Montrose Waite, a Jamaican, was born in 1893. He immigrated to America and graduated from Nyack College in 1917. In 1920, he left to serve as a missionary in Sierra Leone. Later, his mission sponsor rejected him and his wife, but he did not give up; he came home, organized the Afro-American Missionary Crusade, and returned to Liberia. He served there until 1962 then came back here to promote missions. He died in 1977, still urging African Americans to become missionaries on the continent of Africa. After Christ appeared to Saul of Tarsus, he sent Ananias to give him his assignment. We read Jesus’ words in Acts chapter 9: “Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles. . . . And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Saul accepted this mission even though it included persecution. It calls to mind Jim Elliot’s choice as he pondered serving as a missionary in Ecuador. He wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Of course, Christ does not call everyone to suffer as did Saul, Montrose Waite, and Jim Elliot. But He does call all His people to faithfully serve Him each day.
