Description
No Ordinary View is the sequel to My Seventh Monsoon. It describes the years in Dhulikhel when the family were training Nepali physiotherapists and struggling through issues related to poverty and civil war. The constant reminder was to “fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what it seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” (1 Cor 4:18). The book was awarded first place in the Australian Christian Book of the Year Award, 2009.
Reader –
“We are an Aussie missionary family doing medical missionary work in Africa. We have 3 children, who I home school here. I have been so encouraged reading your books – you seem to be able articulate everything I am thinking and all the emotions I am going through! It’s like you are reading my mind and I frequently find myself crying my eyes out! Thanks for letting God use your writing gifts to bless and encourage. Jeremiah 29 has been a constant challenge/encouragement/prayer since God revealed it to me through your writing!”
Reader –
“I feel as if I know you already. I am in Northern Ireland and have been off school recently for 8 weeks and I just wanted to thank you so much for your writing. I have read all three of your Nepal books and am just finishing the third. The Lord used them very much to encourage and uplift me when I couldn’t do very much but lie still, read and pray. Thank you so much for obeying His call on your life to use the gift He has given you for His glory.”
Reader –
“Today we read Chapter 8 ‘Being Content’, of No Ordinary View. We cried when we read the summarising phrase on page 70, “But mostly he wanted to share with us the link that exists between growth and hardship…..”, we cried when we read on page 72, “…but I struggle with the living – especially the living when no one else is watching. Even when they are watching, I struggle within my head: I complain, I feel resentful, I long for something easier….”, we cried when we read on page 74, “…I had nothing left to give that day, the next day or any day….. You can desire it. You can ask for it. You can break down and cry out loud. But that’s not how you get patience. The only way to grow in patience is to walk a path where patience is required. It comes when it is practised.” Last Friday night we were are Friday night worship and given an opportunity in silence to wait and listen for God to speak to us…. the word that came to me was ‘patience’. So then when we read on page 78 your experience with Sam and his simple prayer ‘Lord, when I’m most distressed, help me to bring glory to you’, again the tears flowed. God is teaching us. He is growing us. We hope to find patience and contentment in our current situation, but it’s hard. Thank you for listening to our Great God and penning the wonderful words and experiences of your life. We are savouring the stories; they are a highlight of our week.”
Reader –
“Can you please tell Naomi that I am drinking in her books-actually gulping them down would be a better description. I might need to re-read them all again a little slower. The message has been just right for me at this time in my life. I have bought a copy for a missionary friend who is heading back to work in Peru. I am very confident she too will drink them in. I am struck by the honesty of the writing and I am inspired to trust God with another year of my life.”