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Faithful readers will know by now that I have a deep appreciation for this author, her work (Mercy House Global & Fair Trade Friday) and her books. What you don’t know is that I have a chronic habit of not completing books. But I have read every single page of Made to Move Mountains by Kristen Welch; here is my honest review.
Meet Mountain Mover, Kristen Welch
Kristen is a bit of a veteran when it comes to dealing with proverbial mountains.
10 years ago, Kristen and her husband Terrell started a non-profit in partnership with a young woman in Kenya, named Maureen. Their mission was (and still is) to rescue pregnant teenage girls from some of the worst slums in the world.
She herself will tell you that they didn’t really know what they were doing, but they gave God their “yes” and so, in faith, they proceeded.
In her own words, Kristen summarizes the last decade:
“Mercy House Global has rescued more than fifty pregnant teen girls, and we’ve welcomed their miracle babies in the multiple maternity centers near Nairobi that our nonprofit funds. We’ve empowered their families with dignified artisan jobs in an effort to break the generational poverty that imprisons so many. Mercy House Global works with over seventy artisan groups in more than thirty countries to replicate this goal by selling millions of dollars in fair-trade product every year–all to empower women around the globe in Jesus’s name.”
Made to Move Mountains – Chapter 1
How to Move Mountains
Depending on your background, you will have a different opinion on how we are to approach the mountains in our lives.
Some say that it is all self-effort to overcome. Others claim that it is all in what we say (or don’t say). Some take mountains as signs to not proceed, because God’s favour must not be on it. Then there are those who wait for the miracle or go bust.
Pulling from the lessons in her own life, Kristen wisely shows us that there is no one-size-fits-all method to moving mountains. In chapter 4, she says:
Sometimes He provides immediate, tangible miracles. Other times, He is silent to test our faith. Is our faith dependent on what He does for us or on who He is? (…) God often leaves our circumstances unchanged. He doesn’t move the mountain – He moves us. He asks us to go through in order to overcome.
Made to Move Mountains – Chapter 4
Sharing from her own personal experiences, Kristen gives us the blueprint to moving the mountains in our life. Through the chapters of this book, she weaves inspiring stories with powerful scripture references and quotes from many prominent pastors and Christian authors.
From cover to cover, Made to Move Mountains by Kristen Welch takes the reader through their paces as this isn’t a “feel-good” book in any traditional sense.
It is raw in its honesty; convicting in its faithfulness to the truth of the Gospel; and it is compelling because it will light a fire in you to conquer those mountains in your life.
The Mountain I’m Moving
Within the first few chapters, I personally, was acting on a “Yes” to God that I had been putting off for 1 year; publishing this podcast on the Christian response to abortion.
Using the reflection questions provided, I was able to have some “come to Jesus” moments that are changing the direction of my life. But that was only because I embraced the challenge of Made to Move Mountains.
So many times, I had to leave the book and go to my room, where I was on my knees, head covered, praying to God to help me surrender and obey.
If God is asking you to do some hard things, I understand for I am in that place, too.
He is asking me to step out of my cozy Christianity. To my excuses and arguments, He is showing me the testimonies of those who’ve come before me in steps of sacrifice.
But as Kristen says, if we desire to live in brave obedience, we must be obedient.
Why You Should Read This Book
There is a “feel-good” result in reading this book, but it doesn’t come from having the author flatter me or feed me spiritual platitudes. It comes from a woman who cares enough about the women who will read this to tell them the truth; to tell them that it will be hard, they will want to quit, but they should keep pressing forward.
God wants to use whatever is happening in our lives to bring out the salvation of others. This is always his ultimate goal. When we keep this in mind, it reminds us there is purpose in our pain. We can wallow in the darkness or we can be the light. We can ask him to use our hardships or we can get stuck in only asking why we have trials. Seeing the purpose behind our pain is no small thing–it could ultimately lead to the salvation of others.
Made to Move Mountains – Chapter 11
I am wiser and better-equipped to tackle the obstacles in my path for having read this book. Therefore it is a privilege to have had the chance to read an advanced copy.
“Made to Move Mountains,” written from the trenches, will take you on a journey towards humble surrender, brave obedience and mountain-moving faith.
Order Made to Move Mountains by Kristen Welch now!
Do you like to jot down notes and quotes when you read? Check out these matching journals from Mercy House Global Online Marketplace.
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by searching for hätten