It’s usually tough to sit through a missionary presentation without feeling a stirring in your soul…like maybe God’s been calling you to the mission field but you haven’t been listening. We can get swept away by the missionary’s passion for evangelism, and perhaps mistake it for our own. Oftentimes, we leave with our hearts on fire and a promise to go wherever He send us.
And if your best friend announces his engagement on the day your sister marries your former boyfriend, and the next day a handsome Russian missionary says he needs you, you might sign up to teach English for a year…in Moscow.
That’s exactly what Josey Berglund does in Everything’s Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren. The book follows Josey from the day of her sister’s wedding through her missionary application process and her year in Moscow. The journey is a hilarious, heart-wrenching search for confidence in God and in her calling.
Josey approaches the mission field with much the same attitude as I might. It doesn’t matter that she’s going to teach English to Russians, though she doesn’t speak Russian. She’s even a little smug that she’s making such a noble sacrifice for the Kingdom, until reality hits and the enormity of the sacrifice becomes clear. No television, a not-so-spiritual roommate, and a stove that she can’t figure out are just some of the obstacles that Josey must overcome. The largest hurdle, by far, is her relationship with her best friend, Chase. Her confusion over her feelings consumes much of her time and energy, even after she starts dating the gorgeous Vovka.
Josey navigates this unfamiliar territory without much grace, but with a lot of spunk. Warren gives us a glimpse of the practical aspect of the mission field, and a warning against leaping before we look.
If you’re looking for a way to beat the summer heat, a trip to Moscow with Josey just may be what you need.
Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia and at Breath of Life.
This review is linked to Semicolon’s Saturday Review of Books. Link up your own reviews, or just click over and read what everyone else reviewed this week.
I really enjoyed this book. Josey really does want to get it right, but she manages to mess up so often. Kinda reminds me of myself! 🙂
I loved this book and the one that followed. I just got the third book the other day and can’t wait to read it!
I would love to read this…another for must-read booklist! Thanks for the review!