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These Strange Ashes
In her first year as a missionary to a small group of native women in the Ecuadorian jungle, Elisabeth Elliot faced physical and spiritual trials. In These Strange Ashes, Elliot captures the mysteries and stark realities surrounding the colorful and primitive world in which she ministered. More than just a recounting of her early days, this is a beautifully crafted and deeply personal reflection on the important questions of life and a remarkable testimony to an authentic Christian commitment.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Elisabeth Elliot
126 books1,915 followersFrom the Author's Web Site: My parents were missionaries in Belgium where I was born. When I was a few months old, we came to the U.S. and lived in Germantown, not far from Philadelphia, where my father became an editor of the Sunday School Times. Some of my contemporaries may remember the publication which was used by hundreds of churches for their weekly unified Sunday School teaching materials.
Our family continued to live in Philadelphia and then in New Jersey until I left home to attend Wheaton College. By that time, the family had increased to four brothers and one sister. My studies in classical Greek would one day enable me to work in the area of unwritten languages to develop a form of writing.
A year after I went to Ecuador, Jim Elliot, whom I had met at Wheaton, also entered tribal areas with the Quichua Indians. In nineteen fifty three we were married in the city of Quito and continued our work together. Jim had always hoped to have the opportunity to enter the territory of an unreached tribe. The Aucas were in that category -- a fierce group whom no one had succeeded in meeting without being killed. After the discovery of their whereabouts, Jim and four other missionaries entered Auca territory. After a friendly contact with three of the tribe, they were speared to death.
Our daughter Valerie was 10 months old when Jim was killed. I continued working with the Quichua Indians when, through a remarkable providence, I met two Auca women who lived with me for one year. They were the key to my going in to live with the tribe that had killed the five missionaries. I remained there for two years.
After having worked for two years with the Aucas, I returned to the Quichua work and remained there until 1963 when Valerie and I returned to the U.S.
Since then, my life has been one of writing and speaking. It also included, in 1969, a marriage to Addison Leitch, professor of theology at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts. He died in 1973. After his death I had two lodgers in my home. One of them married my daughter, the other one, Lars Gren, married me. Since then we have worked together.
Our family continued to live in Philadelphia and then in New Jersey until I left home to attend Wheaton College. By that time, the family had increased to four brothers and one sister. My studies in classical Greek would one day enable me to work in the area of unwritten languages to develop a form of writing.
A year after I went to Ecuador, Jim Elliot, whom I had met at Wheaton, also entered tribal areas with the Quichua Indians. In nineteen fifty three we were married in the city of Quito and continued our work together. Jim had always hoped to have the opportunity to enter the territory of an unreached tribe. The Aucas were in that category -- a fierce group whom no one had succeeded in meeting without being killed. After the discovery of their whereabouts, Jim and four other missionaries entered Auca territory. After a friendly contact with three of the tribe, they were speared to death.
Our daughter Valerie was 10 months old when Jim was killed. I continued working with the Quichua Indians when, through a remarkable providence, I met two Auca women who lived with me for one year. They were the key to my going in to live with the tribe that had killed the five missionaries. I remained there for two years.
After having worked for two years with the Aucas, I returned to the Quichua work and remained there until 1963 when Valerie and I returned to the U.S.
Since then, my life has been one of writing and speaking. It also included, in 1969, a marriage to Addison Leitch, professor of theology at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts. He died in 1973. After his death I had two lodgers in my home. One of them married my daughter, the other one, Lars Gren, married me. Since then we have worked together.
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April 28, 2007
Although Jim Elliot and the other missionaries' story of martyrdom by the Auca Indians for the cause of Christ is both historic and compelling, the thing that hit me hardest about this read was the epilogue. I happened to get the 10th anniversary edition, and Elliot had added a few extra pages that pierced through my faithlessness. See, although these amazing men died in an attempt to make contact with the Aucas and eventually share the gospel with them, the amazing conclusion to the story is that Elisabeth, still recently widowed and a young mother, returns to the tribe and many are saved as a result of her faithful witness and testimiony of forgiveness. Quite a neat little package for a sermon on God's soveriegnty, huh? Well, in the epilogue, Elliot addresses just this. She pulls out the "What if?" What if none of the natives were ever saved and there were no easy answers for the death of Jim and the other missionaries? Would God be any less good? Would He be any less in control the world? Should we proclaim His goodness any less boldly? This hit me pretty hard because it was something that I simply did not want to ponder. God has brought this message much closer to home since reading this book, but I'm thankful for Elliot's honesty and tranparency in facing tough questions.
