When Charles E. Cowman made this notation in his Bible, he did not know how the Lord was going to use him over the next 24 years. From telegraph operator to faith missionary to founder of a missions organization that continues strong today, Cowman’s driving force was always for more people to come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. Though his story is more than a century old, his example of a life dedicated to following his Lord, wherever that led him, continues to inspire many people today.
Lettie B. Cowman and her husband, Charles, were cofounders of The Oriental Missionary Society, now One Mission Society. After Charles’ death in 1924, Mrs. Cowman collected devotions that she wrote during his illness and published Streams in the Desert, one of the best-selling devotionals of all time. In addition to Missionary Warrior and Streams in the Desert, she published a number of other books and served as President of The Oriental Missionary Society from 1928 through 1949.