Palm Trees and Princes!

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time!

Have you ever been on a boat? Maybe you’ve been in a canoe or kayak, or maybe you like to go fishing on a lake, or maybe you’ve stayed on one of those huge cruise ships! Well, Betsey Stockton was on a boat . . . but not for an afternoon, a day, or a week. She was on a ship for five months! Why? Because she was determined to get where God wanted her to go!

While True Girl founder Dannah Gresh and her cohost, Staci Rudolph, talk about Betsey Stockton today, you can pray, “God, is there anything You want me to do? Is there somewhere You want me to go so others can learn about You?” 

And don’t forget, you can read all of the Christian biographies featured in this season (and other amazing stories) in the Do Great Things for God series by The Good Book Company. It’s a collection of Christian biographies written just for girls. Your mom can find them at TheGoodBook.com.

Here we go with episode 3 of the Incredible Influencers series of the True Girl podcast, titled, “Palm Tree and Princes.”

Dannah Gresh: Ah, don’t you just love the feeling of warm sunshine on your face? 

Staci Rudolph: I sure do! Sitting here on this dock by a beautiful lake makes it even more incredible. This is amazing, Dannah! 

Dannah: I brought sandwiches in my bag. You want turkey or veggie?

Staci: I’m craving some veggies, thanks! Can I have one of those seltzer waters too?

Dannah: You bet.

Staci: So last week you said you’re reading Betsey Stockton’s story today, and she went on a long boat ride. Is that why we’re near the water today?

Dannah: You guessed it. Betsey Stockton, and everyone else, had to take boats if they wanted to go anywhere really far away, because she was born in the late 1700s. Airplanes weren’t invented yet. 

Staci: It’s kind of hard to even imagine that, isn’t it? A world without airplanes.

Dannah: Yes, that is hard to imagine. Okay. Prepare yourself for this book in the Do Great Things for God series by The Good Book Company. It’s called Betsey Stockton: The Girl with a Missionary Dream by Laura Caputo-Wickham, illustrated by Eunji Jung.

When Betsey was young, she dreamt of being a missionary. She wanted to travel the world, meet new people and tell them all about Jesus. But, very sadly, Betsey was born enslaved. She wasn’t allowed to decide where to go and what to do. 

Then, one day, Betsey received good news. She was finally free. She was able to decide what to do. And what she wanted to do was to be a missionary! 

Staci: Oh wow, so she finds out she’s free from being a slave and immediately wants to go and tell other people about Jesus? You’ve got my attention, Betsey Stockton!

Dannah: I know what you mean!

When she decided to join a mission trip to Hawaii, people were shocked. It was very unusual for single women and people who had been enslaved to go on missions back then.

“How extraordinary!” [people said].

But that’s exactly what Betsey was—an extraordinary girl who believed in an extraordinary God.

“Wait for me!” [said Betsey].

And just like that, her journey began. 

Dannah: Here’s something kind of funny, Staci. It’s fitting that we’re eating sandwiches today, because when Betsey went to Hawaii, it actually wasn’t called Hawaii yet. It was called the Sandwich Islands. 

Staci: That is pretty funny!

Dannah: 

It took five months for Betsey to cross the Pacific Ocean. 

She saw waves as tall as mountains that made her a little seasick. She saw playful dolphins, giant turtles, and menacing sharks. 

She had good days . . . and bad days. 

[Sitting down to eat sometimes, Betsey would say,] “Fish, again?!”

Dannah: Now, Staci, you should know that Betsey was on this boat for five months!

Staci: Oh, so she pretty much only ate fish for that entire time? I mean, I love sushi, but everyday for five months . . . no thank you!

Dannah: Ha ha . . . yeah. That’s how I’d feel, too! Okay, let’s keep reading. 

There were moments when all looked lost and moments when she was reminded of God’s power.

At times, Betsey felt lonely, but she remembered a verse from the Bible that says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him,” and she knew that she could always talk to God. (Psalm 145:18).

Just like the other missionaries, Betsey was very busy on the ship. They cleaned, mended, and cooked. One night, Betsey even helped deliver a baby!

[She said,] “Meet baby Charles!”

Staci: Aww, how amazing. She got to help deliver a baby on a ship! She really was courageous!

Dannah: Oh she sure was Staci. Just listen. 

Whenever she had a free moment, Betsey would pray and read the Bible. She loved spending time with God. But it wasn’t easy to find quiet time on a crowded ship, so she had to be creative.

Then, one day, “LAND!”

A group of men from the island paddled up on their canoes. 

“Will the Hawaiian people like us?” Betsey worried. 

Everyone looked very serious.

Suddenly, Betsey had an idea. 

“Look,”she said, picking up Charles. “Baby!”

“Awwwwwwwww!” they all said. 

And big smiles appeared on everybody’s faces. 

Staci: Now, that was a great idea! I mean, everyone loves a cute little baby.

Dannah: Of course they do. Let’s keep reading. 

From the moment she left the ship, it was all go-go-go for Betsey. 

She was finally a missionary, and all the missionaries worked together as friends. She studied the local language: [and learned words like] “Aloha!” She opened the very first school for the poorer children on the island, and there she taught them how to read, and how to count, and about history and other languages.

And, of course, she talked to people about Jesus, and how they could trust him as their King.

Every week, Betsey went to church—a church that looked very different from her church back home!

One day, the queen and king of Hawaii asked to meet her. What an incredible honor that was! They liked Betsey so much that she became their son’s teacher.

Staci: Well, would ya just look at God? A girl who was a slave ended up being friends with a king and queen! You never know what God is going to do with your life, do ya?

Dannah: So true, Staci!

But, as busy as she was, Betsey still made sure to spend time alone with God. As she sat on the warm sand, listening to the sound of the crashing waves, Betsey would often think about her adventure and how it had all started with a young girl with a big dream and an even bigger God. 

How extraordinary! Extraordinary indeed!

Dannah: And that’s the end. What do you think?

Staci: I think Betsey had a lot of guts to get on a boat and go to a strange land like that. I want to be that courageous!

Dannah: Yes, me too! Hey, Staci, I brought the next book for you. 

Staci: Great! Who’s this one about? MariaFearing. I haven’t heard of her before. I can’t wait to learn about her life and the great things she did for God! 

Dannah: You’re gonna love her. Now, I brought some extra bread to feed the ducks. 

Staci: Cool, let’s do it!

Staci and Dannah: Heeere, duckie, duckie, duckie! 

Claire: I wonder, when Betsey was a slave, did she ever dream she would one day meet royalty? 

When we’re going through difficult times, it can be hard to have hope that things could ever change or get better. But as we’re learning in this series, God has a way of using the good and the difficult things for His glory and our good! 

Hey, if you and your mom are looking for a fun way to connect with each other while you both connect to God, you should check out the True Girl subscription program at MyTrueGirl.com. The boxes come every other month, and they’re full of amazing resources to help God’s truth grow in your heart and mind. 

And while you and your mom are at the computer, go ahead and check out TheGoodBook.com for more stories like Betsey Stockton’s. We think you’ll love their Christian biographies for girls in the Do Great Things for God series. 

Next time on the True Girl podcast, you’ll meet Maria Fearing. But don’t let her last name fool you; she was definitely not characterized by fear.

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

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