In 1934, the picture of a young orphan captured international attention. Helen Stam, a young baby, was pictured wrapped in a woolen blanket, miraculously rescued after Communist soldiers brutally murdered her parents. Her mother, Betty Stam, had hidden young Helen in a sleeping bag before her execution. Through Helen’s photo, the faithfulness of the Stam family became known worldwide, revealing the story of a young woman who was willing to follow God to the ends of the earth.
Though she lived not even three decades, Betty Stam left a legacy of faith, courage, and complete surrender to God. She followed the Lord wholeheartedly, no matter the cost, and her story continues to inspire believers today.
Early Life and Ministry
Betty Scott Stam was born in 1906 in Albion, Michigan. As a daughter of missionaries, she spent much of her childhood in China, where she often wrote poems and prayers and poems, expressing her love for God.
At seventeen, Betty returned to the United States to attend college and later enrolled in Moody Bible Institute. During her second year at Moody Bible Institute, she met a man named John Stam at a prayer meeting for China. But although they were drawn to each other, they did not begin a courtship at that time, unsure if their futures would align.
In 1931, Betty graduated and went to China as a missionary with the China Inland Mission (CIM). The following year, John also received approval to serve in China through the same organization. Immediately, John wrote Betty letters expressing his desire to marry her, but these letters did not reach her in time. Instead, by God’s providence, they unexpectedly reunited in Shanghai. They were soon engaged and married on October 25, 1933.
After their wedding, John and Betty continued language studies, enjoying their new ministry in China. They welcomed a daughter, Helen Priscilla Stam, on September 11, 1934, and the young family dreamed of a lifetime of service together.
Communist Invasion
When Helen was three months old, the Stams moved to Anhui province in China. Though they were assured that the city was safe, they soon received news that Communist soldiers were approaching the province. The Stams tried to escape the town, but it was too late.
Soon, Communist soldiers broke into their compound. Instead of responding in fear or anxiety, John calmly opened the door to the soldiers, while Betty served them tea cakes, hoping to demonstrate peace. They explained their intentions and care for the Chinese people, but despite their kindness, the soldiers arrested them. John pleaded for Betty and Helen to be spared, but they were taken captive as well.
During their first night in captivity, the Stams were held in the Jingde prison, where John was forced to write a ransom letter. The following day, they were forced to march twelve miles to a neighboring town. During the journey, baby Helen began to cry. A soldier threatened to kill her, but incredibly, a fellow prisoner pleaded for baby Helen’s life. The soldier replied, “Your life for hers” and killed the man instantly.
Another night, John and Betty slept in the home of a wealthy man who had fled the area. John was chained in the house, but Betty was allowed to roam free in order to care for the baby. While there, Betty hid baby Helen inside a sleeping bag, leaving two five-dollar bills pinned to her clothes and praying for her rescue.
The next morning, the soldiers led John and Betty Stam to their execution. Along the way, a Christian storeowner begged the Communist soldiers to release them. Angered by his plea, the soldier prepared to kill the man. When John stepped forward, interceding for the man’s life, a soldier commanded John to kneel and executed him on the spot. Betty, trembling, yet silent, watched her husband die before she, too, was killed. She did not scream or resist, facing death with extraordinary courage. She was only twenty-eight years old.
Thirty hours later, baby Helen was found by a local pastor and safely brought to her grandparents. The news of John and Betty’s martyrdom spread worldwide, deeply impacting believers around the globe.
Later, a group of Christians found their bodies, along with the body of the storeowner who had died with them. They buried them, marking their graves with engraved stones. On Betty’s was a Bible verse she had held true to:
“But for me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Betty’s Prayer
Betty Stam’s life was marked by complete surrender to the Lord. She went to China, aware of the dangers, having concluded that Jesus was worth her life. In one of her more famous prayers, she wrote:
Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes
All my own desires and hopes
And accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all
Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.
Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit
Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt
And work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost
now and forever.
Betty wanted to live without self-interest and unselfishly for the Lord, allowing Him to lead her. And she was willing to follow her Savior, even to the death. Her example challenges us to live fully surrendered to the Lord. Just as Betty Stam gave everything to make Christ known, so we too are called to trust and obey Him completely—no matter the cost.