L'Abri

Rating:
Summary: Tales of Adventurers
Review: Imagine packing up, moving from the United States, getting a chalet in the Swiss mountains, and opening up a Christian ministry that is geared to intellectual/spiritual seekers from diverse backgrounds. That's the adventure taken by Francis and Edith Schaeffer and this book chronicles the process.
It is well-written. As the story line unfolds, you are captivated by what will happen next.
Numerous answers to prayer are included in the adventure.
Also, how often have we related to the statement she writes that, "The thing about real life is that important events don't announce themselves...Usually something that is going to change your whole life is a memory before you can stop and be impressed about it. You don't usually have a chance to get excited about that sort of thing...ahead of time!"
By the way, L'Abri is French for "The Shelter."

There are so many answers to prayer in this story that one's faith is built as the direct communication of God to His people is described in a clear way.

Edith Schaeffer writes, "...it has been tremendously excited to see the reality of communication with God, and to see the reality of His replies, His answers, in the realm of material things, and in the realm of the minds and hearts of human beings."

The Schaeffer's had a unique, "world-class" ministry at L'Abri. Reading about how it all came about is a faith-building exercise. I strongly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: okay
Review: This book chronicles the lives of the Schaeffers from Edith's point of view. It centers around their work in Switzerland, but does not include their return to the U.S. While there is interesting insight into the "everyday life" of running L'Abri, there is very little discussion of Francis Schaeffer's philosophy.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This book is tremendous, I just couldn't put it down. It gives a narrative overview of the history of L'Abri from Edith's perspective. This is a wonderful book for those who wish to find out more about the work of L'Abri.

Particuarly touching was the interesting accounts of the power of prayer.