Biography

Read inspiring Christian Biography in Telugu & English. Discover life stories of pastors, missionaries, and believers who lived with faith, dedication, and courage.

Ida Scudder

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Life Story

Full Name: Ida Sophia Scudder
Parents: John Scudder and family
Birthplace: Ranipet, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India
Date of Birth: December 9, 1870
Date of Death: May 23, 1960
Contribution: Devoted her life to God as a Christian medical missionary, established hospitals and medical colleges in India, and became a renowned doctor.

Personal Life and Early Years:

Ida Scudder was born on December 9, 1870, in Ranipet, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, to missionary doctor John Scudder and his wife. She was born into a family of American missionaries who had come to South India to serve the people. Her grandfather, John Scudder, had arrived in India at the age of 26 with his wife to work as a medical missionary. Ida grew up witnessing poverty and suffering in the villages around her.

When she was eight years old, her family returned to the United States. While in America, Ida met a teacher named D.L. Moody, whose teachings inspired her to accept Jesus Christ as her savior. Despite living a comfortable life in America, she felt drawn to help the poor and serve God.

A turning point in her life occurred when her parents fell seriously ill in India. She immediately returned to India to care for them. While helping her father in his medical work, she witnessed a tragic event that changed her destiny:

One night, three women came to her father asking for help with childbirth. Ida, not knowing medicine herself, suggested calling her father. The men accompanying the women refused to allow her father’s assistance. Tragically, by morning, all three women had died. Deeply moved and heartbroken, Ida realized her calling: she needed to become a doctor to save lives, especially of women in India.

Education and Career:

Ida returned to the United States to study medicine. She devoted herself fully to medical education and also raised funds to establish medical facilities in India. By the age of 30, she returned to India as a qualified doctor.

With ten thousand dollars she had collected, and with the help of a friend, she started a small clinic by the roadside. Later, with additional support from friends in the U.S. and a donation from Robert Sewell in memory of his wife, she established a hospital for women and children. This facility eventually grew into the famous Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore. Ida also founded a medical college specifically for training female doctors.

Legacy:

Ida Scudder spent her life treating patients with compassion and excellence, always reflecting her Christian faith through her service. She saved countless lives, trained generations of doctors, and left a lasting impact on healthcare in India. She passed away on May 23, 1960, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of medical service and dedication to God.

Thomas Alva Edison

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Testimony

Full Name: Thomas Alva Edison
Parents: Samuel Ogden Edison and Nancy Matthews Edison
Birthplace: Milan, Ohio, USA
Date of Birth: February 11, 1847
Date of Death: October 18, 1931

Personal Testimony:

Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, a small town in the state of Ohio, USA. He was the youngest of seven children born to Samuel and Nancy Edison. As a child, Edison was weak in health and slow to learn. He often struggled to understand what others said, and because of this, his classmates and even teachers made fun of him.

When Edison was seven years old, his teacher once told his mother that he was “too slow to learn and not fit for school.” Those words broke his mother Nancy’s heart. But instead of giving up, she stood boldly and said,

“If my son does not become greater than all of you, I will no longer call myself a child of God!”

She took her son home, prayed with tears, and began teaching him herself. She made her home his classroom. With her constant prayers, patience, and love, she taught him to read, write, and think. God answered her tearful prayers — young Edison began to grow in wisdom and understanding.

At the age of sixteen, Edison got his first job as a telegraph operator. Later, with his mother’s encouragement and God’s help, he set up his own small laboratory to experiment and learn more about science.

Invention of the Electric Bulb:

Edison spent years working to create an electric light bulb. He failed many times, but before every new attempt, he would pray to God and ask for help. Finally, on September 4, 1882, in New York City, after much hard work and prayer, he succeeded.

Before thousands of people who stood in darkness, he switched on the power — and 1,000 bulbs lit up at once! The whole area was filled with bright light. People cheered loudly, shouting that darkness had finally been defeated.

Edison’s Testimony about God:

When people praised him and asked him to speak, Edison humbly said:

“It was my mother’s tearful prayers that made me what I am today. Her prayers turned me from an ordinary boy into the man you now see.”

He then spoke about how the Bible had inspired him. He shared how one day, while listening to his pastor preach, he heard Job 28:3 —

“Man puts an end to darkness, and searches out the farthest limit for the ore in gloom and deep shadow.”

His pastor explained this verse spiritually, teaching that man must come out of the darkness of sin into the light of Christ. But Edison took it literally and decided to find a way to bring light to the physical world.

He said,

“It was this Bible verse, Job 28:3, that inspired me to invent the electric bulb.”

Edison discovered the light bulb in 1879, and in 1882, he successfully demonstrated it in public. He always gave credit to God’s Word and his mother’s prayers for his success.

Famous Quote:

“My mother’s prayers made me a man. Her tearful prayers are the reason I stand before you as a great person today.”

To God be the glory. Amen. 🙏💡