This article focuses on Indian women who were integral to defining mission in the early history of the Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore. It is an exercise in (re)reading the biography of Ida Scudder in order to “tease out” of the text the presence and contribution of Indian women. It identifies at least three layers of Indian women who negotiate the complexities of inter-cultural relationships, encourage the tenacity and boundary breaking possibilities of mission, and use the mission theory “Woman's Work for Woman” in their own ways. Woven throughout these layers are actions that broaden the scope of mission, engaging in ministries of healing.
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