Crosslinks former missionary Jessie Scudder |
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JESSIE SCUDDER (1932-69)
Jessie Scudder went to Kenya in 1932 to join her future husband, who had gone there two years earlier. The whole of her missionary career was spent in Samburu - 39 years in all. When Jessie offered to BCMS for work in Kenya her commitment was total, without reservations or conditions, and during the ensuing years that commitment was often put to the severest tests. In 1941 her husband died in tragic circumstances and Jessie was left with two small boys, one of whom died in childhood. Through it all, however, she never faltered in her dedication or looked back, but carried on in the strength of God for a further more-than-thirty years.
She gave herself wholeheartedly to the task of winning the Samburu people for Christ. She mastered the Masai language, as spoken by the Samburu, and was soon able to share the good news about the Saviour with the people in their own language and, while doing so, she won their respect, affection and confidence. In a word, she loved the people for Christ's sake, and they knew it.
Throughout her missionary career in Samburu her principal work was direct primary evangelism. This meant many difficult foot safaris. The Samburu are a nomadic cattle people, always moving from place to place in search of grazing. This made the work of the missionary most difficult, for it was not easy to follow previous contacts, there being no settled villages. In the early days the Scudders, like their colleagues, lived in tents, but later settled at Sirata Oirobi, the first Samburu mission station. Many young Samburu warriors who were attracted by the benefits offered by the missionaries, came and settled, more or less, permanently around the mission. This gave the missionaries an excellent opportunity for more regular preaching and teaching. It was from among these young men that the first Samburu were won for Christ, and some went on to become church leaders. Because of the conservatism of the Tribesmen, the ploughing and planting in the early days was hard going, often very discouraging. But Jessie and her colleagues stuck to their task and had the great joy, in later years, to see a real spiritual movement among the people. And by the time of her retirement from the field she had the great satisfaction of seeing the church under Samburu pastoral leadership.
Jessie was a gentle, cultured lady. She always maintained a high standard of dress and personal appearance. When she attended church, where most of the local women wore skins, she was always immaculately dressed, as one would to an English suburban church! Her little home reflected the same standards of care and attention. These things were but outward signs of her character.
Jessie Scudder gave the best years of her life for the Lord and for the Samburu. Her sacrifice was great and wholehearted. She remained an active and prayerful supporter of Crosslinks and died in Derby on 28 April 2002. Her funeral was taken by Bishop Bob Beake who also represented Crosslinks