Five Fall Favorites — Day 4 — Missionary

Hello all and welcome back? Wanna guess what room I am today?

That's right, the books room! And what's better then free books? ;) So I have a short story free for y'all today! Go here to pick up a free kindle copy of A Place Called Lonesome. 

And today the category is missionaries! Lots of good books today, so lets get started, shall we?

Return to the Hiding Place

Hans Poley 

Unspeakable faith in the face of Nazi persecution didn't come easily for 18-year-old Dutch student Hans Poley. But after months in hiding at Corrie ten Boom's home, Poley found an inner peace and freedom that defied even the Nazi peril. Composed of his wartime journals and letters, the book also includes exclusive photos documenting Poley's life in hiding.

Y'all. Y'all. So, we've all heard of "The Hiding Place", right? That was such a good book, but I didn't really understand a lot of it. Or at least, when I read it several years back I couldn't. But this book . . . wow. It was amazing. I loved it so, so much. It was so inspiring to see how someone my age was used by God to make such a difference at such a pivotal time in history. The courage, conviction and determination these young people had was unlike anything I'd heard of or seen before. And it was so challenging. This rates super high on my shelf as a favorite, and the movie is every bit as fascinating.  Recommended to everyone! 

Evidence not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the jungles of WWII 

Darlene Deibler Rose

This is the true story of a young American missionary woman's courage and triumph of faith in the jungles of New Guinea and her four years in a notorious Japanese prison camp. Never to see her husband again, she was forced to sign a confession to a crime she did not commit and face the executioner's sword, only to be miraculously spared.

This book was one of the first ever that made me realize the horrors of WWII. And it was also one of the very first to ever make me cry. The raw emotion and depth in this story is simply amazing. The faith this women had, even when everything around her was falling apart, is unlike anything I'd ever seen.  I'd recommend it to anyone 13+ because there are torture scenes that get pretty intense.

Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer 

"Seven-year-old Nate Saint peered wide-eyed over the cockpit of his older brother Sam's Challenger biplane. The eastern Pennsylvania countryside was spread out neatly below him like a fine tablecloth. Nate was determined to remember every moment of this first high-flying adventure."

Flying soon captured Nate's heart. His air service ministry to isolated missionaries put him on a path of destiny that would ultimately end with a final airplane flight with 4 missionary friends to the "Palm Beach" landing strip in the jungles of Ecuador.
The men's lives given that day not only opened a door to the gospel for the unreached "Acucas"; it has been said that possibly no single event of the twentieth century awakened more hearts to God's call to serve in missions.

Anything flying-related grabs my attention. It's also not too much of a secret that pilots, on a general scale, rate a bit higher on my 'good looking guys' list then anyone else. Buuuttttt . . . that's not why I read this book. ;) The story of the five missionaries has never failed to grab me in a way I don't fully understand. Maybe it was their sacrifice, or maybe it was their heart to share the gospel. They're inspiring. And this book was no different. Seeing how Nate grew up, what his goals were in life . . . sometimes it seems like such a waste that he died when he did. But praise God the story doesn't end with his death! If nothing else, this story is a reminder that God truly has a plan, even when we can't see it. And He brings beauty from what we can only see as disaster.

Detrich Bonehoffer: In the midst of Wickedness 

Born into a loving family, Dietrich Bonhoeffer pursued a life as a pastor, teacher, theologian -- and spy. He spoke out about the trouble in Germany when Adolph Hitler came to power, urging the Christian church to rescue disparaged people groups and resist Hitler's evil empire. 
Accused of being a troublemaker, Dietrich continued on fearlessly in the midst of wickedness. His work as a spy in the German resistance and participation in a plot to assassinate Hitler led to imprisonment and eventual execution. But the lesson of his life story remains: "Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

Yet another story of someone who gave their life for a cause higher then anything we can see. Dietrich will always be a hero of mine. The way he took s stand in the midst of wickedness is nothing short of inspiring. Yes, the end is sad. But ya know, when we get to eternity it's gonna be amazing to talk to these people and see how God had everything working as a part of His grand design.

Betty Greene: Wings to Serve

Betty Greene coaxed her Grumman seaplane to two thousand feet..... Suddenly, silence--total silence. The plane engine had stopped! Her passengers gasped, but Betty knew she must remain calm. They had only a slim chance for survival: the twisting jungle river below them.

As a young girl growing up on the shores of Lake Washington Betty Greene had two passions: a love for Christ and a love of flying. As a young World War ll WASP pilot, Betty dreamed of combining her two passions by using wings to serve God. Betty's dream became reality when she helped found the Mission Aviation Fellowship. Her faith-filled adventures and faithful service helped create what is today a global ministry that operates over eighty aircraft in nineteen countries.

I'm so overdue for a re-read of this. It was super interesting to read about a woman aviator, in a time when they weren't the norm. Betty was inspiring because, in so many ways, I could relate to her. She wanted to do something for God, but it took hard work and dedication to get there. Yet, the legacy she left behind . . . yeah, she's one of my heroines of the christian faith.

Hitler's Cross: The Revealing Story of How the Cross of Christ was Used as a symbol of the Nazi Agenda

Six million Jews...dead. The monstrosity of Adolph Hitler's 'Third Reich' remains a stunning chapter in the pages of history. Although the power by which he hypnotized an entire nation is legendary, one question in particular begs an answer: Where was the church of Christ? Seduced by the Satanic majesty of The Fuhrer, church leaders throughout Germany allowed the Swastika a prominent place alongside the Christian cross in their sanctuaries. Nationalistic pride replaced the call of God to purity, and with few exceptions, the German church looked away while Adolph Hitler implemented his 'Final Solution' to his Jewish problem. How did this happen? In Hitler's Cross, Erwin W. Lutzer examines the lessons that may be learned from studying the deception of the church: the dangers of confusing &quote;church and state,&quote; how the church lost its focus, the role of God in human tragedy, the parameters of Satan's freedom, the truth behind Hitler's hatred of the Jews, the faithfulness of God to His people who suffer for Him, the comparisons between Hitler's rise and the coming reign of the Antichrist, and America's hidden cross-her dangerous trends. Hitler's Cross is the story of a nation whose church forgot its primary call and discovered its failure too late.

One of the things I love about Pastor Lutzer's preaching and his writing is that he does not shy away from the truth. He doesn't mince words or try to make something easier to read, he says it how it is. It was fascinating and horrifying to see yet another side of Hitler and his Third Reich, yet the stories included of those who stood up against the Nazi regemine, as few as they may have been, was inspiring.  The chapters on suffering for Christ were convicting. In this day and age no one likes to talk about that. Yet, as Christians, we are called to "take up our cross and follow Him." The cross is suffering! It's enduring shame for His name. And if we back down, we are not worthy of the name of Christ. 

 If we become content to simply live our lives and not preach the gospel and be willing to suffer for it, the freedoms we have will be taken away till we have nothing left. The cross of Christ is the only thing that can lead to salvation; to revival. And it is worth suffering for!

One of my favorite quotes was; "Remember, God isn't interested in saving America. He's interested in saving Americans." 

Yes . . . if you counted correctly, that was six. I couldn't figure out which one to cut, so you got an extra. xP Have you read any of these, or any other books on these people? Which missionary is a favorite of yours? 

Be sure and pick up the free book for today, and go and check out Rebekah's blog for the giveaway and to get the links for the other posts!