Thirty Years With Cannibals

My brother-in-law recommended this book to us after hearing that we had applied to be associate missionaries with New Tribes Mission.  To see more about that click HERE.


I'm so happy he did.  This book written by John G. Paton about his life of missionary service was thoroughly enjoyable and the Kindle version is free (see HERE).

John G. Paton was born in Scotland, where he grew up in a home in which Christ was lovingly by both his father and mother.  He knew he wanted to serve the Lord in his occupation and set out to do whatever it took to fulfill that goal.  Ending up in Glasgow, he was a city missionary there with a thriving ministry.  This was when The Lord called him into missionary service.

He and his wife became the first missionaries on Tanna, an island of cannibals in the New Hebrides.  Soon after settling in there his wife and small child died from fever and ague.  Paton kept on ministering to the natives of the island despite poor health, constant threats to his life, and the natives theiving from him anything they could lift.  After years there, he did not see many notable changes in the natives and had to flee the island because one of tribe leaders was on a death hunt for him.

Later on in his life he and his second wife returned to the New Hebrides, but to a new island.  The natives, wanting to kill them, sold their sacred grounds to the Patons to build their house upon.  Only the native Spirit Men could walk on the sacred grounds without dying.  When the natives saw that no harm came to the Patons, they understood that he God of the Patons was more powerful than the spirits they worshipped.  Many of these native people came to know and trust The Lord Jesus as their Savior.  A church was founded there and the natives grew more and more in love and understanding of the Gospel.

What most impressed me about the life of John G. Paton, was his constant trust in the Lord.  Innumerable times Paton would come to a crossroads where he knew not how the Lord would provide, each time he "committed it to the Lord" and the Lord provided!

I highly recommend this book!