Audrey Featherstone I presume?

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

Weekend Reading

The book I picked up for my weekend was 'Give Me This Mountain' by Helen Roseveare. It turned out to be one of those books which keeps you reading into the small hours. It is the story of Dr Roseveare's mssionary years in the Belgian Congo. Actually much of the book is about her conversion and spiritual journey leading up to her going to the Congo. I appreciated her honesty of her own personality failings and the spiritual difficulties these led her into. She has much to teach about walking out a Christian life, particularly in the midst of the suffering and terror which she describes so matter-of-factly during the Simba rebellion of the 1960's. Her epilogue gives these three points as the main lessons she learnt through her trials:

1. Participation in His suffering is necessary to each one if we are to fulfil His will in this world.

2. The pre-eminence of His Son is essential that we may know in very truth His all-sufficiency at all times.

3. Praise through His sacrifice is possible even in the midst of danger and horror, as we rejoice in His working out His purposes.

I have just started reading her next book 'He gave us a Valley' -it could be another late night...!

Lorna

By the way, another fascinating missionary story also about the Belgian Congo is 'Missing, Believed Killed' by Margaret Hayes. She was a nurse who was captured during the Simba rebellion and miraculously escaped death during the massacre of her colleagues. I wonder if she knew Dr Roseveare?

...yes, you can buy all these books from us!