She entered the Wesley Deaconess Order in 1892 and sailed in 1894 for Durban, South Africa, the first WM Deaconess to become a foreign missionary. From Durban she moved to Johannesburg, where she established her three-room 'Stephenson's Cottage' as her base and opened a convalescent home in 1897. She continued her ministry through the Boer War and in 1907 became Principal of Kilmerton Native Women's Industrial College, Pretoria. Failing health forced her to retire from active work in 1909.