This book covers the life story of Dr John Scudder, the world’s first medical missionary to come from the US to India. He landed in Calcutta in October 1819 and then proceeded to Ceylon (Srilanka) where he started his initial work among the Tamil speaking population of Jaffna and then later came to Madras (Chennai) for the remainder of his missionary career.He came as a missionary against the wishes of his own father, who wanted him to practice in the USA. This was because Dr Scudder had a personal call by the Lord Jesus Himself to come as a missionary to India. He was obedient to that call. God honored his obedience to that call.Throughout his life he gave equal importance to preaching the Gospel even as he treated patients of their illnesses. He always carried with him printed literature which he shared freely with those who could read. Before he started treating patients, he would first preach Christ and His love and then only treat patients. He removed tumors as large as one foot in diameter. He restored sight to those who were blind with cataract.His wife Harriet was a great source of support in his work. She gave birth to fourteen children. Three children died in childhood, one son while he was ready to enter the workforce and one was till born. Of the nine, the seven sons came back after their education and followed the footsteps of the father either as medical missionaries or as theologians.Harriet died a few years before the death of Dr scudder. Her death took a heavy toll on him as well. However, he continued with his work of preaching and healing till concerned leaders forced him to rest and take a trip to South Africa. While there he passed into glory while asleep.Then the third generation followed their footsteps and finally into the fourth generation. Together Dr John Scudder and his descendants served a total of over one thousand years as missionaries in India. Such a lineage of service could not be without significant contribution to the health and the Gospel work in India. The most significant contribution was the establishing of the Christian Medical College, Vellore by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder, a granddaughter of Dr John Scudder. Today it is one of the premier medical institutions of India. She handed over the institution to a registered body of Indian churches, under whose leadership the institution has continued to serve the health needs of India by producing doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.When the Scudders handed over the responsibility to Indian leaders, they have been able to carry forward the legacy left behind by Dr John Scudder. Not only has the Christian Medical College thrived, its alumni have been able to take care to the poor and needy in different parts of the country. The contribution by Dr Scudder’s descendants who chose to be only theologians and not doctors, contributed toward the development of the Christian church in and around Vellore. They laid the foundation which has resulted in the Vellore Diocese of the Church of South India.Two other institutions started by the Scudders still continue to function. The first is the Scudder Memorial Hospital in Ranipet and the second id the Walter Scudder Memorial Higher Secondary School in Tindivanam.This book is written with the hope that it would motivate many younger people of succeeding generations to serve as missionaries wherever, God would call them. It is also written so that the work of this pioneer medical missionary would be brought alive as he was almost forgotten over a period of two centuries.