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Called to serve and spread the gospel in other countries, the author of this book and her family prepare and pack to move across the world for their mission. Bureaucratic power plays, duplicitous dealings, and a global pandemic take an already challenging prospect and make it nearly impossible. Back home and still eager to serve, they find themselves ostracized and scapegoated by their community leaders and those who claim to support them. Their faith is challenged through this isolation but remains steadfast in this harrowing tale of a religious institution that does not practice the things it preaches. Charged with helpless anguish and dogged determination, this account demands accountability for spiritual leadership and uses the Bible to back up its position that congregations must be served and supported by their leaders instead of the other way around.
Though the tone of this book can be challenging and pleading, it does so in the direction of institutions and leadership rather than the faithful or faith itself. As such, religious readers should not turn away for fear of opposition but instead, give this book a deep read in order to determine if their own community suffers from similar problems. It can be rightfully disheartening to see the different ways in which someone who is actively trying to save others can be ignored and ostracized, but the candid honesty that the author uses to share her story fosters allyship and sympathy. For additional reference, the author not only utilizes scripture to defend her actions and decisions throughout the book but compiles these passages at the end, organizing them by chapter to give readers a reference for more context. Though it can be hard to hear, a warning like the one contained in this story could be of great benefit to a congregation or church's leadership.