Missionary biographies are always popular and this new one should be no different. The story of Audrey Featherstone, an 'ordinary lady' who was converted from a non-Christian home and went on to spend 25 years in the African Congo teaching and evangelising amongst the Congolese is a fascinating one. Audrey may consider herself 'a nobody' but her story has much to teach us about sacrifice in the work of the Lord and it becomes clear that she was given gifts specifically for this missionary work that may not otherwise have been apparent. I only wish she could have been persuaded to write this book herself. An autobiography is so much more personal than a biography. When I think of the autobiographies of other missionaries in the Congo, Helen Roseveare (Give Me This Mountain, CFP, £6.99) and Margaret Hayes (Missing, Believed Killed, Day One, £8.00) there is more in these of spiritual lessons learnt in the daily trials of missionary life. However, I suspect that Audrey's reticence to tell her own story in itself gives us an insight into her personality and Tim Shenton has done well to gather together the story that he has. He also does well to clearly explain the complex political situation of the time. Well worth reading with some interesting insights into the changes in missionary work over the years.
Audrey Featherstone I presume? by Tim Shenton, published by Evangelical Press, £8.95
Lorna
No comments:
Post a Comment