This is the story of "a family of six, two of them sick children, [who] move into a beaten up chalet in a tiny mountain village without even a living-room...and pray that God will send them the people to talk to! They 'bury' themselves as far as this world's standards go, and should never be heard of again. And as they pray, the people come; the room is finally packed with fifty; doors are taken off and sixty are included within earshot; the chapel holds over 150 now and then some on balconies and steps. God has pushed out the walls in a very real way." (pg.228) This is the story of L'Abri (the French word for "shelter"), a Christian "think-tank" of sorts, located in the Swiss mountains among a grouping of chalets. It is the story of a work that only God could start, breaking down the barriers of local politics, working miraculously in the hearts of high-up officials in the country to secure long-term visas for the family after they'd been told they would have to leave the country in two weeks. There are many other instances of times of prayer and seeing that prayer answered by a living God! There were times when circumstances looked impossible, but in the end, God worked to make their ministry even farther reaching than the Schaeffers ever dreamed.
So, why do people visit L'Abri? In Edith's own words, "They have one main thing in common...most of them are truly serious in seeking the answers to the basic questions which bother any thinking person. Although they come from backgrounds and beliefs which can be diametrically opposed, there is the searching, the 'seeking' which is in some measure present in each one there." (pg.14) I enjoyed Edith's writing style, very journalistic (as in "keeping a journal") and yet flowed so nicely. Here is a sample from the beginning of a chapter, talking about the many surprises that they encountered in their work. "The thing about real life is that important events don't announce themselves. Trumpets don't blow, drums don't beat to let you know you are going to meet the most important person you've ever met, or read the most important thing you are ever going to read, or have the most important conversation you are ever going to have, or spend the most important week you are ever going to spend. Usually something that is going to change your whole life is a memory before you can stop and be impressed about it." (pg.53)
Like any ministry, L'Abri isn't perfect and the community there is no utopia, but what an encouragement is has been for me to read this story, to be reminded that I serve a personal, living God and Father who does indeed care about me, and His Word, the Bible, does contain all the answers!
~~Highly recommended
Tyndale House Publishers, 1972
