Tyndale, Wesley and Mueller Houses are Tyndale, Wesley and Mueller Houses are all named after men. Only Carmichael is all named after men. Only Carmichael is named after a woman. named after a woman.

Where does she fit?Where does she fit?

She is the most recent of our She is the most recent of our heroes…heroes…

… … she died only 5 she died only 5 years before I, years before I, Mrs McKOY, was Mrs McKOY, was born! Does that born! Does that make me old or make me old or what!what!

So let’s So let’s take a take a journey journey together together and find out and find out about this about this very very awesome awesome lady!lady!

Amy was a Christian Amy was a Christian missionary in India, who missionary in India, who opened an orphanage and opened an orphanage and founded a mission in founded a mission in Donahue. She served in Donahue. She served in India for fifty-five years India for fifty-five years without leave and without leave and authored many books authored many books about the missionary work about the missionary work there.there.

Amy Wilson CarmichaelAmy Wilson Carmichael16 December 1867 – 18 January 195116 December 1867 – 18 January 1951

Early lifeEarly lifeAmy Amy was born in the was born in the small village of small village of Millville, County Millville, County Down, Ireland to Down, Ireland to David and Catherine David and Catherine Carmichael. Her Carmichael. Her parents were devout parents were devout Presbyterians and Presbyterians and she was the eldest of she was the eldest of seven siblings. seven siblings.

God knows bestGod knows bestOne story of Amy's early One story of Amy's early life tells that as a child, she life tells that as a child, she wished that she had blue wished that she had blue eyes rather than brown. eyes rather than brown. She often prayed that God She often prayed that God would change her eye color would change her eye color and was disappointed when and was disappointed when it never happened. As an it never happened. As an adult, however, she realized adult, however, she realized that, because Indians have that, because Indians have brown eyes, she would have brown eyes, she would have had a much more difficult had a much more difficult time gaining their time gaining their acceptance if her eyes had acceptance if her eyes had been blue.been blue.

ComplicationsComplications

From early childhood, Amy Carmichael From early childhood, Amy Carmichael believed God had told her to go be a believed God had told her to go be a missionary overseas. At age fifteen she missionary overseas. At age fifteen she gave her life completely to Christ, realizing gave her life completely to Christ, realizing that strength for living for His glory was athat strength for living for His glory was agift from him. She couldn’t do it on her own.gift from him. She couldn’t do it on her own.

No one saw mission work as a very No one saw mission work as a very practical calling for Amy. She suffered practical calling for Amy. She suffered often with a painful nerve disease often with a painful nerve disease requiring at times weeks or months of requiring at times weeks or months of bed rest.bed rest.

Add to that her need to write down her Add to that her need to write down her thoughts about everything that thoughts about everything that happened. Her urge to write took lots happened. Her urge to write took lots of time.of time.

Not only that, Amy was busy withNot only that, Amy was busy withother jobs. After her father’s other jobs. After her father’s death when she was eighteen, she death when she was eighteen, she looked after her six younger looked after her six younger brothers and sisters. And when brothers and sisters. And when she did seek a mission field, no one she did seek a mission field, no one wanted her. For all the problems in wanted her. For all the problems in Amy’s way, it seemed that she Amy’s way, it seemed that she would never do anything heroic.would never do anything heroic.

You Go, Girl!You Go, Girl!Still believing that God had Still believing that God had called her personally to go called her personally to go serve Him in a country He serve Him in a country He would show her later on, Amy would show her later on, Amy started telling people about started telling people about Jesus in her own hometown. Jesus in her own hometown.

ShawliesShawliesHer great hunger to right Her great hunger to right things for mistreated things for mistreated people lead her to help people lead her to help girls who worked in local girls who worked in local factories.factories.

These “shawlies,” as people These “shawlies,” as people called them, were too poor called them, were too poor to buy hats to wear to to buy hats to wear to church as people did in church as people did in those days, so they those days, so they covered their heads with covered their heads with shawls instead. shawls instead.

Amy’s Bible classes grew so large that she Amy’s Bible classes grew so large that she needed a building big enough to hold more needed a building big enough to hold more than three hundred shawlies. Amy and the than three hundred shawlies. Amy and the girls prayed, and people donated money and girls prayed, and people donated money and land for a new building in which to worship and land for a new building in which to worship and study. She called it “The Welcome.” study. She called it “The Welcome.”

In Amy’s years of living with the needy girls In Amy’s years of living with the needy girls and working for their equal treatment, her old and working for their equal treatment, her old illness still seemed to stand in the way of her illness still seemed to stand in the way of her ministry. Again and again she had to be in bed ministry. Again and again she had to be in bed for weeks at a time.for weeks at a time.

JapanJapan

An opportunity opened up, and Amy went to serve God in Japan, where she witnessed for Christ for fifteen months. In the cold climate of Japan, Amy became ill again. Instead of going home to get well,however, she believed God wanted to use her to witness in India.

Work To DoWork To DoAfter Amy arrived in India, After Amy arrived in India, she learned about how they she learned about how they kept little girls as slaves to kept little girls as slaves to do bad things in the temple. do bad things in the temple. At once, she began what At once, she began what would be almost fifty years would be almost fifty years of defending girls of India of defending girls of India from slavery. She accepted from slavery. She accepted girl babies fromgirl babies fromfamilies who thought they families who thought they were of no value. Girl were of no value. Girl rescue was her specialty, rescue was her specialty, even if it meant kidnapping even if it meant kidnapping them!them!

DohnavurDohnavurAmy’s growing Amy’s growing collection of girls collection of girls became the village became the village of Dohnavur, a of Dohnavur, a refuge for therefuge for themore than a more than a thousand childrenthousand childrenshe saved and she saved and loved.loved.

In an effort to In an effort to respect Indian respect Indian culture, members of culture, members of Dohnaver wore Indian Dohnaver wore Indian dress and the dress and the children were given children were given Indian names. She Indian names. She herself dressed in herself dressed in Indian clothes, dyed Indian clothes, dyed her skin with dark her skin with dark coffee, and often coffee, and often travelled long travelled long distances on India's distances on India's hot, dusty roads to hot, dusty roads to save just one child save just one child from suffering.from suffering.

While serving in India, Amy received a While serving in India, Amy received a letter from a young lady who was letter from a young lady who was considering life as a missionary. She considering life as a missionary. She asked Amy, "What is missionary life asked Amy, "What is missionary life like?" Amy wrote back saying simply,like?" Amy wrote back saying simply,

"Missionary life is simply a chance to die.""Missionary life is simply a chance to die."

God’s Hand On Her Life

Amy’s enthusiasm, chargeahead style and years of telling it straight, turned out to be good things. Her detailed handwritten histories, her diaries and love letters to her children, friends and co-workers became thirty-five published books. Every book points to God’s power at work in her life.

Quotes from AmyQuotes from Amy

"One can give "One can give without loving, without loving, but one cannot but one cannot love without love without giving.“giving.“

Final days and legacyFinal days and legacy

In 1931, Amy was badly injured in a fall, In 1931, Amy was badly injured in a fall, which left her bedridden much of the which left her bedridden much of the time until her death. She died in India time until her death. She died in India in 1951 at the age of 83. She asked that in 1951 at the age of 83. She asked that no stone be put over her grave; instead, no stone be put over her grave; instead, the children she had cared for put a the children she had cared for put a bird bath over it with the single bird bath over it with the single inscription "Amma", which means inscription "Amma", which means mother. mother.