• About Us
• Church Family
• Pathfinders
• Online Magazine
• Church Location
• Site Map

Book Review

Women Who Risk, by Tom & Joanne Doyle with Greg Webster

 
This book was written by Tom and Joann Doyle with Greg Webster.

Tom Doyle is the President of Uncharted Ministries and Joann Doyle is the founder of Not Forgotten the woman's division of Unchartered Ministries.

Greg Webster New Vantage Publishing Partners and collaborated on this book.

Tom and Joanne regularly visit Middle East countries bringing aid and the message of Jesus to the people there.

The book contains true stories of woman and families living under Islamic conditions.  To assist in protecting the people names have been changed.  Approximately 20% of the world's population is under the rule of Islam.

Woman in Islamic countries have no rights, they are completely dominated by their husbands - this includes being physically beaten with no recourse and if a woman leaves her husband the children must remain with the husband, the woman has no legal claim on her children.  Interestingly it has been shown that extremist Islamic men, come from homes with mothers that are extremist also.  Whilst the man is the head of the household and is the one that explains the meaning of the Quran, the adoption of strong beliefs by the children come from the mother's influence.  Outside influence is very limited.  The Gaza strip is 25 miles long and 3-7 miles wide.  Woman there are likely to have grown up in refugee camps, brought their children up there and neither they nor their children have travelled outside of the area.  The refugee camps are very squalid, one story mentioned a dead donkey covered in flies at the door of one of the tents, with the flies going from the donkey to the children and back.  Food and water are very limited.

Many women are struggling with the value that is placed on them by the Quran.  Some are going to the Quran to read it themselves but are finding that there is no hope for women within its pages.  Whilst a woman is only allowed one husband, man on the other hand is not restricted in this manner.  One of the stories told of a husband that bragged the Iman had recognised 66 temporary marriages for him.  These marriages were no more than the legalisation of temporary affairs that the man wished to pursue.

To be a follower of Jesus immediately places your life in imminent danger.  Honour killings are upheld and there is no retribution to those administering these killings.  Family members will quickly act if they believe someone is dishonouring their beliefs.  Some Christian churches do operate openly; however, anyone entering a Christian church must be very careful that they are not being observed.  Underground churches also operate.  The locality of these churches continually changes to deter alerting people, they operate behind closed & locked doors with participants needing to know the code word to enter.  Often the television will have a sporting game being shown, with the volume loud to cover what is actually happening within the room.  Singing is done silently, prayers are done in a low voice, and if needed the volume of the television is increased to cover any noise from the participants.  The priests and pastors of some Christian churches are also extremely careful about ministering to the people of Islam.  One story told of a woman who went to 2 Christian churches and was turned away each time because she was a Muslim, before finding a pastor that would minister to her.

The Holy Spirit and Jesus are far more visibly active in these countries then we recognise within Australia.  Dreams and visions are very common.  In many of the dreams the being speaking to the person announces that He is Jesus.  In one story as a follower of Jesus spoke to her friend who was sceptical, she said to the friend - you ask Jesus to come and speak to you tonight to confirm what I am saying is truth.  The friend prayed though in an unbelieving way, then said if Jesus appeared to her in the night, she would contact the friend immediately.  Not only did Jesus appear to her, but when she went to the underground church the next day the speaker realising that a Muslim woman had entered the group, immediately changed his sermon topic to reach her, he used the same words that Jesus had the night before to her.  In some cases, Jesus appears and talks to these women, before they are even introduced to Christianity.

Jesus during His earthly life went out of his way to meet and encourage marginalised women of society. Maybe this is why the woman of the Middle East are favoured with his special care and the dreams and visions that they experience.  The women are finding that Jesus gives them worth, they are valuable and loved by him.  This then gives the women a sense of peace and joy amidst the war torn lands they live in, and amidst the fundamentalism they have to live under.

This book is one that highlights just how blessed we are to live in Australia; however, do we recognise the blessing, would we be prepared to continue following Jesus if our life was in imminent danger.

The women of this book continually ask that we pray for them and pray for their families to come to realise that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life.

Read this book.

Picture Credit

https://www.koorong.com/product/women-who-risk-secret-agents-for-jesus-in-the-muslim-world-tom_9780785233466

Copyright © 2022 Thornleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church