“The two greatest moments of your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why you are born.”
Curt Alan heard those words at a conference and came back and shared them with his wife Hilary. The two of them felt that despite the fact that they lived the American dream–two kids, comfortable income, security, they were not doing what they were put on this earth for.
Curt got involved in community ministry at their church and Hilary tried to support her husband as the pressed into God’s calling for their family. In 2004 after the Tsunami which decimated South East Asia, Curt took six weeks off work to help with the relief. This led to a course change for Hilary and Curt and their two kids Jordan and Molly. The Alans moved to a Muslim province in South East Asia to continue to help with the relief. This is the story of their three year tenure there. Hilary Alan tells the story of how they risked everything to follow God, overcame obstacles and culture shock and sought ways to be good neighbors there.
From this book I know very little about the organization that they went with or what the Alans did while they were there. Instead Hilary Alan shares about the significant relationships they built there and where she saw God at work in their lives. She tells the story of Lee an injured doctor friend, Natalie their housekeeper, Glen a shy friend who is drawn in by the community in their home, Adele a Muslim woman who believes in Jesus but has not become a Christian because of a promise she made to her dying mother. Hilary and her family are able to share the love of God with all these people and more through prayer, conversation and acts of compassion.
I liked this book a lot because it is honest about the struggles of following Jesus when it costs you something. I would recommend this book to those who love a good story of God’s faithfulness when we step out on what He’s calling us to. I find stories like this encouraging and Alan is honest about where it has been difficult. She trusts God, but she also struggled with the effect the culture had on her kids and the ways God doesn’t always seem to answer prayer.
I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for this review.
thoughts, prayers & songs: 