February 6, 2017
A shortish read detailing Elisabeth Elliot's first year in the jungles of Ecuador as a single. I always enjoy her down-to-earth style of writing. She describes the scenes in vivid detail, warts and all. I also appreciate the thinly veiled humour as she documents procedures and events that from a Western point of view are very strange. She uses creative detail to relay the bizarre happenings to the reader and often tells it from the perspective of the Indians.
However, this book is mainly useful for the spiritual lessons that can be learned. Elisabeth and Jim (her boyfriend) both saw their individual missionary efforts for that year completely destroyed. They were left facing the reality that their work had come to nothing. Looking at the situation from a works perspective that was in fact the case. But, that is not how God works--His goal is always to refine us and prepare us for future works where we can glorify Him. Nothing is wasted and the lessons we learn are invaluable. These are lessons that every missionary will learn during their first few years on the field. Elliot concludes that God is faithful and can be trusted.
I would encourage missionaries or prospective missionaries to read this especially if struggling on the field. Losing an entire year of work is not much fun and may help those dealing with trials to persevere. Considering the situations the author faced subsequently it is good that she had already worked through her questions about God and His purposes.
I recommend this book. There are some graphic descriptions of the tribal procedure for dealing with a dead body which may bother those who are squeamish.....
However, this book is mainly useful for the spiritual lessons that can be learned. Elisabeth and Jim (her boyfriend) both saw their individual missionary efforts for that year completely destroyed. They were left facing the reality that their work had come to nothing. Looking at the situation from a works perspective that was in fact the case. But, that is not how God works--His goal is always to refine us and prepare us for future works where we can glorify Him. Nothing is wasted and the lessons we learn are invaluable. These are lessons that every missionary will learn during their first few years on the field. Elliot concludes that God is faithful and can be trusted.
I would encourage missionaries or prospective missionaries to read this especially if struggling on the field. Losing an entire year of work is not much fun and may help those dealing with trials to persevere. Considering the situations the author faced subsequently it is good that she had already worked through her questions about God and His purposes.
I recommend this book. There are some graphic descriptions of the tribal procedure for dealing with a dead body which may bother those who are squeamish.....
January 12, 2019
Although this is only my second Elisabeth Elliot book, I'm fairly certain I couldn't dislike something she has written. I chose Made for the Journey (formerly published under These Strange Ashes) from the review program because, even though memoirs are rarely my thing, I wanted to learn more of Elisabeth Elliot's life story.
And I was not disappointed in the least. The author vulnerably opens up about the struggles and trials she faced during her first year in the jungles of western Ecuador. She speaks boldly of her hurt and confusion when all was falling apart and it seemed God was not blessing their efforts.
This book was an encouragement to me—definitely recommended. <3
Content Warning: Mentions of scantly dressed Indians, talk of three men sharing one woman, a childbirth scene, and a semi-detailed, jungle-version of an autopsy.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell publishing in exchange for my honest review.**
And I was not disappointed in the least. The author vulnerably opens up about the struggles and trials she faced during her first year in the jungles of western Ecuador. She speaks boldly of her hurt and confusion when all was falling apart and it seemed God was not blessing their efforts.
This book was an encouragement to me—definitely recommended. <3
Content Warning: Mentions of scantly dressed Indians, talk of three men sharing one woman, a childbirth scene, and a semi-detailed, jungle-version of an autopsy.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell publishing in exchange for my honest review.**
December 27, 2018
I’m not a huge memoir reader, and honestly, of late, I haven’t been a huge reader in general. When I saw this book up for review, I knew I needed to read it. I feel like everyone is familiar with Elisabeth Elliot, or more predominantly, the earth shattering story of her husband Jim Elliot and his ministry and death. But we have numerous of her books on our shelf and she was always a woman whom I look up to. As a missionary, a christian, and as a wife, mother, and widow. Her story has always inspired me in some way, and this book was no different.
It was super interesting to hear the story of her first missionary placement and honestly, I found her story encouraging. It was special to see a side of Mrs. Elliot that we never got to see before. The rawness, humane-ness and struggles of a new missionary. I look up to this woman so much, and to see her start fresh as a missionary with doubts, confusion, an attitude and insecurities, it was a wonderful thing.
