The Greatest Century of Missions book is a treasure trove of incredible adventures, inspiring exploits and unbelievable achievements of some of the most extra-ordinary people in the most momentous era of Christian advance. This book will be an invaluable resource for pastors and missionaries and a textbook for senior home-schoolers, Christian schools and Bible colleges. It should be required reading for prospective missionaries. Inspiring The Greatest Century of Missions is an inspiring series of stories of how God worked through the lives of faithful men and women willing to sacrifice all for Him. Christians serious about fulfilling the command to all of us to fulfil the Great Commission will be encouraged to become active in spreading the Gospel to those within their reach. This easy to read, well-illustrated summary of the lives and vision of exceptional missionaries is a must read for Christians of any age, including students in home schools, Christian schools, and colleges. Unprecedented As Church historian, Kenneth Scott Latourette, declared: "Never had any other set of ideas, religious or secular, being propagated over so wide an area by so many professional agents, maintained by the unconstrained donations of so many millions of individuals." Visionary In the words of Alexander Somerville, this was "a new enterprise on behalf of the noblest object that can engage the enthusiasm of man - the salvation of millions!" Overcoming Obstacles The obstacles, dangers and difficulties they had to face and overcome were staggering. Illegal By an act of British Parliament, missionaries were illegal in India. In China, not only was all missionary activity completely illegal, but so was attempting to learn the Chinese language! There was a ban on any Chinese teaching their language to foreigners. The Chinese tutors to Robert Morrison carried poison on their bodies so that if they were discovered, they could end their lives quickly and escape torture. Because the Chinese forbade foreign women, Robert Morrison had to live apart from his wife, Mary, for most of their lives, once for six years. Incarcerated America's first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson, was captured on the high seas and incarcerated in a French prison - from which he escaped. Later he was imprisoned and tortured in 'Death Prison', in Burma, for eighteen months.