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Lottie
Moon
Dec. 12, 1840–Dec. 24, 1912
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native Virginian, Lottie Moon was appointed as a Southern Baptist
foreign missionary on July 7, 1873; she sailed to China on Sept. 1
of that year. For 39 years she labored chiefly in Tengchow and in
P’ingtu. At first, residents of the area distrusted her, calling
her names such as “devil woman.” Lottie responded by baking
tea-cake cookies: The smell of the cookies began attracting many
children; soon her concern for them and their families earned her
the name of the Cookie Lady. Later she found that wearing local
clothing went far toward gaining acceptance among the Chinese.
She
fought many battles on behalf of the Chinese she grew to love: She
was a leader in the effort to ban the foot-binding of young girls;
She broke down barriers against the education of girls. Also, she
was a leader among missionaries: She was among the first to
suggest the idea of a furlough. Her influence inspired the
formation of the Woman’s Missionary Union, and ultimately it led
to that organization’s establishment of the offering that bears
her name.
In
her greatest act of empathy for the Chinese, as local Christians
were facing famine due to floods and war, she stopped eating,
giving instead her meager resources to others. On Dec. 24, 1912,
she raised her fists together in fond Chinese greeting and met her
Savior.
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