Lives Given, Not Taken, book #17

Ok, so this book was either a donation to our church library or my mom gave it to me, I can't remember which.  It has been sitting on the bedside table for a while now.  The other day I was trying to clear some more stuff off the table and add the books to my wish list on my Paperwhite and found this one.  I picked it up again and brought it downstairs where it laid on the kitchen table for awhile before I picked it up.  

Being a storyteller (love to hear them, love to tell them) and a lover of foreign missions and missionaries, I'm not sure why I haven't picked it up yet.  But over the last two days I have read all the amazing stories of these eight martyrs who chose to go in war-torn countries, riddled with Islam/Muslim, terrorists and the like, because their call to go was so great, the burden so heavy, they had no choice BUT to go. 

Some of these people had been in the lands for many years, some had been there less than 3 weeks before they were tragically killed.  But through each death, as senseless as it seemed at the time, the LORD was glorified even more.  In their death, HE was made strong in Yemen, in Iraq, in the Philippines. 

Even though the cover looks rather dated and may not entice those just glancing at it, I highly recommend picking it up!  It will leave you with a new sense of mission and passion ... and a desire to seek the Lord with all your hear to see what His mission is for you!

Immediately following the deaths of Southern Baptist workers in Yemen, Iraq, and other places, the International Mission Board received an outpouring of support and consolation. But it did not take long for the questions to come. “Why do missionaries go to dangerous places?” “How can the IMB be so irresponsible to send missionaries to places where their lives will be endangered?”

There were demands to bring the missionaries home. Some reflected that this loss of life was such a waste and could have been avoided. Apparently the top priority in the minds of many was the safety of missionaries.

Yet, those who died gave their lives as a witness to their faith and testimony to their obedience and devotion to their Lord. They died because they were willing to be in a place where their lives were vulnerable—because offering eternal life to others was more important than maintaining their own earthly lives.

These were individuals whose lives were given, not taken. (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!!

Melissa