If not you, who? If not now, when? This was the challenge answered
by Stephen Foreman and his wife, Emily, when they traded in their
American white picket fence for a giant, dusty sandbox as missionaries
in the deserts of North Africa. Stephen had given Emily a well-read copy
of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs on their first date, a telling
foreshadowing of the ultimate cost he would pay when, at 39, he was shot
and killed by al-Qaeda operatives. His life and death planted a seed of
boldness and inspiration in the hearts of local believers. This seed
would grow and multiply efforts to help reach the very goal that Stephen
was willing to give his life for—glorifying God and seeing his Kingdom
established among the nations.
In this memoir, Emily, left with
four kids and an undying calling to reach the Muslim world, recounts
their heartrending yet uplifting story of sacrifice and love for a
people held captive by the ultimate Enemy. Stephen did not die in vain.
This promise echoes through the book’s pages and far beyond, in the
minds and lives of countless individuals touched by a man who daily put
his life in the hands of God.
Because of security issues and
the need to protect other workers and local believers in the country,
the book employs pseudonyms for all major characters, including the
authors.
Table of Contents PROLOGUE : The Butcher 1. The Prison 2. The Dangerous Prayer 3. Putting Down Roots 4. Finding Our Way 5. The American Dilemma 6. Not Forgotten 7. Culture Shock 8. What Is My Mission? 9. Faith in the Storms 10. Talking about Jesus 11. Urgency 12. Blessed Are the Balanced 13. Enemy Territory 14. Money Is the Root 15. Restless 16. Then Came the Rain 18. Loss and Found 19. The Rain Continues
Endorsements "God is moving in unprecedented ways to fulfill his mission of reaching the nations, though it is not without cost and sacrifice on the part of those who dare to be obedient to his call. This gripping testimony of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth is filled with emotion and intrigue. Another stronghold of Satan crumbles and God is glorified as a family walks through the tragedy of a modern-day martyrdom. Every reader will be challenged to abandon a comfortable, self-centered lifestyle for a deeper devotion to showing Christ’s love for a lost world." ---JERRY RANKIN, President Emeritus of International Mission Board, SBC
"Ten days before the tragic event described in this book, an African colleague and I had dinner at Emily and Stephen’s home. When I asked Stephen how he was dealing with the risks of speaking boldly about Isa al Masih (Jesus) in this challenging place, he smiled. “A few months ago I sensed God inviting me to seize more opportunities to speak openly with people and occasionally give away Bibles,” he said. “And I have done that as God led me. A few years back, when Emily and I were still learning Arabic and French, we made a decision. You see, we died before we came here!” Years later, tears come to my eyes almost every time I try to share what Stephen said. And now, with this wonderful book, Emily has invited all of us into her family’s remarkable journey of high iintentionality in proclaiming the kingdom of God where Jesus is about to go." ---JERRY TROUSDALE, Author of Miraculous Movements: How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims Are Falling in Love with Jesus and director of International Ministries at Cityteam Ministries
"I personally walked the streets of the capital of the desert country where Stephen and Emily Foreman served. As you, too, walk through these pages, seeing the tragedy that is turning to triumph, the book will not just tug at your heart; it will break your heart—and then you will see that resurrection comes after death in Christ alone. As you read, you will find your own heart changed, and you will grow in maturity through seeing the experiences of this family serving in one of the neediest areas of the world. This book is written by one of my true heroes. And it’s authentic because it’s real life after death." ---LOREN CUNNINGHAM, Founder of Youth with a Mission (YWAM)
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