▁and ▁raised ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁children . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 4 , ▁the ▁W ards ▁had ▁their ▁first ▁child ▁William ▁H . ▁Ward . ▁Later , ▁they ▁had ▁their ▁second ▁son ▁Edward ▁C . ▁Ward ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁they ▁had ▁Samuel ▁R . ▁Ward . ▁At ▁some ▁point ▁in ▁between ▁the ▁birth s ▁of ▁William ▁and ▁Samuel , ▁the ▁W ards ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁baby ▁girl ▁who ▁passed ▁away ▁before ▁turning ▁one . ▁ ▁Mission ary ▁service ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁medical ▁school ▁Ward ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁phys ician . ▁After ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁years , ▁he ▁tired ▁of ▁this ▁work ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁calling ▁to ▁work ▁abroad . ▁Hann ah ▁Ward ' s ▁brother ▁was ▁a ▁mission ary ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Board ▁of ▁Commission ers ▁for ▁Foreign ▁Miss ions ▁( A . B . C . F . M ). ▁He ▁helped ▁Ward ▁get ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁program ▁and , ▁ultimately , ▁get ▁sent ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁C ey lon . ▁L uck ily ▁for ▁Ward , ▁his ▁timing ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁better . ▁A ▁new ▁governor ▁of ▁J aff na ▁had ▁just ▁been ▁elected ▁who ▁permitted ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁American ▁mission aries ▁while ▁the ▁previous ▁governor ▁had ▁not . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁sudden ▁increase ▁in ▁demand ▁for ▁mission aries , ▁including ▁Ward . ▁ ▁J our ney ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁Ward ▁met ▁the ▁other ▁voy agers ▁that ▁would