James Hudson Taylor is the "father of modern missions" and a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, completely sold out to God. He is a man of high energy, who denies self and is known for his humility, organizational skills and even more for his life of prayer. He lives from 1832-1905 and is credited for touching hundreds of thousands of lives for Christ throughout his lifetime and beyond. Today, many missions still emulate the principles Hudson Taylor set forth in his outreach to China, still seeking to follow his successful patterns.

Hudson Taylor studies both theology and medicine before traveling to China as a missionary with the China Evangelization Society in 1854. While raising support for the mission, he only stresses prayer and faith with those whom he shares his vision. Through these kindred hearts, God provides the means he needs to accomplish God's work. Once he arrives in China, he adopts the Chinese way of dress and lives with a Dr. Medhurst for six months. By the providence of God, while Taylor is there, he reads Dr. Medhurst's book, China, which stirs his heart to serve in China. From 1854-1860, Taylor works in Shanghai, Swatow and Ningpo and goes on ten missionary journeys during 1854-55. But in 1857, he resigns from the society that sent him out as a missionary because they borrow money to pay his salary, and this goes against Scripture. He continues to work independently among the Chinese people.

Hudson Taylor meets and marries Maria J. Dyer, who is the daughter of a missionary. She serves as a helper in a school for girls along with her sister. A year later in 1859, Hudson takes over as head of a hospital in Ningpo. Over the next five years he translates the Bible into the Ningpo dialect, writes his own book about China and, with much prayer, starts another society for the evangelization of China. This work becomes the China Inland Mission, and Hudson Taylor's life work. He returns to England during some years of illness, but returns to China with his wife, children and sixteen new missionaries. In 1870, Cholera claims the life of his wife and newborn son.

By 1872, he returns to China with a new wife and continues his evangelistic journeys. In 1888, he visits North America for the first time at the invitation of D. L. Moody. He stays for three months and challenges believers to take the "great commission" seriously. As a result fourteen new missionaries follow him back to China.

This book challenges the reader to emulate Hudson Taylor's life without falling prey to worshiping the man himself. His problems, such as illness, the loss of his first child at age seven, and later his wife and newborn son to cholera, an injury in 1874, that leaves him paralyzed for almost a year, all show sides of him, including his struggles with doubts and fears. However, Hudson Taylor pushes on in the Lord's strength and grace, serving God and making a difference on the mission field. He differs from other missionaries in that he puts forth great effort to identify with the nationals. He also believes missions should be directed from the field instead of the home office, and instead of gathering financial support up front, his faith leads him to trust God for all his needs. He retires from the missionary field in 1901 and dies in 1905.