Читать книгу The Least of These - Andrew E Matthews - Страница 3

William Carey said that if we want to expect great things from God, we must attempt great things for God. Adoniram Judson said there can be no success without sacrifice. Both these men are regaled as heroes of the faith for their pioneering work in India and Burma (modern day Myanmar). Tucked away between the missionary zeal of those that went to fulfil the Great Commission and those that stayed to reveal the Great Commandment is the story of Graham and Gladys Staines. Their sacrifice was as great as any that answered the call and their love was similar to the saint of Calcutta Mother Teresa who lived five hours northeast of them.

This book takes you to the heart of their story. One that began a hundred plus years ago when missionaries came to the sleepy town of Baripada in the state of Orissa to uplift those cast away because of the scourge of leprosy. My dear friend Andrew Matthews who was instrumental in bringing the Staines story to the big screen with an amazing screenplay now takes you on the same journey in print. What unfolds in the pages ahead is an objective look at a subjective reality that engages us the reader on the trials and tribulations of the calling of a missionary and the obedience to “The Caller.”

You will become familiar with a foreign landscape that challenges those that go and convinces those that stay of the fine line between the culture that defines man and the condition that determines them. In this game of give and take the scorecard is deceptive as the victory is an eternal reward. Yet the temporal struggle to stay the course while being a father and a husband becomes the foundation upon which the house and heed of God is built. I assure you that you will be intrigued by the decisions of some and inspired by the demands of others. The Least of These is told as a story but it is a window into reality that gives us the blessed assurance that because He lives we can face tomorrow. That is the anthem that sustained them and gave them the courage to believe that they could expect great things because they had attempted great things. You will be blessed by the way this story looks into the light, life and legacy of a family that realized that their success was indeed their sacrifice.

Krish Dhanam

Author and Speaker