I found myself walking away feeling encouraged. Not because she is a flawed human too, but because I don’t feel the need to be perfect. We see these saints and pray we will be like them. We feel we should be and strive and push to become the mostly saintly that we can. But when push comes to shove, we are human. To use another phrase, rome wasn’t built in a day. A saint with a heart fully yielded to the Lord did not happen over night. Elisabeth Elliot was not born the powerful and mighty woman of God that she was when she passed away at the age of 88. Her life was a journey. Her spiritual path was a rough trek at times, much like the roads she traversed in the Ecuadorian jungle. They were muddy, hard, exhausting, and a constant up and down.
But as the title indicates, we were made for the journey, not for the end result.
I hope you give this book a read. It will encourage your heart to be thankful and press on in the journey, because even though it’s hard, it isn’t always about the destination.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, and Interviews and Reviews, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
It was super interesting to hear the story of her first missionary placement and honestly, I found her story encouraging. It was special to see a side of Mrs. Elliot that we never got to see before. The rawness, humane-ness and struggles of a new missionary. I look up to this woman so much, and to see her start fresh as a missionary with doubts, confusion, an attitude and insecurities, it was a wonderful thing.
I found myself walking away feeling encouraged. Not because she is a flawed human too, but because I don’t feel the need to be perfect. We see these saints and pray we will be like them. We feel we should be and strive and push to become the mostly saintly that we can. But when push comes to shove, we are human. To use another phrase, rome wasn’t built in a day. A saint with a heart fully yielded to the Lord did not happen over night. Elisabeth Elliot was not born the powerful and mighty woman of God that she was when she passed away at the age of 88. Her life was a journey. Her spiritual path was a rough trek at times, much like the roads she traversed in the Ecuadorian jungle. They were muddy, hard, exhausting, and a constant up and down.
But as the title indicates, we were made for the journey, not for the end result.
I hope you give this book a read. It will encourage your heart to be thankful and press on in the journey, because even though it’s hard, it isn’t always about the destination.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, and Interviews and Reviews, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
November 27, 2022
I "accidentally" read this right when I needed it. I don't have time to write about why...suffice it to say the Lord pointed me to it with His always impeccable timing.
Didn't love the narrator.
Didn't love the narrator.
October 29, 2011
This is not a Joel Olsten feel good gospel this is a Cross centered Gospel. So it is often is. Faith, prayer and obedience are our requirements, however, we are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world's woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether. To be a follower of the crucified means, sooner or later a personal ecounter with the cross. The cross always means loss. The essence of Christianity is sacrifice. I loved how Ms. Elliot always uses simplicty in her message and in her story. She is honest with the struggle of faith and the hardship of following Christ. This is account of her life is much like her novel I just read No Craven Image. She writes about the routine of ministry, her thoughts and what her focus is which is always the Gospel. The disappointments and discouragement along the way. How they ministered to the Indians by not changing them but by introducing Christ. I thought it was interesting how the catholic faith was at odds with her ministry and how they handled it. This account is really about faith and the simplicity of it. How we struggle with distraction and bring into focus the cross. The kind of faith that we can accept God's will and sovereignity in our lives.
February 3, 2020
4.5
While I’ve heard of Elisabeth Elliot and knew a bit of her story, I had not read anything written by her until picking up Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador—and oh, I’m glad I read this one. Elliot details her early missionary experience, and she does not hesitate to show her struggles, doubts, flaws, confusion, etc. It is not easy to remain on a journey when nothing seems to go as anticipated, but through it all, she still gains a better picture of who God is and how He works.
I appreciate Elliot’s honesty (and touches of humor) in Made for the Journey. It helps to bring this iconic Christian woman to life in vivid detail, and I couldn’t help feeling encouraged by her words.
This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a complimentary copy of Made for the Journey and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
While I’ve heard of Elisabeth Elliot and knew a bit of her story, I had not read anything written by her until picking up Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador—and oh, I’m glad I read this one. Elliot details her early missionary experience, and she does not hesitate to show her struggles, doubts, flaws, confusion, etc. It is not easy to remain on a journey when nothing seems to go as anticipated, but through it all, she still gains a better picture of who God is and how He works.
I appreciate Elliot’s honesty (and touches of humor) in Made for the Journey. It helps to bring this iconic Christian woman to life in vivid detail, and I couldn’t help feeling encouraged by her words.
This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a complimentary copy of Made for the Journey and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 22, 2019
Maybe actually five stars? I'm not sure. But I do really like this. I mean, the only word I can think of is... wow. Elizabeth's story, whenever I've heard pieces of it, never ceases to amaze me. This book is no exception. It's so interesting how differently God uses each person, the different paths he leads us on.
There's a lot to pull out of this little book and I do highly recommend it.
"And so it often is. Faith, prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world's woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether."
