After Maude Cary heard of the heathen in Morocco, no physical or spiritual trial could deter her from joining the missionary work in North Africa. Just before her twenty-third birthday, Maude and four other co-workers embarked for Morocco with the promise to spend their life’s energies evangelizing the Muslims and Berbers. As they departed, they sang, Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go; Anywhere He leads me in this world below; Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade; Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid. Surely there would be opposition and heartaches, but Maude thought only of exciting campaigns to bring the gospel to wild tribes!
Within the first few weeks in the city of Fez, the mud, physical labor, language study, and tedious household chores began to choke Maude’s spiritual fervency. She wrote that life no longer seemed “what it was on the way to Fez. The Saviour’s face does not seem so real.” In addition to her inner struggle, Maude’s co-workers chided her for pride, inattention, and idle talk. After two years, she felt that her work had been a complete waste even though she had fluently learned Arabic.
However, the Lord had already prepared many fiery trials to purify her faith. The wild Berbers, who had once seemed so enchanting, now repeatedly attacked the cities, sometimes protecting the missionaries and other times nearly killing them. Maude dreaded quitting and, instead, plunged into more work with a constant prayer for humility. She taught Bible classes for Jewish and Muslim children, translated hymns into Arabic to sing for willing ears, visited the rich and the lowly until her shoes fell apart, and tended to ill co-workers even through her own weakness.
Once the French had subdued the Berber tribes in 1910, Maude used her new fluency in Berber to set up new mission stations over the next several years. Co-workers came and went, but soon a steady trickle of converts were discipled and began ministering alongside their beloved missionary. Although an engagement to a fellow missionary fell through, Maude continued faithfully. She took only two furloughs in fifty years and was one of the four single women who continued the mission stations through World War II. The fantasy had long since passed, but Maude Cary found purpose and rest in Christ.
Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone; Other friends may fail me, His is still my own: Tho’ His hand may lead me over dreary ways, Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise.