Dear Subscriber,
Every generation of God’s servants is influenced and shaped by the examples of those who served Christ before them. In this issue, retired OMF missionaries Tony and Pat Schmidt reflect on how they have been inspired and impacted by Hudson Taylor’s life. Following this, we will provide updates on the Hudson Taylor movie project and highlight areas where we ask for your faithful support in prayer.
Still impacted by the life of Hudson Taylor
By Tony and Pat Schmidt
Tony and Pat Schmidt served as OMF missionaries in Japan and Canada for forty years, planting churches and supervising missionaries. After retiring in 2011, they continued their ministry as Associate Pastors of the Vancouver Japanese Gospel Church in BC, Canada till 2025. They carry a deep affection for the believers in Japan and they miss the Japanese hot baths. For many years, Tony and Pat regularly join our monthly prayer meetings. They were deeply inspired by the life of Hudson Taylor and were delighted to hear the possibility of a movie on his life for the big screen.
“1865 – Hudson Taylor.”1 That was all we managed to jot down in our notebooks as we spent a day in hurried preparation to leave on a short-term mission to Japan. We were urged to go as soon as possible to relieve a missionary in the Japan headquarters who was nearing burnout.
That was 1971. Since that day, we have been inspired, again and again, by the life of Hudson Taylor as we read more about him.
Most missionaries applying to CIM — or later, to OMF– had either known Hudson Taylor personally or had learned about him. For many, his life story ranked right below the Bible itself, because their lives had been so deeply shaped by his. Over the years, we too were challenged by the life of Hudson Taylor. His genuine love for people and his passion to bring the Gospel to the Chinese– counting no sacrifice too great–have exemplified for us the life of a true Jesus-follower.
Hudson Taylor famously emphasized the importance of missionaries adapting to the culture of the people they were trying to reach – to dress like them and to live as much as possible on the level of those who they were trying to reach for Christ. We used to joke that, in Japan, it meant the director should have a black car driven by a chauffeur wearing white gloves! That was the norm for all company directors!
In spite of being a great man of faith, Hudson was also fully human. Like many of us, he wrestled with a desire for greater holiness. He wanted to be more like Jesus and to see Jesus more.
At a particularly low point in his life, when he was feeling spiritually dry and longing for holiness, he was helped by John McCarthy, a fellow worker who wrote to him:
“The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun;
The Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing;
The Lord Jesus counted on as never absent would be holiness complete.
(Faith) is the chain which binds the soul to Christ…
The barren branch becomes a portion of the fruitful stem.”
Hudson said, “I looked to Jesus and saw…. And when I saw, oh, how the joy flowed!”
We daily feel the impact of these words as they hang on the wall in our bathroom. Daily they point us towards a deeper relationship with the Lord through cherishing the Lord Jesus and counting on Him as never absent.
Hudson Taylor was well-known for being a man of great faith, yet he said, “It is not great faith you need, but faith in a great God.”
Amen. We can do that too because indeed we have a great God!
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1Editor’s note: Hudson Taylor founded The China Inland Mission (CIM) in 1865. Thousands of missionaries have been called to serve in China and Asia since then.
Project Updates and Prayer Items
Last month was a very active month behind the scenes. We had serious discussions and sought the Lord’s guidance while considering three director candidates. However, it seems that God had different directions for each of them. Interestingly, we were then led to a fourth candidate whom God had already been speaking to during the scouting trip. We are now entering into contractual discussions with this candidate.
Following the early February scouting trip, our screenwriter and producer have been revising the script to better fit the filming environment (the studio backlot and nearby locations), as well as our budget and logistical considerations. We praise God that we have received preliminary approval to film in the scouting country. Meanwhile, the production team has been working diligently with the local line producer to develop the budget and schedule, build the local crew, secure final government approval for filming and applying for government incentives, and finalize the engagement contract with the studio.
We give thanks for answered prayers and God’s faithful guidance:
- Insight and unity during the director selection process, which has led us to the current candidate.
- Preliminary approval to film in the scouting country.
- Growing trust and understanding within the production team as we collaborate together.
Prayer requests:
- Protection & Health: Pray for God’s protection and sustaining grace over team members, supporters, and their families.
- Unity & Team Formation: Pray for God’s leading in appointing the right director, cast, and crew, and for the building of a Christ-honoring, multicultural team in the months ahead.
- Script Development: Pray for continued progress as the team polishes the script and works creatively within the limitations of our budget and filming environment. May God multiply the impact of these limited resources to produce an authentic and impactful movie that communicates His love and purpose.
- Wisdom & Spiritual Growth: Pray for God’s wisdom and favor in every decision. May everyone involved—team members, supporters, and donors—grow closer to Him through this journey.
March/April 2026 Prayer Meetings
Please find the date and time of our next English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and German prayer meetings below.
• English Meeting: 25 March, 2026 at 8:00 AM Pacific Time /11:00 AM Eastern Time
• Mandarin Meeting: 25 March, 2026 at 7:30 PM Hong Kong Time
• Cantoneses Meeting: 25 March, 2026 at 8:30 PM Hong Kong Time
• German Meeting: 6 April, 2026 at 20:00 Switzerland Time
For more information, feel free to contact us at:
General: info@halfcrownmedia.com
Chinese Prayer Meetings: admin@halfcrownmedia.com
- German Prayer Meeting: de.gebetskoordination@omfmail.com
