Lillian Trasher
by Lillian from Antioch
"I stayed with the work God gave me to do"
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| Lillian Hunt Trasher (http://www.agts.edu/partners/pillars_of_faith.html ()) |
Lillian Trasher possesses true heroism because she trusted in the Lord completely. Starting off with a dollar in her pocket, she made her way to Assiout, Egypt and started the country's first orphanage in the year 1910. As a lone American woman there, she lacked financial and family support. Each day Lillian did not know how she could support the financial needs of the orphanage. However, she understood that God would provide for all their needs, and He did. The orphanage ran out of food and money several times, and it seemed as if the children would have to leave. Nevertheless, God intervened by providing what was needed and more, in His own perfect timing. God also protected Lillian, the inhabitants of the orphanage, and the orphanage itself. He did this when an Egyptian uprising occurred, when a fire almost destroyed the orphanage, and when an epidemic threatened to take the lives of many.
Lillian responded with obedience and trust to God's calling. After she heard the Lord's call to go to Africa as a missionary, she cancelled her wedding because she knew her fiance did not share the same calling. She gave up her future with her beloved betrothed in order to serve God. Also, she possessed a heart of love and compassion. Throughout the time of her work in Egypt, she did not turn away any children who were in need, even in times of a cholera epidemic. What caused her to avoid refusing additional orphans was her belief that God wanted her to do so, and would protect the orphanage as He saw fit. As her faith in God grew, so did the orphanage. In all, Lillian took in about 10,000 widows and children.
When asked for the secret of her missionary success, Lillian replied that none existed; she just "stayed with the work God gave [her] to do" (Benge, 189). Her perseverance never wore out; in accordance to God's will, Lillian worked at the orphanage for fifty years without a furlough until the time of her death in 1961. I look up to Lillian Trasher as my role model because she possessed courage, perseverance, obedience, and faith. She reacted in obedience to God's commands even if she could not comprehend the reason behind them. Lillian's heroism challenges me to live a life of total trust and obedience to God.
Page created on 3/30/2012 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 1/9/2017 4:41:27 PM
The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.
Bibliography
Benge, Janet & Geoff. Lillian Trasher: The Greatest Wonder in Egypt.
