John+and+Betty+Stam


 * [[image:http://www.actsamerica.org/images/biographies/john-betty-stam-color.jpg width="249" height="241"]] || John Stam was raised in a Christian home. At the age of 15 he accepted the Lord as his Savior. Betty Stam was the daughter of missionaries in China. John and Betty met at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago while preparing for missions in China. They fell in love. Betty graduated a year before John and went on to China. Their courtship was done by correspondence.

John and Betty Stam were married in October of 1933. They were assigned to several different ministries before being given a station of their own in the village of Jingde. At this time the Communists were increasing in activity nearby. The mission authorities and the local magistrate believed that there was no danger for the Stams. Their daughter Helen had been born by this time.

Two weeks after they arrived in Jingde, their door was broken in and the Communist soldiers ||
 * marched in. John and Betty welcomed them into their home and offered them tea and biscuits. The Stams were marched to and imprisoned in the nearby village of Miaoshou. The Communist soldiers started saying that they were going to kill the baby Helen. A criminal who had just been released from prison traded his life for the life of the infant.

On the 8th of December 1934, John and Betty were led to a small hill where they were to be executed. They stood bound side-by-side and then they were ordered to kneel. The sword fell and they died together, bravely giving testimony to their faith in Christ. || References: http://www.actsamerica.org/images/biographies/john-betty-stam-color.jpg http://www.gfamissions.org/missionary-biographies/stam-john-and-betty.html http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/betty-and-john-stam-martyred-11630759.html http://faithforthefamily.com/resources-missionary-heroes-john-betty-stam/
 * Back ||  ||