Keith Malcomson shares the inspiring life story of Eleanor Searle Crisp, a devoted Christian who experienced God's miraculous healing power and dedicated her life to serving the Lord. Despite facing physical challenges, Eleanor's faith in God's healing led to her complete deliverance and the manifestation of God's power in her life. She played a significant role in the Pentecostal movement in Britain, embracing the Pentecostal Baptism and training young women for foreign missions. Eleanor's ministry included comprehensive Bible teaching, character development, and intercessory prayer for the nations, impacting many lives and sending missionaries to various countries.

Eleanor Searle was born in Devonshire in 1856 she moved with her family to London when she was 11 years old, where she was converted one year later. From the beginning she determined to follow the Lord at any cost. For many years she was the only one saved in her family. She was yet young when she began to serve the Lord in Sunday school and Bible classes which soon began to grow and know the blessing of God. While in her youth she developed rheumatism, she was so badly effected by it that she soon became a helpless cripple, not even being able to turn the pages of her bible. A lady came to her and spoke of Gods healing power, but without making much impression. But this prompted her to study the Bible concerning sickness and healing. As she did it was revealed to her that it was Gods purpose to heal. A minister from a Church in Hackney came and anointed her with oil which resulted in her being totally delivered, she then joined this Church where Gods healing power was being mightily manifest. Her testimony appeared in the Christian herald and for a season many corresponded with her by letter. It was unusual to receive as many as 200 letters a week asking for prayer. She would pray for all, many great testimonies came from out of this time of healing from every disease and deliverance from every trouble. She started the YMCA in Hackney which quickly grew from 6 to three hundred with great blessing upon many lives. She married William Crisp in 1877 to whom she bore seven children. Sadly we know little about her husband or their marriage but he probably died before the end of the century. It was by the name Mrs Crisp that she later became so well known in Christian and Pentecostal circles. When the first testimonies of a Pentecostal revival reached Britain she readily received the Pentecostal Baptism as seen in the Book of Acts. She had been prepared, forged and matured in holiness circles for the task she now took up. When the Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU) started they asked her if she would take responsibility for the Training Home of the women. This home was started in January 1910 with the object of testing and training young women who had received the Baptisn in the Holy Spirit and felt the call to the foreign Mission feild. The staff lived by faith trusting God to meet their every need. The PMU Council made it clear that it would not be carrying the financial responsibilities, but each student must trust God for her training and later also on the mission field. Her teaching to the ladies involved a comprehensive instruction of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation in sequence. Individual attention was also given to each student in the important issue of the training and development of character. All who were able were encouraged to learn an instrument. Lessons on English, Geography and the people and religions of the world were also given. At the 1912 Sunderland Convention she did state her hope that God would give the gift of languages to those going to the mission field or at least help in them easily learning the language. Two maps hung in the School, one was a world map that filled a whole wall. The other was a map of India. These helped in instruction as well as intercession. A considerable amount of time daily was allotted to intercessory prayer for the nations. About 40 letters with prayer requests would arrive weekly. Students went out from here to India, China, Africa and Japan. At the 1913 Sunderland Convention a remarkable incident happened which was a small confirmation of the supernatural element in speaking in tongues. A certain Brother in the meeting gave a loud message in tongues, it was a distinct, clear unknown tongue. Miss Doering who spoke English, German, Swedish and several African languages was on the platform in order to translate for the German brethren. She quietly informed them that this was a real language and went on to interprete a part of it. To start with it sounded like "Ding-a-la, ding-a-la" then proceeded into sentences. It was Mrs Crisp sitting further back in the congregation who gave the interpretation. Then Miss Doering, a missionary with the Congo Inland Mission quickly and publickly bore witness to its accuracy. She said it was the language of the Kifioti tribe among whom she was labouring and that Mrs Crisp had given an excellent interpretation of the message. She went on to say that in the Congo sentries are stationed at intervals in order to pass messages quickly. They first give a call to pay attention before giving the message. This call is "Ding-a-la, ding-a-la." Eleanor Crisp became well known as a conference speaker, often ministering alongside men like Boddy, Polhill, Wigglesworth and others. It was in 1923 that her strength began to fail. But even while confined to bed she was giving wise direct advise to all who came to her. She went to be with the Lord on the 16th of October. A group of young people were still meeting and ministering in Hackney where she had started, but they were without a permanent building. The suggestion was made that offerings be taken up out of appreciation to Mrs. Crisp to erect a hall where the full Gospel could be preached. Truly she was a Mother in Israel.