What’s In a Name?
So, why Ava Evangelyn? There is a story behind the name. Almost ten years ago, I read a book called The Three Mrs. Judsons. It’s a biography about Adoniram Judson, a 19-century missionary to Burma (now Myanmar), and his three wives (not at once, of course!). While I enjoyed the book, it was simply an interesting missionary bio. Earlier this year, I read the book again, only with a totally different perspective. As I read of their struggles in a foreign land, heartache as they left loved ones, the joys and sorrows of missionary labor, I was profoundly impacted, realizing that their experience, though 200 years ago, differed little from what we will experience. There were even similarities between 19th-century Burmese culture and modern day Cambodia. As I read the book, one word kept popping up…Ava, the capital city of Burma. After discovering that I was pregnant, “Ava” stood out even more, as I started considering it for a girl’s name…not only because I thought it was lovely, but also because it represented The Three Mrs. Judsons and its significance in my life. I looked up the meaning, and learned that it was derived from Eve, the Hebrew word for “Life”. Nate and I sorted through countless girl’s names, but Ava was the only one that we both agreed upon (boy’s names were much easier!). Ironically, we thought it was such a unique name, only to find out that it was on the top ten list of U.S. girl’s names from 2008. Who knew? We decided that it really didn’t matter, since she would be growing up in Cambodia.
As for Evangelyn, it means “Good News” (Greek). In combination, our daughter’s name means “The Good News of Life”. As we travel to Cambodia as missionaries, it is our prayer that we would be faithful to the “Good News”, the gospel of Jesus Christ, that has been entrusted to us. It is more than simply “good news” to a dying world, it is the good news of LIFE, everlasting, eternal life. Our daughter’s name represents our hope for Cambodia, and our hope for all those who are lost and without God. We pray that she will one day embrace this good news, by God’s grace, and that she will join us as we proclaim Him to Cambodia.
The inspiration
Adoniram Judson
Elephant Taming – 19th century painting of Ava, Burma