There's a lot to pull out of this little book and I do highly recommend it.
"And so it often is. Faith, prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world's woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether."
January 4, 2022
Nice, easy, and informative audio. I pretty much enjoy anything on Elisabeth Elliot.
December 17, 2018
This book brings back so much nostalgia for me. I used to read missionary books all. the. time. when I was 9-10, and it pleasantly surprised me by how similar it was to those books! I really enjoyed reading about Elisabeth’s experiences with the Ecuadorians. She’s one of my role models, and it was SO amazing and encouraging to see what God did in her life and CAN do in others’ lives too. What a good memoir. ❤
I didn’t find it as interesting as a typical fiction book, obviously. It definitely dragged at times and was a little boring, but I guess that’s what I should’ve expected, with it being a nonfiction memoir. 4 stars.
*FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.*
I didn’t find it as interesting as a typical fiction book, obviously. It definitely dragged at times and was a little boring, but I guess that’s what I should’ve expected, with it being a nonfiction memoir. 4 stars.
*FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.*
January 7, 2011
I don't think this is the Elisabeth Elliot book to start with. If you are already familiar with some of her story, you appreciate this much more. This is the account of her days among the Colorado Indians before she married Jim Elliot and before the account in "Through Gates of Splendor."
I love how she captures the everyday things in the cultures she lives in. She presents an honest look at life, including some of her frustrations and disappointments. We did this as a family read-aloud and everyone loved it. I recommend it.
I love how she captures the everyday things in the cultures she lives in. She presents an honest look at life, including some of her frustrations and disappointments. We did this as a family read-aloud and everyone loved it. I recommend it.
May 28, 2023
Short, simple and honest book. I am thankful to read it on the field. It felt like hearing a peer share their thoughts. A wiser, more faithful peer. I will read this many more times.
December 14, 2018
In this book by beloved missionary Elisabeth Elliot we get to walk in her shoes as she first experiences Ecuador for the first time, and she makes you feel like we are there with her.
We soon see all we take for granted, from running water to a meal, and not getting dry to living with creepy crawlies. From having a church service to competing with another church, you would never think that would happen.
All the while I’m reading I could see God’s hand on her life, and sweet but hard time, but a real page turner for me.
I received this book through Revel Reads, and was not required to give a positive review.
We soon see all we take for granted, from running water to a meal, and not getting dry to living with creepy crawlies. From having a church service to competing with another church, you would never think that would happen.
All the while I’m reading I could see God’s hand on her life, and sweet but hard time, but a real page turner for me.
I received this book through Revel Reads, and was not required to give a positive review.
February 22, 2023
Much to think about but I suspect that like the story of Job only God knows why things happen they way they do
January 15, 2019
Written with candid honesty, humour, and a gentle wisdom, "Made for the Journey" offers readers a compelling look at Elliot's first year of serving as a missionary. I knew of Elisabeth Elliot's many successes over the course of her life and of course the fate of her first husband, but I had never before encountered this glimpse of how her missionary journey began. I greatly appreciated her willingness to share her doubts and her struggles, and the painful lessons that God taught her as she sought to be obedient to where he was calling her. I found such encouragement in reading of her journey, because we can all wrestle at times with our calling in life, examining whether we are fulfilling our purpose or really making a difference for Jesus. "Made for the Journey" reminds me that God uses us perhaps because of our imperfections, that it is his power that is made perfect in our weakness and that success from God's perspective often looks so very different than we may expect. Elliot writes very well and in an engaging manner, and I am certain that despite the passage of time since this was written, it will appeal to people just as much as when the book was first released. I am so thankful that God gave her the humility to share of her past with such openness, for there is much to learn between the covers of this book!
Deeply convicting and inspirational, it is clear to me why Elizabeth Elliot's memoir has been republished for a new generation to discover. Her courage and her faith in following where God led her will long remain on my mind. I award this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Deeply convicting and inspirational, it is clear to me why Elizabeth Elliot's memoir has been republished for a new generation to discover. Her courage and her faith in following where God led her will long remain on my mind. I award this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
January 9, 2014
Simple and compelling, These Strange Ashes tells the story of Elisabeth Elliot's first year as a missionary. For many the life of a missionary is something mysterious, but as this book shows it is a life that is abnormal in some ways and yet surprisingly normal in others. Yet just like the normal Christian life it is filled with pain, loss, and unanswered questions that try one's faith. At least that's the way it was for Elisabeth Elliot. And once you let her begin to tell her tale, you won't want to put it down.
April 16, 2017
My 2 favorite thoughts in this book:
1. "It was my first experience in having to bow down before that which I cannot possibly explain. Usually we need not bow down. We can simply ignore the unexplainable because we have other things to occupy our minds... Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain. If God were God, if He were omnipotent, if He cared, would this happen?"
2. "Each separate experience of individual stripping, we may learn a fragment of the suffering Christ bore when He took it all...He had bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.This grief, sorrow and total loss that empties my hands and breaks my heart, I may, if I will accept, and by accepting it, I find my hands then have something to offer.And so I give it all to Him, who in this mysterious exchange gives Himself to me." ❣️
1. "It was my first experience in having to bow down before that which I cannot possibly explain. Usually we need not bow down. We can simply ignore the unexplainable because we have other things to occupy our minds... Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain. If God were God, if He were omnipotent, if He cared, would this happen?"
2. "Each separate experience of individual stripping, we may learn a fragment of the suffering Christ bore when He took it all...He had bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.This grief, sorrow and total loss that empties my hands and breaks my heart, I may, if I will accept, and by accepting it, I find my hands then have something to offer.And so I give it all to Him, who in this mysterious exchange gives Himself to me." ❣️
August 16, 2022
After reading Through the Gates of Splendor, I had to immediately pick up another book from Elisabeth Elliot. This portion of her story takes place before the death of her husband, chronicled in Through the Gates. I hadn't realized she spent time in Ecuador prior to marriage and so enjoyed her raw, vulnerable look at the life of a missionary translator. She didn't shy away from tackling doubt and the selfish desires that motivated her more than her calling. I love her writing style and the way she portrays genuine faith. I will for sure be working my way through all of her work
January 9, 2024
A quick read but packed with incredible stories. This would be a great book to gift a first time missionary or someone who is being stretched outside of their comfort zone. I wish I had read this before going to Hungary my first time.
November 18, 2021
Helpful to see Elizabeth Elliot is a human who had expectations unmet with ministry and God
August 16, 2015
This is an inspiring book, is is full of so many nuggets of wisdom, as well as an intriguing tale of a year of Elisabeth Elliots life, while she was single and working to form a written language of the Colorado Indians in the Ecuadorian Jungle. I kept a little notebook beside me as I read so I could write down thoughts and quotes.
I found it amazing that Elizabeth had problems so similar to myself, even though she was living in such different circumstances. She writes of how hard it is to know how to spend an individual hour, when there are so many things you could do but none that have to be done. What brings the most glory to God? Elizabeth decides that sometimes we are given gifts, things that we are to cherish and not sacrifice. We are to be joyful.
"We long for visible evidence of our effectiveness, and when it is not forthcoming, we are tempted to conclude that our efforts never had anything to do with the kingdom." Yet she goes on anyway, taking advantage of every opportunity. So should we.
I highly recommend this book, it is probably suited for older readers 16+, I think they would get the most from it, feel the most connection with Elizabeth, especially single young ladies. But younger people could read it to. There is a little gore... a few people die and one person has to have their head cut open to remove a bullet. Also if you do read this book you may want to know that a 'plantain' is a banana shaped fruit/vegetable/herb that is used like a potato, and not a weed that is generally not eaten.... which is what I know a plantain as.
I found it amazing that Elizabeth had problems so similar to myself, even though she was living in such different circumstances. She writes of how hard it is to know how to spend an individual hour, when there are so many things you could do but none that have to be done. What brings the most glory to God? Elizabeth decides that sometimes we are given gifts, things that we are to cherish and not sacrifice. We are to be joyful.
"We long for visible evidence of our effectiveness, and when it is not forthcoming, we are tempted to conclude that our efforts never had anything to do with the kingdom." Yet she goes on anyway, taking advantage of every opportunity. So should we.
I highly recommend this book, it is probably suited for older readers 16+, I think they would get the most from it, feel the most connection with Elizabeth, especially single young ladies. But younger people could read it to. There is a little gore... a few people die and one person has to have their head cut open to remove a bullet. Also if you do read this book you may want to know that a 'plantain' is a banana shaped fruit/vegetable/herb that is used like a potato, and not a weed that is generally not eaten.... which is what I know a plantain as.
January 1, 2019
First sentence: It is unsettling to me now to know that people who are making a tour of South America can take a short, easy side trip and see the Colorados.
This one was originally published as THESE STRANGE ASHES.
