Door to Freedom by Jana Kelley - REVIEWED

About the Book:

It's rough and it's smooth. It's dark and it's light. It's a masterpiece. It's us. Here in Sudan. We are scared of it and drawn to it. There is an open door, and there is much opposition.

In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia, who is raising her family in a Muslim country, has learned to boldly share her faith. Rania, the daughter of a wealthy Sudanese Arab, seeks to find the reason for her sister's sudden disappearance. Mia holds some of the answers, but both women quickly discover they must each walk through their own doors to freedom, the freedom that only comes when you trust God's sovereignty more than manmade security.

Part of New Hope Publishers' line of contemporary missional fiction, Door to Freedom, the sequel to Side by Side, opens the reader's eyes to modern-day persecution and the life of Muslims in Sudan. Based on real-life events, Door to Freedom also reveals some of the struggles that Christians face when living under Islamic law. The reader will be inspired to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith as well as for the salvation of the persecutors.

My Thoughts:

“A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many to oppose me.” (p. 218 – I Corinthians 16:9)

Mia Weston and her family (Michael and three children) are missionaries to the Muslim people in Sudan.  As they minister to the people there, trying to stay within the understood boundaries of the culture, Mia and her husband are both challenged and transformed by God’s Word as they learn the truth about God’s sovereignty, protection and leadership while serving those around them.  This whole scenario of serving others who are blinded to the truth of Christ and His great salvation is something that speaks deeply to me, as God has placed me in a field ripe unto harvest.  While I’m not serving on foreign soil, Christ and His love are just as foreign to many I work with as it is to the Muslim people in Sudan.

I think this is an honest look at the challenges faced by those called to full-time missions.  To listen to friends and relatives worry about safety and the reality of missing the presence of children and grandchildren – all of this is a weight to be balanced against the calling of God in your life.  Kelley does a great job drawing back the curtain on both sides of this spiritual battlefield.  There is great sacrifice to be made on both sides, and those who are praying for missionaries on any level can pray more intelligently after reading this book!

I really enjoyed this book.  More than that, I am thankful at the work God has done in my heart through this book!  Books are a powerful tool God uses in my life to remind me of His truth, His power and His faithfulness!  I am happy to recommend this book!

Purchase your copy HERE!

About the Author:

Jana Kelley is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. Jana returned to Texas to attend East Texas Baptist University. She and her husband married a month after she graduated, and by their second anniversary, they were living in a remote African town. After 13 years living in Africa and the Middle East, Jana, her husband, and their three boys moved to Southeast Asia where they currently live.