Book Reviews

Mike Dente

Hard is Only Half the Story: Real Adventures From My Journey Into the Unknown is a poetical book exploring cross-cultural ministry’s deeper side. Beginning with the opening poem and with each chapter, Wendy Zahorjanski unveils her spiritual, emotional, and psychological journey. Yet it’s not a Mémoire or a Confession. She uses both first and second-person voices to bring us along with her while adding a well-crafted summary that adds an aspect of encouraging and instructing.

Honestly, I think this book would’ve been helpful for me as I made my way through the wilds of missionary life. Her inviting style made me want to read with a cup of coffee. But the subject matter never let me get too comfortable; the lessons are subtle and profound amid prose that draws us in, like talking to a friend.

I enjoyed Wendy’s transparency. She lets us see the reality of her heart and the very human struggles of being a cross-cultural minister. She doesn’t allow us to get off the hook easily; she invites us to look into our hearts and see what lies in the dark corners. In this way, she paints an accurate picture of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of missionary life. Although she shows hope in Jesus, this book is not afraid to look into the darkness and doesn’t shy away from the real pain of ministry.

Elaine O’Connor

Editor’s Note: I also read Wendy’s latest book and can’t keep quiet about its potential to inspire and encourage solo readers and groups alike. Here goes. –Elaine O’Connor

As someone who wants to remember what I’ve read, to have it impact my life, I was thrilled to discover Wendy included a list of key takeaways at the end of each chapter—as well as Discussion Questions and a Verse for Meditation for each chapter (located at the end of the book). They serve as bookends of sorts, increasing the possibility that Wendy’s goal of “attempt[ing] to expand your perception of the unknown” is met.

I read this book three times and have been thinking about it quite a bit. As a result, the way I look at the unknown has morphed from one of fear to one of anticipation. I’m an extremely grateful reader.

To give you a sense of what I’ve been experiencing, here’s a peek at the “Things Worth Remembering” from chapter four:

• Strange people and strange places = spike in humility
• You will, at some point, be embarrassed
• Open yourself to the idea that it can be the source of growth
• Don’t run
• Allow yourself to be rebuilt

Suffice it to say this book has earned a spot on my books-I’ll-read-again-and-again bookshelf.

Of note, Wendy dedicated this book to her fellow cross-cultural workers. She wanted to encourage them to keep following and to keep looking … “no matter how dark the shadows grow.” Although not a cross-cultural worker myself (in the strictest sense of the term), I benefitted greatly—as have those I’ve engaged with. I sense the same will happen to anyone who contemplates the wisdom Wendy’s latest book has to offer.

I could go on, but I think I’ll let the book speak for itself.

From the back cover of Hard Is Only Half the Story: Real Adventures From My Journey Into the Unknown by Wendy Zahorjanski:

“Do you ever feel that if life was just a little bit easier, it would be a hundred times better?

In this faith-filled, open-hearted memoir, author Wendy Zahorjanski proves that the opposite is true. When we go through difficult times and trials in life, hard is only half the story. As Zahorjanski explores the journey into grief, doubt, and struggle, she admits that she was surprised to find joy, faith, and friendship on the other side.

In a culture that both intrigued and confronted all of her expectations, Zahorjanski was forced to embrace imperfection, look past seeming dichotomies, and be willing to let her well-laid plans for her life look as if they had turned to mush.

Take a walk into the woods with this raw, real account of one Christian missionary’s hike into the unknown where you’ll learn how to:

• Embrace vulnerability to find some of the most precious moments in life.
• Experience that even when things are far from perfect, God still is.
• Laugh at the failures and absurdities that happen with authentic joy.
• Honestly look at your past and present hours of grief and embrace the person they’ve helped you become.
• Take a look at who God is making you into, one persistent action at a time.

This book is an invitation to step beyond the veil of fear to enrich your existence with the rawness of life by looking to God: the bringer of life and healer of sorrows.

Are you ready to embrace the hard moments in your life so that you can finally see what the other half of hard can really bring? It’s time to lean into the transformation that awaits you. Grab your copy of Hard Is Only Half the Story: Real Adventures From My Journey Into the Unknown today.

Wendy Zahorjanski is a nonfiction writer whose life has been an incredible journey guided by faith. Her writing goal is to unveil the amazing moments of opportunity and spiritual growth concealed within seemingly unsurmountable moments.“

Keeping Jesus At The Center – Ray Ortlund

My wife Jani and I were at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on New Year’s Eve 1971, going into 1972. The service was held in the big tent, of course.

We arrived early enough to get seats in the center of the front row.

Love Song played. Chuck preached. And then we took Communion. It was wonderful.

But the most unforgettable moment for me occurred right after the service. Chuck was still standing just behind the Communion table. And one of the young people greeting him, giving him a big hug, accidentally knocked over a stack of Communion trays.

