Discover the remarkable life of François Coillard, the missionary pioneer known as the Pathfinder on the Upper Zambezi. Drawn from Edward Shillito’s Francois Coillard, A Wayfaring Man, this biography traces Coillard’s journey from a humble village in France to the hardships of missionary labor in Basutoland and Barotseland. Alongside his brave wife Christina, he endured loneliness, rejection, sickness, political danger, and deep personal loss, yet remained steadfast in preaching Christ.
This account highlights Coillard’s years of labor at Leribe, his bold witness before African chiefs, his work in translation and hymn writing, and his perseverance through some of the most trying conditions a missionary could face. It is a moving story of sacrifice, courage, sorrow, and unwavering devotion to the Gospel. Beneath a great tree at Sefula, where François and Christina were laid to rest, the words on their memorial fittingly sum up his life: To live is Christ.