Guinea Week 5

 While being in Guinea I have had tons of time to sit down and read. I've never been much of a reader but decided to pack some of the books gifted to me for graduation. I am so glad that I did. I've been stretched and learned almost as much from the books I brought as from the culture and discipleship. I decided instead of a giving an update I would share short book reviews. 

I arrive home on Friday which means I am saying my goodbyes and reflecting on my time. If you think of me, prayers for goodbyes, which I avoid at all cost, deep reflection, and strength in my next phase of ministry in Manhattan next year would be appreciated! 

To Kill a Mocking Bird

-Harper Lee

{SUMMARY} A fictional story set in Alabama during the 1930s following a brother and sister and their summer adventures. I read this book junior year and fell in love with the characters and the writing of Harper Lee. I continually have Atticus’ words of advice to his children about putting yourself in someone else’s skin and walking around in it until you pass judgement.

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ The story is based around a trial of a black man raping a white woman. Though the man is clearly innocent the racism of the community ends up taking his life. The father of the children seems to be the only adult who can see past the color of skin and urges his children to do the right thing even when everyone else is not. Being counter cultural and treating every human as such is something I will always remember from this book.

*FAVORITE QUOTE*

“With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.” 

Soul Care

-Rob Reimer

{SUMMARY} You could call this a devotional work book written by a pastor to work through the deep wounds of the soul. We went through this book with the Albrights and interns and had time for discipleship. The book dives into family sin patterns, where lies manifested in your mind, and finding the source of the wounds on our soul. The end of the book is geared toward deliverance and healing in order to step into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ During most of the book I thought that because I come from a stinking awesome family and because I am young I wouldn’t have much soul damage, but at the end I realized there were still things the Lord wanted to redeem and heal in my soul. I would recommend this book to any Christian at all. Everyone has been wounded and self-reflection with the help of the Holy Spirit is vital to a healthy soul.

*Favorite Quotes*

“The only life change that happens is when you are alone with God”

“What you don’t know about your soul is killing you”

These Strange Ashes

-Elizabeth Elliot

{SUMMARY} This book is a recount of Elizabeth Elliot’s first year on the mission field in Ecuador. She describes living with difficult roommates, rural travel, and the challenges in the simple things of cooking. Her mission is to learn a tribal language with only one person who can speak Spanish (Elizabeth's second language) and the tribal language. I cannot imagine learning a language without a teacher or textbook.

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ Missions is not glamorous nor romantic. Missions is hard, frustrating and sometimes all the work you put in is lost. Elizabeth writes in many quotes she clung to doing these trials and I found them so helpful in my time of confusion and pain. Here is my favorite.

“Be Still my soul: thy best, thy heavenly friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.”

~Katherine Von Schlegel~

*FAVORITE QUOTE*

“And so often is. Faith prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world’s woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether.”

Over-Dressed-The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

-Elizabeth L. Cline

{SUMMARY} I would call this a documentary in a book. Elizabeth travels around the world investigating the fashion industry and its effects on the world. She looks at the consumer to the factories to the economy.

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ At the end of the book she shows the changes that we can make. We need to take care of our clothing better, which means learn how to mend things. Invest in high quality pieces which inevitability means we will purchase less. She provided many different links to stores and individuals who are thinking outside the box and saying no to underpay of factory workers, throwing away cheap clothing, and stuffing our closets full of rags.

*Favorite Quote*

“When we can recognize how clothing is put together, what it’s made of, and can visualize the long journey it makes to our closets, it becomes harder to view it as worthless or disposable. Instead, we begin to want to own garments that are unique and made with a level of skill and good materials that cheap fashion simply can’t provide us. If we could only give up our clothing deals and steals, we might just see there are far more fortifying – not to mention more flattering – ways of getting dressed.”

Seeking Allah Finding Jesus

-Nabeel Qureshi

{SUMMARY} This is a book about Nabeel Qureshi a former Muslim who converts to Christianity thanks to a persistent friend who through a trusting and deep friendship challenges Nabeel into investigating his faith. Their relationship is filled with deep challenging conversations about their different beliefs while still respecting one another and being best friends. After four years Nabeel leaves the faith and family he has always known to cling to Jesus. THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE!

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ There is so much in Islam and other religions I know nothing about. If I want to witness and have meaningful conversations I need to know where the other party is coming from. I was inspired by Nabeel’s friend David and his depth of knowledge in the Bible, but more importantly his love and impact he had on Nabeel, I want to be that friend.

*FAVORITE QUOTE*

“I could not put the Bible down. I literally could not. It felt as if my heart would stop beating, perhaps implode, if I put it down.”

Radical

-David Platt

{SUMMARY} This is a book challenging the American Christian. He points out how the American dream to have a pretty family, buy a big house and live a comfortable life working toward bigger and better vacations while fitting in religion is not the type of life Jesus really wants for us. David Platt challenges the reader to dive in deeper into a more serious, dependent relationship with Jesus, one that is actually dependent on more than money and status.

\\ LESSON LEARNED\\ This was the book that by far challenged me the most. I really struggled so much after reading this. I was so convicted about deeply thinking about the motivation behind what I desire. Reading this book in the context of being away from many comforts and focusing on ministry didn’t help alleviate the feeling of not being serious enough of my faith because in the back of my mind was the life I would be returning to in a month. I struggled with thinking that Jesus didn’t want me to have any comforts or any of my own human desires and that I needed to live a life only talking about the Bible and living in a hut. I had to work through this realizing Jesus wants a vibrant life for me, but that these comforts and luxurious pull me away from depending on Jesus and dwelling in his love to fulfill me. Anything we put above following Jesus is an idol.

*FAVORITE QUOTE*

“We desperately need to explore how much of our understanding of the gospel is American and how much is biblical.”