Well, I've finished a second book in my 2003 quest to *finish* one book per week - wrapped it up after 10pm last night, but made it through the journey.

And it was a literal and literary journey - FOUR SOULS, by four guys looking for "the epic life" around the world. Mike, Jedd, Trey and Matt graduated from Westmont (Santa Barbara, CA), good friends looking forward to post-grad life, but also hungering for more in their individual and collective walks with God. After saving money during the summer, they set off for places around the world to help missionaries, Christian locals, and others. Here are some highlights that stuck out to me from their stops (without giving too much away):

* Guatemala - wrestling with the integrity of using bribes to pay off local officials and get medicine and supplies to their destination
* Russia - lots of good story time here, finding that Christians are a small minority in need of encouragement, but also finding that legalism can run rampant in the midst of real, caring community
* South Africa - effects of racism on Christian community; seeing how a country has been effected, how expectations have gone largely unmet and have left a generation of people who are frustrated and angry
* India, Thailand, Bangladesh - real deep poverty, the caste systems, being a Christian minority in the midst of severe hostility
* Vietnam - encouraging the underground church

It's a full book (350+ pages), but their own discoveries about themselves, with glimses into their journals revealing the internal struggles for godliness, are well worth the "travel". Finding that God often works outside what we would consider "the norm" is something that many of us have grown through as well. I was sad to see it end - and glad, too, since I was sleepy as all get out 8^). Pray for these four guys, to continue in meaningful lives.

Click here: FOUR SOULS, the Website.

And if you pick up the book, pray for the individuals - real people in real situations around the world - that they might be strengthened and encouraged in Christ.
- posted by Rick @ 11:48