Maud Kells, much like her close friend and mentor Helen Roseveare, is one of those Christians who inspires, awes and shames other believers in equal measure. Maud has lived her entire life in committed and self-sacrificial service in the name of Jesus Christ, and yet and she would be the last person to claim that she has done anything unusual or beyond the call of gospel duty. Her life story, however, tells a different story. From her churchgoing but ambivalent childhood, through her nursing training and incredible decades of mission work in Congo, right up to the infamous gunshot injury and OBE shortly before her retirement, Maud (and her skilled co-author Jean Gibson) leads the reader through the highs and lows of her walk with God. It is a tale which is incredibly readable, and yet remarkably detailed, and full to the brim of God’s leading hand and powerful Spirit.

It is a book that one could read again and again, and gain new spiritual insights each time, but I was particularly struck by two things. The first is Maud’s heartfelt commitment and trust in our Lord to provide, sustain, protect and often, save. She faced greater dangers than most, but she never lost hope, and her primary thought in those times was always to ensure that she was right with her Saviour. This is an example we would all do well to follow. The second feature of Maud’s story that moved me was her reliance, and gratitude, on multitudes of other faithful friends and strangers to assist and support her. She names a huge number of them, and the reader can tell that they truly touched her heart. Our gospel journey is one that we do not walk alone, and Maud’s story proves this many times over. I would highly recommend this book to all, whether they have a particular heart for international mission or not.

Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books