Subsequently, at the request of the British East India government, Adoniram returned as interpreter with an embassy to Ava, to negotiate a new treaty between the English and the Burmese. While he was away, Mrs. Judson, her body weakened by years of hardships and sufferings, died on 24^th October 1826. Soon after, their child also died. How this must have grieved the missionary’s heart!

In 1829, Judson joined a missionary couple, the Boardmans, at Moulmein which became the headquarters of the Baptist Mission. With help from Sir Archibald Campbell, the missionaries built a church. They were very much encouraged when a number of the natives were converted. Round about this time, Adoniram thoroughly revised the New Testament into Burmese, in addition to his translation of some twelve smaller works in the same language.

The following year, he ventured into central Burma. At every landing, his boat was swarmed by natives eager for books, and converts of previous years greeted him. It was at this time that he visited the Karens, an interesting and patriarchal race, who were treated as slaves by the Burmese. Their labours amongst this jungle tribe were very fruitful : by 1836, there were about 248 Karen communicants; “for the next 25 years, some 20,000 Karen became Christians.” One missionary aptly puts it, “Heathenism has fled from these banks; I eat the rice and fruits cultivated by Christian hands, look on the fields of Christians, see no dwellings but those of Christian families.”

Before returning to Moulmein, Judson spent a year at Rangoon where he devoted himself to the work of translating the Scriptures into Burmese.

In 1834, he married Sarah Hall Boardman, the widow of the missionary, Dr Boardman. Five years later, he visited Bengal, to rest and recharge before resuming the Gospel ministry. Returning to Moulmein, a revived Judson began the arduous task of preparing the Burmese Dictionary, with two complete vocabularies, English into Burmese, Burmese and English.

However, this work was interrupted by Sarah’s illness. The constant toil and hardships had affected her health. As a last resort, she was sent to America to recuperate. Enroute home she died, leaving Judson with their children to continue the journey.

Arriving in America, he warned the Mission Board that they must not expect him to make public addresses, for, he said, “in order to become an acceptable and eloquent preacher in a foreign language, I deliberately abandoned my own. From long desuetude [disuse] I can scarcely put three sentences together in the English language.” Despite his poor health, he addressed large audiences through an interpreter.

Judson’s confidence in the success of missionary effort never wavered. In America, he was asked whether the prospects were bright for the conversion of the world. He immediately replied, “As bright, Sir, as the promises of God.”

On 11th July 1846, he again sailed for Moulmein, having married before his departure, Emily Chubbuck of New York, who was noted not only for her devoted missionary spirit, but for her literary ability, and reputation as a writer (under the name of “Fanny Forester”).

Upon his return, Judson spent his remaining years revising the English-Burmese dictionary. His health, however, was poor, and he died while on a voyage to the Isle of Bourbon, three days out from Burma. His body was buried in the ocean.

The title of D.D. was given to Judson by Brown University in 1823. His literary works included a Burman dictionary, a Pali dictionary, a Burman grammar, and a complete Burman Bible. Judson was a well-known and respected man: he was honoured by English and native dignitaries alike, and the converts of his thirty-seven years of missionary labour deeply loved him.