Counting the Cost. Kidnapped in the Niger Delta.

This book is written by two British medical workers who run an organisation bringing healthcare and the gospel to the Niger Delta. It is such a dark, hard place to work with countless problems. The Donovans were kidnapped for ransom in 2018 along with two of their colleagues. It is a gripping story of their time in captivity and a really challenging account of how the Lord spoke to them, taught them and used them through the terrible time they endured.

Some extracts:

The barrier of language and culture and distance and vulnerability can whisper despair at what foolishness it is to keep labouring in this place, so often with little results. Some problems can seem insurmountable, and the conscious laying down of these concerns was a reminder that this was foremost a work by and for the glory of God, and that as humans you can, as the African proverb says, 'Only do what you can do.' Our call is simply to be obedient, but the fruits and the harvest will always be of the Lord. To take ownership of the work would be disastrous and destructive. There's a danger that missionaries feel validated by their work and calling. Like a little leaven an honest calling to the mission field can slide into a 'good work', despite the best of intentions. As humans we can get so allured by the process. Our validation must always be in Christ and only as we lay ourselves down in full surrender can Christ be made manifest through our lives.

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There was an increasing tension between our lives on the mission field and at home, and there was a desire for a deeper walk at home that was difficult to find. Life commitments and simple tasks seemed easy at home, and the ease and comfort made us feel restless for more of God's hand on our lives and a deeper thirst for his reality. Where internet shopping can bring anything the next day, life seemed too settled. Yet all around us the political atmosphere was changing, as tolerance and diversity silenced Bible-believing Christians and street preachers were being arrested for attesting to their faith...We lived in a society where...tolerance and diversity silenced all voices who dissented from their agendas. G.K.Chesterton's view that 'tolerance was the virtue of those who believed in nothing' was so apposite for our age...Life was confusing.