#2 - Time and Again

Our church, Alameda Bible Church, has supported missionaries Richard and Betty Elkins for some 40+ years. Betty passed away in 2008 and Dick remarried in 2010 to Agnes. He is retired from the field, but our church supports missionaries for life, even through retirement which I think is a pretty amazing commitment. In any case, Dick and Agnes wrote a book about his time in the Philippines.They were Wycliffe Bible translators to the Manobos. I love reading about missionaries because it is so inspiring to read of their dedication to the Lord, their sacrifice, the power of prayer, the power of God's Word, the miraculous ways God saves souls and protects missionaries. The Elkins are no exception as this book was filled with fabulous stories including all of the above and more. It was doubly inspiring because so many people at Alameda know them personally and attested to the integrity and character of the Elkins.

I only have 1 complaint about the book. It was too short! It started out with great detail about the early years of preparation to go to the Philippines and the initial few years there. But then it zoomed through the second half of their ministry. I wanted to read more.

Nonetheless, it was a great read. I especially appreciated the emphasis on the sovereignty and grace of God throughout the book. God was truly the main character in this story, as He is in all of life. I highly recommend it.