Made For the Journey is a memoir written by Elisabeth Elliot. In the book she recounts her first year as a missionary. This was before her marriage to Jim Elliot. Elisabeth worked with several other single women--some trained to be doctors/nurses--in a small jungle in Ecuador. Elisabeth's mission was to learn the language of the Colorados and translate the New Testament.
In the jungle, you might say, Elisabeth Elliot learned to wait. Things certainly weren't working according to her own time table.
In the book she shares the many lessons she learned--often the hard way--in the jungle during her first year.
The book brought to mind one section of Scripture.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10,11
I wish I'd read this book before reading her fiction novel, No Graven Image. If you do read Made for the Journey, it would be worth your time to seek out the other as well. The books complement one another well.
This one was originally published as THESE STRANGE ASHES.
Made For the Journey is a memoir written by Elisabeth Elliot. In the book she recounts her first year as a missionary. This was before her marriage to Jim Elliot. Elisabeth worked with several other single women--some trained to be doctors/nurses--in a small jungle in Ecuador. Elisabeth's mission was to learn the language of the Colorados and translate the New Testament.
In the jungle, you might say, Elisabeth Elliot learned to wait. Things certainly weren't working according to her own time table.
In the book she shares the many lessons she learned--often the hard way--in the jungle during her first year.
The book brought to mind one section of Scripture.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10,11
I wish I'd read this book before reading her fiction novel, No Graven Image. If you do read Made for the Journey, it would be worth your time to seek out the other as well. The books complement one another well.
March 7, 2017
A short quick read written in Elisabeth Elliot's typical blunt style, yet packed with so much insight and wisdom.
Elliot writes, "Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain." Her continuance in the race in the face of the tests that she recounts are a skeptic's evidence of, if not the truth, at least the power of the Cross.
Elliot does not end the book with an explanation of "these strange ashes" but of the result of the faith lessons. As she writes in the epilogue, "As we learn to know God, we learn that His ways are past finding out." That is one of the hardest things for humans to learn because we want to think we are capable of full understanding.
Also, more so than the other Elisabeth Elliot books I have read, this one gave a fuller picture of her missionary adventures: riding horses down ravines, sleeping outside, chasing horses, scabies, cooking failures, and snake sightings. I didn't really grasp how adventurous she was: "It was a good thing for me to remind myself of the reason because, on top of everything, it was really great fun. It was an adventure and held the thrill of adventure..."
But the wonderful thing about this book is that Elliot's life reflects adventure for a purpose-even if parts of that purpose remain invisible.
Elliot writes, "Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain." Her continuance in the race in the face of the tests that she recounts are a skeptic's evidence of, if not the truth, at least the power of the Cross.
Elliot does not end the book with an explanation of "these strange ashes" but of the result of the faith lessons. As she writes in the epilogue, "As we learn to know God, we learn that His ways are past finding out." That is one of the hardest things for humans to learn because we want to think we are capable of full understanding.
Also, more so than the other Elisabeth Elliot books I have read, this one gave a fuller picture of her missionary adventures: riding horses down ravines, sleeping outside, chasing horses, scabies, cooking failures, and snake sightings. I didn't really grasp how adventurous she was: "It was a good thing for me to remind myself of the reason because, on top of everything, it was really great fun. It was an adventure and held the thrill of adventure..."
But the wonderful thing about this book is that Elliot's life reflects adventure for a purpose-even if parts of that purpose remain invisible.
March 28, 2015
Elisabeth Elliot is one of my very favorite authors and I really loved reading this book where she shares openly of her first year as a missionary ministering to the Colorado Indians in Ecuador, before she was married.
I really loved this book. As Mrs. Elliot shares of her experiences of her first year as a missionary, she shares her struggles and triumphs, mistakes and failures and this book was very encouraging and eye-opening. This is definitely one of my favorite books. It's very amazing, awesome, and encouraging to read of God's mighty hand in the lives of the heroes and heroines of the faith!
I really loved this book. As Mrs. Elliot shares of her experiences of her first year as a missionary, she shares her struggles and triumphs, mistakes and failures and this book was very encouraging and eye-opening. This is definitely one of my favorite books. It's very amazing, awesome, and encouraging to read of God's mighty hand in the lives of the heroes and heroines of the faith!
January 22, 2017
I think this will become a book I will continue to find myself remembering and considering a long time from now.
This tiny book contained much concerning counting the cost of being a disciple of Jesus and what it means to have faith in spite of the circumstances. Without trying to, I found myself more thankful for the simple modern conveniences I usually take for granted such as electricity, running water, and reliable stoves. I pray I am able to withstand my own trials with faith in God's sovereignty and love for me and those around me.
