Celebrating the Judsons

Part of being raised as an American Baptist preacher's kid was helping to host visiting missionaries in our home. One of our more memorable guests was Matthew Giuffirida. Matthew, who is now with Jesus, extended hugely the work begun by the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society to welcome and resettle asylum-seekers, immigrants and refugees from around the world. 

The drill was that I slept in my sister's room to make guestroom space. On this particular occasion, our dog ripped up and deposited the remains of a stuffed animal on Matthew's bed to show us all what she thought of the "stranger." Not exactly welcoming!

It was the 1970s, and we were riveted by Matthew's stories of mission work with the Vietnamese  "boat people." He also spoke, even then, about the struggles of Baptists in Burma and his desire to assist those Burmese seeking refuge in the U.S. He loved to talk about Adoniram and Ann, Sarah and Emily Judson and the legacy of their mission there.

Matthew would be thrilled today, as many of us are, to see the connections and reconnections being made with Burmese Baptists, both in the U.S. and in Myanmar, out of his own sense of history but also of Christian "friendliness," which is both human compassion and a hunger for justice.

This year and into the next two years, Baptists celebrate the anniversaries of the Judsons' departure, arrival and initial mission in Burma.

What are your memories of missionaries? How can we celebrate our ongoing Christian witness--both here at home and around the globe?

Add your comments to the notes on our Facebook page, or send me an email. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Laura Alden

Publisher, Judson Press