When considering missions to unreached language groups, John Gibson Paton is a towering figure, primarily because of what the Lord allowed him to accomplish through unbelievable hostility and immense levels of suffering. In this article, Brooks Buser, president of Radius International, shares the incredible impact of Paton and three lessons Christians can learn from his life of faithful service.

In 1999, my wife and I graduated from college and began working to pay off our student debts, which were substantial. We didn’t have a “missionary call,” but we believed it was important to be rooted and active in our local church, and faithful in reading our Bibles and prayer.

From January 25th – February 3rd I and a brother from our church embarked on a 34-hour journey deep into the heart of India. While it’s not necessary to share our exact location, I can share that we were in the southern half of India. Our objective on this trip was not to convert Hindus, but rather, to strengthen and encourage local pastors who are facing monumental challenges in ministry.