This tiny book contained much concerning counting the cost of being a disciple of Jesus and what it means to have faith in spite of the circumstances. Without trying to, I found myself more thankful for the simple modern conveniences I usually take for granted such as electricity, running water, and reliable stoves. I pray I am able to withstand my own trials with faith in God's sovereignty and love for me and those around me.
May 26, 2013
A difficult book to read, not because of style or vocabulary, but because of the honesty of the struggles she explores. How does a Christian with a passion for faithful service to God navigate the times of violence, loss, and sense of abandonment that haunt our lives? Her conclusion is an encouragement, though; the faithful witness of Elisabeth Elliot's life only serves to confirm the conclusions she came to as a young woman eager to serve God.
January 3, 2019
Sit on a wooden bench (behind a goat) for a day long bus ride through the Andes. When the bus stops, the only way forward in 1952 is to rent a horse for an excursion over steep mountain trails with muddy puddles up to your knees. You’ll know you’ve reached the village of San Miguel de los Colorados because the large clearing before you is ringed by a number of small houses–and because your fellow missionaries open their doors in greeting.
This was the inauspicious beginning to Elisabeth Elliot’s famous missionary career. Those who have read Shadow of the Almighty or seen the Life Magazine accounts of her husband’s brutal death at the hands of an unreached people group know that Elliot became a sought after public speaker and her words reached literally millions via print and radio ministries. With her perfect diction, ironic humor, and crisp, no-nonsense delivery of gospel truth, she set the course for my following life and has influenced my teaching and my parenting like no one else, and yet her on-ramp to ministry was beset by disappointment and confusion and was characterized by nothing that would point to a future of success or influence.
These Strange Ashes was originally published in 1979, and when I read it during my early mothering years, it quickly became my favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s books, partly because of its realistic portrayal of the mundane (and sometimes simply boring!) nature of ministry life, and partly because of the titular reference to a poem in which Amy Carmichael writes about the experience of personal suffering that seems to come to nothing:
“But these strange ashes, Lord, this nothingness,
This baffling sense of loss?”
I hear in the anguished question a howl that expresses a broken heart and empty hands, but Elisabeth is quick to point out the “mysterious exchange” by which we offer this emptiness to God and receive back from Him the gift of Himself. Following the death of John Chau and in a season in which many believers seem to be disappointed that salvation has not arrived on Air Force One, Revell has re-released Elisabeth’s deeply personal account of her first year as a missionary under a new title, Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador with a foreword by Kay Warren. In a world in which Twitter and YouTube can bestow celebrity status upon anyone, it becomes a holy experience to read about “calling” in the sense that God “calls people who believe in Him to [go to] others who do not.” This “going” may be beset by what looks for all the world like “downward mobility” and, in Elisabeth’s case, entailed a good bit of what she referred to as “jungle housekeeping,” the making of a safe and livable dwelling in the midst of amoeba infested waters, plain and monotonous food choices, and often deep loneliness.
Taken from journal accounts and her own memory of her young adult self, Elliot comes across as restless and uncertain. Her evangelical roots have led her to expect that her “calling and election being sure,” she should expect resounding success in the jungle– success being defined as a written language for the people, a Bible translation in their brown hands, and a line up of converts to be trained and discipled. What she found instead was a self-sufficient people group, hidden from white culture and content to stay that way, who may have been living in “bondage, sorrow, and night,” but were not interested, “not in the least, in our definition of liberation.”
Confronted with four stunning set backs to her ministry in the jungles of Ecuador, it began to appear to Elisabeth that God had failed her. Given the opportunity to prove Himself strong before the Colorados, He chose to work in quiet and incomprehensible ways that looked, to Elisabeth’s young eyes, like the silence of betrayal. Those who struggle with the mysterious ways of God or who have experienced the anger and disappointment of feeling as if God is not to be trusted will find a surprising voice of comfort and collegiality in Elisabeth Elliot’s long, slow wait: waiting for help from the nationals with reducing their language to print, waiting for the local population to trust the missionary presence, waiting for a commitment from her fiance, Jim Elliot, that would allow them to marry and minister together.
When God does not “cooperate” with our vision of success or yield to our will for Him, the believer is left to yield her own will to a story arc that may eventually untangle itself in the passing of years–or it may not. In characteristic Elisabeth Elliot fashion, the veteran missionary looks back with clear eyes on her youthful disappointment and derives bracing counsel for us in our days of uncertainty.
