"I saw a group of people who had the same dreams that I did."
Dan King, The Unlikely Missionary
When Dan King, a self-described "guy with a regular job and a regular family who sits in the regular church pews", began blogging, he could not have envisioned where God was going to take him or how God would use him to inspire others to fulfill God's purposes for their lives.
In his recently released e-book, The Unlikely Missionary: From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter*, Dan describes his transformation from "an ordinary Christian trying not to be lukewarm" to a man of great compassion for the least of these and desire to help them succeed in overcoming poverty. He tells that story through his journey to Africa with Five Talents International, an organization that fights poverty by providing business training and spiritual development to the poor in developing third world countries.
Dan humbly states that he's not a "powerhouse writer", but his authentic and conversational style makes The Unlikely Missionary a delightful, inspiring and easy read. Each of the nine short chapters includes interesting stories with samples from his trip journal, and concludes with questions for reflection, further study and writing prompts, making it a valuable resource for bloggers and small group or individual study.
As I read, I underlined and annotated nearly every page. His concluding paragraph in chapter six is one that spoke directly to me as I work to write and edit my photography...
"...we should never think too much of our own creative efforts. Our part is to simply highlight the creativity of the Master Creator."
Dan's book is not a "how to be a missionary" manual. It's the story of a "normal dude" who wants to be used however God chooses, and in the telling of his story, his readers are encouraged to be open to God, as well.
"You may not end up in Africa like I did. You may end up finding more purpose right at home in your own backyard or your office or your neighborhood or your school district. The location isn't as important as doing the things that will allow God to use you to the fullest."
The Unlikely Missionary: From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter can be downloaded for only $4.99 here.
About Dan King: Christ-follower. Husband. Father. Corporate training development guru. School of ministry and missions instructor. Social media editor for thehighcalling.org. Blogger at bibledude.net. Co-founder and media director for the activistfaith.org movement. Social media director for help end local poverty.
{*Dan King graciously provided a free copy for my review, but the opinions expressed here are my own. All quotes above are attributed to Dan King from The Unlikely Missionary: From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter}
{Photo} sunlight warming pews in the Belmont University bell tower chapel, 2009, and a small country church in rural south Florida, 2011
