Book Review: BEFORE WE KILL AND EAT YOU

I love reading stories about missionaries. They are first and foremost typically very encouraging to my soul. Secondly, missionary stories provide fascinating accounts of other cultures. I probably should've flipped those around. I mainly love reading about other cultures and people groups, but then the added bonus with a missionary story is that my spirit is revived and encouraged on top of that — the icing on the cake.

Before We Kill and Eat You is an incredible and crazy account from H. B. Garlock (edited and revised by my husband's aunt, Ruthanne Garlock) about his missionary journeys to Africa that began more than 80 years ago.

Three things stood out to me more than any others:

1. The African culture is truly fascinating. I realize I'm lumping one huge continent into that statement while each tribe and country has its own practices and traditions and language. But of course there are similar threads throughout, and that's more of what I'm referring to. This book records the particular cultures Garlock encountered in a vivid manner. There was a clear love and passion for the people he ministered to and lived with and that shined through. I absolutely love "visiting" other places and times and people through story.

2. The willingness to do whatever the Lord had for him to do (and the other missionaries mentioned as well) was sadly astonishing. I say sadly because I think that Christianity is so watered down today we often don't know when the Holy Spirit is slapping us in the face. (I know I've lived that way for a long time.) And even when He is slapping us in the face, we often push Him aside and say, "No thanks!" But reading stories like these brings back that fear and reverence and awe of the Lord and the desire to wholeheartedly follow His lead no matter what the cost.

3. And that leads me to the third thing... I was shocked, amazed, and stumped by how many missionaries died on the field. It was insane and begged the question WHY? Why would the Lord allow His servants who were called to this mission field to drop like flies? It seemed crazy and unnecessary. But reading this account, seeing the passion of those who went, and somewhat understanding how even a small seed, that can be planted in one day, can grow into a whole field and pave the way for others, helped answer that all-consuming question WHY. Perhaps a missionary was there for a week before contracting malaria and soon after dying. But that one week wasn't in vain. Unfortunately, we don't live in a world where that makes sense.

Let's be honest, most of us, if we knew that was our destiny, that we would die within a short period of time after making it to a place that took months and years of planning to reach, would never go. We'd ask what was the point and assume God must have something better because He wouldn't want me to waste my life by dying so soon. This is a tough one, my friends. Such a tough concept and question to grapple with, and I certainly don't have the answer! We preach that our lives are not our own, but we so rarely practice it. We're so rarely willing to really sacrifice for the sake of the cross. Here in middle class America, I don't think we even have a concept of what that really means.

I've been trying to figure out what that means lately, and reading stories like Before We Kill and Eat You gives a glimpse into those mysteries. (Like how I brought that back around? ;)) It was truly a fascinating story. I hope you'll check it out!

Contains affiliate links.