"O Zion, Haste" - A Missionary Hymn Story

Do you ever wonder where some of our most beloved missionary hymns come from?  One of my favorites is O Zion, Haste by Mary Ann Thomson.  Very little is known about this lady.  She wrote this hymn while tending to her son who was ill with typhoid.  What I love about this hymn is that it doesn't elevate one role in missions above another.  The words are just as true today, as they were back in 1870.