Helen Roseveare, 1925-2016

Dr. Helen Roseveare passed away this week at the age of 91.  Are you familiar with her?  In case you aren’t, here’s a bit of Helen’s story:

As a pre-med student at Cambridge University in 1945, this bright young English woman responded to a friend’s invitation to visit the Cambridge Intercollegiate Christian Union, and the Lord met her in a powerful way during a student retreat.  The Gospel gripped her heart, and she developed an increasing eagerness to serve Christ in missions.  Helen stated, “I’ll go anywhere God wants me to, whatever the cost.”

As a single woman at the age of 28, with medical school and further studies in languages and tropical medicine behind her, Dr. Roseveare began her work in the Congo in 1953.  Within two years, she’d set up a training school for nurses, equipping believers as nurse-evangelists.  After two more years she’d established a 100-bed hospital—it was the only medical facility for 150 miles around.

Things took a frightful turn in 1964 when civil war broke out in the Congo:  Helen was one of ten missionaries put under house arrest by rebel forces.  Once after she tried to escape, her drunken, brutal cap­tors kicked and beat her into a bleeding, terrified state.  And they raped her.  That dreadful night she cried to God in desperation.  Helen later said, “God met with me—with outstretched arms of love.  It was an unbelievable experience:  He was so utterly there, so totally under­stand­ing, his comfort was so complete—and suddenly I knew—I really knew that his love was unutterably sufficient.  He did love me!  He did understand!” (Urbana ’76).  Having Jesus was enough; belonging to Christ was her great joy.

Helen added, “In the weeks of imprisonment that followed and in the subsequent years of continued service, looking back, one has tried to ‘count the cost,’ but I find it all swallowed up in privilege.” She had participated in the very sufferings of Jesus, “becoming like him in his death”—all with anticipation of sharing in the joy of his resurrection life (Philippians 3:10).

Helen Roseveare wrote several books, including her biography, Give Me This Mountain. She also spoke at numerous missions conferences, including Urbana 1976, 1981 and 1987—look up those messages at urbana.org and listen to a remarkable testimony of joyful faith!