Livingston

INTRODUCTION

"I HAVE SOMETIMES SEEN, IN THE MORNING SUN, THE SMOKE OF A THOUSAND VILLAGES WHERE NO MISSIONARY HAS EVER BEEN."

This phrase spoken by Robert Moffat to David Livingstone can be defined as the words that sparked a fire. The idea that there were so many people gathered in one continent who had not heard the name of Jesus, was shocking to young Livingstone. Almost immediately, he felt his heart being burdened for the Africans, and it was a burden that would stay with him until his death. Today his is a household name, but when asked, all anyone can say is that some man once said, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Many people do not know the story behind that quote; the story of the missionary, the explorer, the Englishman, the doctor, the husband and the father that was Dr. David Livingstone.

EARLY LIFE

On March 19, 1813, in Blantyre, Scotland, David Livingstone was born the son of a traveling tea merchant. At the age of ten, Livingstone began to work in the local cotton mill from six in the morning until eight at night. Each night he would rush from work to night school for two hours, and study when he got home. Even at the mill, young David was hard at work, reading while he ran from one end of the large building to the other. At a young age, Livingstone was interested in science and the world around him. His heart was with his Master. However,

unlike most, Livingstone saw God’s greatness through His creation.

EDUCATION

In 1836, Livingstone entered Glasgow University to study theology and medicine. Each weekend he would make the eight mile trek home to see his family. It was while at Glasgow that Livingstone met Moffat and had the conversation that produced those immortal words. Missions were where his heart was, Moffat could see that, but Livingstone originally had planned to go to China. Political problems at that time would put a stop to that; the Opium Wars made China a bad place for a westerner with good intentions. With the help of Moffat, God pointed Livingstone in the direction of Africa, and from that time on, there was nowhere else for him.

Becoming captivated by the very idea of the Dark Continent, he began to study any and all information about Africa he could lay his hands on. There was not much to be found at the time though, very little was known about Africa. Upon studying the most current map of this place which called to his heart, Livingstone discovered that vast chunks of it were simply marked “unknown.” The words of Moffat rang in his ears, and he knew that he was the one who God would use to explore this mighty land and deliver the Good News. He was often quoted as saying: “The end of the geographical feat is only the beginning of the missionary enterprise.”

ENTERING MINISTRY

In 1840, shortly after his conversation with Moffat, Livingstone received his medical

degree and was ordained and appointed to the London Missionary Society. After a 98 day voyage, Livingstone arrived in Cape Town on March 15, 1841, and stepped foot on the land that had claimed his heart. From there he traveled to Kuruman, the outpost of European penetration and Moffat’s missionary station. Then he traveled widely, pushing into the Kalahari to take the Gospel and medicine to the peoples beyond the frontier. It was not long before Livingstone received his new names: lakoa meaning “Englishman” and nyaka meaning “doctor.” In Africa, scarcely anyone called him Dr. Livingstone. By August 1843, he had established his own mission station at Mabotsa, 250 miles north of Kuruman.

Mabotsa is where one of the most legendary tales of David Livingstone’s life occurred. Lions were attacking the people of the village, and Livingstone knew that if just one were killed the rest would run away. Gathering the natives together, he led and instructed them on how to hunt the lions. The natives were to surround the lions as they rested on a hill and attack them with their spears. When the lions awoke dazed, confused, and injured, Livingstone or his companion, (the only two armed with guns) would shoot one. The only problem was that the natives were very frightened and every time they got near the lions, they shied away. Because of this, Livingstone only got one shot off before he was attacked. Luckily, his companion was able to load his gun and kill the lion before it killed Livingstone. There were terrible consequences, though; Livingstone barely survived the attack and was left with a crushed left shoulder that would cause him much pain for the rest of his life. The people of the tribe were in awe of this white man who was so brave, and word spread quickly