Official Review: No Accidental Missionary

[Fazzier]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "No Accidental Missionary" by Marilyn Feldhaus.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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No Accidental Missionary is an inspiring Christian biography written by Marilyn Feldhaus and narrated by Sean Slater. It follows the life of the founding pastor of Addis Kidan Evangelical Church, Dr. Tesfai Tesema. The story begins during the overthrow of Haile Selassie as the Ethiopian leader and the subsequent reign of the Dergs, which promulgated a form of Soviet-modelled Communism hostile to the former Emperor's followers and the majority of Ethiopians. Since Dr. Tefsai's father, Zeleke Tesema, was one of the Emperor's supporters, his life and that of his family were in great danger. This instinctively made him send his teenage firstborn son, Tesfai Tesema, away from Ethiopia. By doing this, he hoped his son would not only get an opportunity to better the “useless” life he had in Ethiopia but also come to rescue them one day from the menacing tentacles of the autocratic Ethiopian Communists. This, however, was not going to be a smooth ride as they would have hoped.

In this book, the author takes us through a series of events that ensued after Dr. Tesfai's unexpected departure from Ethiopia, how he ended up in Saudi Arabia, and subsequently, giving his life to Christ. But that is not all. We also get to learn the challenges Dr. Tesfai went through during his engevelistic missions such as hunger, among others, all in the determination to spread the Good News. Most importantly, we discover how he later came to establish a multi-cultural, cross-generational church in the US to cater to the spiritual needs of a vast range of Christian audiences, including second-generation immigrants who had obviously been assimilated into American culture. All this was presented in an interesting way which, in turn, enhanced my enjoyment of this inspiring book.

I also liked how well this book was narrated. Sean Slater added life to this inspiring piece. All parts of this audiobook are clear, and there was no part I had to repeat because of clarity issues. Besides, the dialogues are also lovely, consistent, and natural. I could capture the emotions of various characters based on how exquisitely the narrator employed various vocal tones. For instance, I could know instances where some of the characters were whispering, angry, anxious, or even happy. Moreover, I could gauge the extent of the characters’ development based on how the narrator captured their accents. For instance, I was able to notice Dr. Tesfai's change in accent after living in America for some time. All this made the presentation realistic, and consequently, enhanced my enjoyment of this Christian biography.

My favorite aspect of this book was Dr. Tesfai's commitment, drive, and a strong commitment to serving the Lord. I found his unwavering belief in God, creativity in various Kingdom missions, and strong conviction to spread the Gospel of Christ so inspiring. For somebody so young at the time he gave his life to Christ, his commitment to continue serving the Lord even to the extent of leaving a modest life, just to ensure the spreading of the Good News, will be an inspiration to many young ministers. This is an apt story of God's mercy and how He can use someone who least anticipated it to further His work. It left me edified, and I could help but look for more ways of enhancing my spirituality.

All in all, I didn't find anything to dislike about this story. It was clearly narrated, and the audio is also of high quality, an indication it was narrated by a professional. I'm, therefore, glad to award No Accidental Missionary by Marilyn Feldhaus 4 out of 4 stars.

For young evangelistic couples, I highly recommend this as they'll learn many tips on how one can balance ministry and family obligations. I also recommend it to new Christian converts and those who have thought of giving their life to Christ. Moreover, people who like historical fiction may also enjoy this. I heard no profanity, and there was also no sex content at all in this story. This makes it suitable for a wide range of audiences, including children. As it is a religious content, this book is more suitable for Christians, especially those from revival churches.

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No Accidental Missionary
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[Irene_A]

Love your favorite aspect of the book, as being steadfast in one's spirituality journey can be challenging. Enjoyed reading your review and look forwarding to reading this book.

[_Lindsey_]

This book sounds like a lovely spiritual book that would be good for so many different people to read. It's inspiring that the author managed to create a story that would be useful to so many different groups of people. Thanks for the review.

[Harty Muli]

I have heard about the Ethiopian leader and his overthrow. Perhaps reading this will help me learn more about the subject. I also like the fact that the author is dedicated to his Christian mission. Thanks for the inspiring review.

[Usma Khann]

The book title got me laughing at first and I wondered what the author must have written within. However, due to the religious factor, I will have to skip it. Appreciate the review though.

[Priyanka2304]

The religious aspect of the book seems appealing. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Amanda Nicole Newton]

The narration of an audiobook can make it break it and I am glad to see this one was done well. It doesn't sound like a book for me, but I am glad it was a good book.

[Intel]

Reading the aspect of the book was a good touch, I really feel like you enjoyed it and had good insight. Great review!

[Gabrielle Sigaki]

I enjoyed the fact that the author built such a multi-cultural church in the US. However, I don't think this book is for me since I'm not religious, even though I enjoy historical fiction books. It sounds like an engaging reading for Christians, though. Thanks for the insightful review! Great job!

[ankushavhad]

This audiobook is a typical narration in The Biography of Dr. Tesfai Tesema: The Missionaries to America. An inspiring piece in the religious subject is engaging when audiences take on to the story. Great review, Fazzier. Thanks.

[Soumyadhurve_15]

The religious aspect of the book seems appealing. I really feel like you enjoyed it

[VVaishali]

The title of the book seemed interesting. But, as the religious inclination of the book makes it more suitable for Christians, I will have to give it a pass. Thanx for the review.

[AntonelaMaria]

I liked your review. I am always curious about other people religious journey. I too find inspiration in drive of servitude of God. Good job with the review.

[Amy+++]

I'm not into religious books, so I am going to pass.

[Caroline Anne Richmond]

Thanks for such a great review, the book sounds really interesting and an intriguing spiritual journey.