Birth:1878
Death:1962
Native Place : Norway
Place of Vision: China
Marie Monsen was one of the most beloved foreign missionaries ever to serve in China. She was a well-educated woman who was trained as a teacher and eventually found her calling in missionary service. She arrived in China in 1901 when the country was in the Boxer Rebellion chaos, during which many foreign missionaries were slaughtered. Nevertheless, Monsen fearlessly entered the territory to share the Gospel and show the love she received from her savior.
During the initial years, Monsen did a quieter missionary work conducting bible classes for Chinese women and running a small girl’s school in Nanyang. However, as the political unrest became increasingly dangerous, she traveled to Manchuria and Northern China, stirring up the spiritual awakening among the missionaries and church leaders. Her common question to everyone, irrespective of their denomination or them being a common believer or a God Servant, was ‘Have you been born again?’ The Spirit of God powerfully worked in Monsen’s meetings throughout Shantung, resulting in a great revival in the early 1930s.
Monsen was always in close communion with her Lord in the prayer, which helped her sense where the Lord was directing her. She traveled thousands of miles fearlessly through bandit-infested territories to proclaim the Good News. Once pirates hijacked the ship, she boarded enroute to a conference in Shantung. She used the opportunity to preach the Gospel to those onboard, including the pirates. Despite her captivity, she distributed gospel tracts that were read aloud and brought many to the knowledge of one true God.
Monsen was a remarkable woman of faith who was persistent in her service to God. When she could not learn Chinese because of her head injury after arriving in China, she learned by listening to the language spoken around her. When she could not travel due to illness, she prayed. When others insisted that the Chinese people would never repent and experience revival, she believed in God for something more.
