Faith Stories: Who Am I?

Can you figure out whose faith story these facts belong to?

Both of my parents died when I was young--my mother when I was only 9, and my father 5 years later.

I was expelled from Yale right before I would have graduated because I refused to publicly apologize for a rude remark about one of the faculty members that was attributed to me. Later, I changed my mind and tried to make things right, but I was not allowed to return to Yale.

I was quite ill for almost all of my adult life.

I was offered a pastorate at an established church, but I felt it would not be right for me to "settle down in the ministry where the gospel was preached before."

I often grew despondent and stayed that way for fairly long periods of time.

I never married because of my illness, although there was someone special whom I admired. Close to the end of my life, when I knew I was dying, I told her, "...if I thought I should not see you, and be happy with you in another world, I could not bear to part with you. But we shall spend a happy eternity together."

I died when I was only 29.

My gravestone says I was a "faithful and laborious missionary."

When all was said and done, there were about 85 converts on my mission field.

Were it not for a little book of mine published after my death, I would probably be long forgotten.

Robert Murry McCheyne, William Carey and Jim Elliot are among those who have said they were motivated in their service to God through the story of my life.

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Who am I? You can find out here.

Have you posted a Faith Story--someone else's or your own? You'll make my day if you send me the info so I can read it and link to you.