What struck me was how quickly and genuinely Chuck reassured him and set him at ease: “Oh, that’s okay! No problem at all.” I thought, “Chuck is a wise pastor.

Any non-churchy kid could come in here and be accepted. Jesus is the only issue here.”

That memory has helped me in my own pastoral ministry all these years.

Thank you, Chuck.

Even When The Crowd Is Quite Small – Nicky Gumbel

I first met Chuck Smith in around 1978. At that time, Calvary Chapel was already a huge church, yet he was willing to come and speak to about five of us at HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton in London).

I still remember the talk he gave on “Healthy Sheep Multiply.” I was struck by his sheer stamina! He spoke for about three hours with hardly a pause.

Later I had the privilege of visiting Calvary Chapel, in around 1985, and heard him preach—expounding the Bible with great authority and humour.

Chuck Smith has rightly been called “one of the most influential figures in modern American Christianity.”

Learning To Love God’s Word – Elaine O’Connor

God used Pastor Chuck to introduce me to the inexhaustible insights and wisdom His Word has to offer.

It all began with my noticing that Pastor Chuck saw the world and others differently.

He saw humanity as precious, created by God for a relationship with Himself. He saw events as under the watchful gaze of a loving God.

The second thing I noticed was that Pastor Chuck cherished God’s Word, every single bit of it. He would get excited to read and study the Bible. I had only seen that depth of excitement at bakeries or sporting events.

It seemed logical that the two were connected. Therefore, wanting that same loving kindness-fueled perspective myself, I also began to read and study the Bible.

Through the years, I have experienced both bitter and sweet times.

Difficult as the bitter times have been, I have known with absolute confidence that God loves me and sees what is happening. I have known with astounding certainty that I can trust Him. No one can purchase this knowledge, even with access to the finest of stores. It is a gift from God.

There is something about one’s roots growing deep into God’s love—via His Word—that enables even the frailest tree to stand … and offer shade to others. The words of Psalm 1 are perfect and true.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts,” writes the prophet Jeremiah. Pastor Chuck felt the same way.

God used Pastor Chuck to instill in me that same sense of appreciation for Him and His Word, and that has made all the difference.

A Humble, Simple Love For The Word – Daniel Hamlin

I first started attending Calvary Chapel in the mid 1990’s. What stood out to me the most and what kept me coming back was the priority given to the Word of God. Not long after high school I went off to Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, California. Pastor Chuck would periodically come out to the college to preach, and it was during one of these sermons I discovered something about him that left a profound impact on me.

He was teaching through the book of Ruth and asked us to follow along as he read. Everyone’s head was down as they read along with him, but I happened to look up for a moment. I glanced at Pastor Chuck and noticed he wasn’t looking at his Bible. He was reciting the text correctly, but his eyes were off to the side. I realized he was reciting it from memory. We read through multiple chapters of Ruth that day and Pastor Chuck seemed to recite it all from memory. He didn’t do it for show, he didn’t draw any attention to himself about it, he just quietly recited it as if he were reading it. Had I not happened to glance up at him, I wouldn’t have known.

It was then I realized what a tremendous love for God’s Word he had. It challenged my own devotion to reading Scripture and inspired me to continue in my pursuit of studying the Bible. In that moment I realized this wasn’t something he just picked up along the way by accident. It was the result of a lifetime devoted to studying and taking to heart God’s precious Word.

To me, Pastor Chuck is a reminder of what the Lord can do through someone with nothing more than a humble, simple love for the Word and the Spirit. I never met Pastor Chuck personally, but his impact on my life and ministry was profound.

From Bahrain With Gratitude – James Travis

I had never heard the name Chuck Smith until I moved to Bahrain in 2013. The pastor of the church we joined on arrival was (and is still very much) a Calvary Chapel guy and I remember him talking about Pastor Chuck a lot.

I got a brief history of the movement, his understanding of the motivation behind the movement, the philosophy of ministry which my mentor saw (and appreciated) in Pastor Chuck, and was finally presented with a copy of Calvary Chapel Distinctives where I could hear from the man himself. The book was
something I devoured as I learnt and trained for ministry, and was later a key text during at least one of my M.Div classes with Calvary Chapel University.

All of that to say, Chuck Smith has had a deep and meaningful impact on my life
and ministry despite the two of us having never met. I’ve learnt a great deal
from his own writings but perhaps more so from those who spent time with
him. Those men and women would be horrified to read their own names here in
what is a tribute to the vicarious legacy of Chuck but, in summary, I’m grateful
for Chuck Smith. I’m grateful for and to the people he impacted and their
continuing impact on the lives of others.

It is a testament to him that ten years on from his death, he is still ministering life and its Author to others, through others.