious convictions encounter a foreign world as he learns Arabic and makes friends with those he meets in Bahrain and Oman.
A Modest But Crucial Hero shows that human nature has not changed since George's days with its slavery, epidemics, quarantines, international conflict, and religious dialogue and debate. He said, "Christianity will have no walk-on in Arabia, but what is the fun of playing an easy team?" Heroes come in many shapes and sizes because they choose to serve others knowing it is not always an easy walk-on.
Travel with George from the small town of Mexico, New York to Hamilton College, Auburn Seminary, and a two-month journey in 1898 to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf as a new and eager Christian missionary. He became the seventh member of the Arabian Mission. The Mission's goal became George's passion—to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to Arabia, the homeland of Islam. It was not a popular aspiration then, and it still is not today. He said he was going to Arabia "Because while I was unwilling, God kept laboring with me until He made me desirous of going."
After arriving in Bahrain, George embarked on the required one-year rigorous Arabic language training. He made tremendous strides in a short time. His friends and family knew his knowledge, skills, experiences, and fortitude held promise for a long, productive career.
In 1899, George accepted an unexpected reassignment to the mission station in Muscat, Oman. The married couple there needed to leave due to serious health issues. The mission station needed healthy leadership to oversee the house repairs and the eighteen rescued slave boys in the mission's school. George's service helped the couple recuperate. They served an additional forty years in the Middle East. The rescued slave boys continued their education. George's coworker, who was scheduled to replace him, failed to arrive for several weeks. This situation created the perfect storm for George's modest but crucial heroism to show itself then, and now, in this full-length account of his short life.
The reader follows George's journey to England, France, Egypt, India, Bahrain, and Oman. His hometown newspaper printed excerpts from his letters to his parents in Mexico, New York. They give the reader a glimpse of a large portion of the world in the last years of the nineteenth century. George's cultural and religious convictions encounter a foreign world as he learns Arabic and makes friends with those he meets in Bahrain and Oman.
A Modest But Crucial Hero shows that human nature has not changed since George's days with its slavery, epidemics, quarantines, international conflict, and religious dialogue and debate. He said, "Christianity will have no walk-on in Arabia, but what is the fun of playing an easy team?" Heroes come in many shapes and sizes because they choose to serve others knowing it is not always an easy walk-on.