Whether or not God chooses to reveal His plans to us, “faith, prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world’s woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether.” Our assignment, then, becomes a fierce cooperation with God that brings our hearts into alignment with His to the point that this other world becomes more valuable to us than the one we can see with our own eyes.
Many thanks to Revell for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.
This was the inauspicious beginning to Elisabeth Elliot’s famous missionary career. Those who have read Shadow of the Almighty or seen the Life Magazine accounts of her husband’s brutal death at the hands of an unreached people group know that Elliot became a sought after public speaker and her words reached literally millions via print and radio ministries. With her perfect diction, ironic humor, and crisp, no-nonsense delivery of gospel truth, she set the course for my following life and has influenced my teaching and my parenting like no one else, and yet her on-ramp to ministry was beset by disappointment and confusion and was characterized by nothing that would point to a future of success or influence.
These Strange Ashes was originally published in 1979, and when I read it during my early mothering years, it quickly became my favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s books, partly because of its realistic portrayal of the mundane (and sometimes simply boring!) nature of ministry life, and partly because of the titular reference to a poem in which Amy Carmichael writes about the experience of personal suffering that seems to come to nothing:
“But these strange ashes, Lord, this nothingness,
This baffling sense of loss?”
I hear in the anguished question a howl that expresses a broken heart and empty hands, but Elisabeth is quick to point out the “mysterious exchange” by which we offer this emptiness to God and receive back from Him the gift of Himself. Following the death of John Chau and in a season in which many believers seem to be disappointed that salvation has not arrived on Air Force One, Revell has re-released Elisabeth’s deeply personal account of her first year as a missionary under a new title, Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador with a foreword by Kay Warren. In a world in which Twitter and YouTube can bestow celebrity status upon anyone, it becomes a holy experience to read about “calling” in the sense that God “calls people who believe in Him to [go to] others who do not.” This “going” may be beset by what looks for all the world like “downward mobility” and, in Elisabeth’s case, entailed a good bit of what she referred to as “jungle housekeeping,” the making of a safe and livable dwelling in the midst of amoeba infested waters, plain and monotonous food choices, and often deep loneliness.
Taken from journal accounts and her own memory of her young adult self, Elliot comes across as restless and uncertain. Her evangelical roots have led her to expect that her “calling and election being sure,” she should expect resounding success in the jungle– success being defined as a written language for the people, a Bible translation in their brown hands, and a line up of converts to be trained and discipled. What she found instead was a self-sufficient people group, hidden from white culture and content to stay that way, who may have been living in “bondage, sorrow, and night,” but were not interested, “not in the least, in our definition of liberation.”
Confronted with four stunning set backs to her ministry in the jungles of Ecuador, it began to appear to Elisabeth that God had failed her. Given the opportunity to prove Himself strong before the Colorados, He chose to work in quiet and incomprehensible ways that looked, to Elisabeth’s young eyes, like the silence of betrayal. Those who struggle with the mysterious ways of God or who have experienced the anger and disappointment of feeling as if God is not to be trusted will find a surprising voice of comfort and collegiality in Elisabeth Elliot’s long, slow wait: waiting for help from the nationals with reducing their language to print, waiting for the local population to trust the missionary presence, waiting for a commitment from her fiance, Jim Elliot, that would allow them to marry and minister together.
When God does not “cooperate” with our vision of success or yield to our will for Him, the believer is left to yield her own will to a story arc that may eventually untangle itself in the passing of years–or it may not. In characteristic Elisabeth Elliot fashion, the veteran missionary looks back with clear eyes on her youthful disappointment and derives bracing counsel for us in our days of uncertainty.
Whether or not God chooses to reveal His plans to us, “faith, prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world’s woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether.” Our assignment, then, becomes a fierce cooperation with God that brings our hearts into alignment with His to the point that this other world becomes more valuable to us than the one we can see with our own eyes.
Many thanks to Revell for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.
January 3, 2009
If you're struggling to understand why you've lost somthing that seems good, read this book. Disappointment and trial were part of Elisabeth Elliot's life. She learned to look to God, not merely block out the pain, and discovered that He truly does give beauty for ashes.
February 14, 2012
This was a quick read about the 1st year of Elizabeth Elliott's calling as a missionary. It wasn't overly spiritual/dense but still thought-provoking. Opened my eyes to the lives of an unreached people group and the challenges faced by missionaries in that kind of setting.
July 31, 2012
A wonderfully written book in which Elisabeth Elliot tells the story of her first year of missionary service and the lessons she learned regarding the sovereignty of God. I've had this book for years, and it's been a long time since I read it. I'm glad I read it again.
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