Customer Reviews

Reckless Faith: Let Go and Be Led

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I first met Beth and her husband Todd seven years ago on a mission trip to Mexico. This was six years after they founded their orphan care ministry (<a href="http://www.back2backministries.com/">Back2Back Ministries</a>) in Monterrey. Upon first hearing them share their heart for the ministry, I was hooked. I've been back 5 to Monterrey five times since. The Guckenberger's passion for children is coupled with a deep understanding of God's care for the least and the lost, and it has spilled over into a ministry much bigger than themselves, with over 30 staff in four countries. Really exciting stuff.

I just returned from a Back2Back trip, and so I am likely not the most objective reviewer of the book. Nevertheless, I'll give it a go.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Reckless Faith</span> isn't a memoir so much, as a collection of stories (or vignettes) from the Guckenberger's experiences in orphan care ministry. Though personal stories, they are accessible to those who have no experience with their ministry or Mexico. Having heard Beth speak before, I went into the book knowing it would be a good read with gripping stories. But I was pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful and poignant her prescriptive statements were. Every short story is coupled with a reflection and an application. Though challenging in every way, Guckenberger manages to avoid the trap that many books written by missionaries fall into -- offering applications unattainable by the average working person. Beth's thoughts are inspiring, but also doable, whether you are caring for oprhans in Mexico or sitting behind a desk in Cincinnati.

I highly recommend this book. It's a short, quick read, and would make a great gift. It also would read well on a beach chair during your vacation.

I really enjoyed this book. The stories of God's intervention in the lives of these Mexican children are very heartwarming, but also eyeopening to the conditions there. The stories really illustrate how we can benefit from stopping our endless planning and just trusting God to provide. He will exceed our wildest dreams!

I read this book (on my kindle) in just under a day. We had signed up to go to B2B Mexico to visit some friends that live on the campus there that Beth & Todd are at and I wanted to read it before we got there. It is a fantastic book. Beth is a great story teller in person and in print. She writes about their journey and some of the people they met along the way. We actually met some of the people that she wrote about. I highly recommend having a paper copy of this book (not just kindle) so that you can loan it out when you are done. I just ordered 2 paper copies to pass off. If you ever have the chance to hear her talk in person do it!

This book inspired my husband and I to be more involved as well. We look forward to going back to Monterrey.

Beth & Todd were just 2 kids really that didn't know what they signed up for when they moved to Mexico.

Follow their example! Be reckless!

Reckless Faith is an amazing book that I've read and shared with many friends. Having had the opportunity to visit the missionary location where the author resides I was even more touched by the book and the stories that I experienced first hand. Beth and her husband Todd truly have a passion for loving these otherwise unloved children and that comes through clearly in her book. It will challenge YOU to Let Go and Be Led by God into your own mission fields whether they be where you are now or where you are being led to go.

This book has been loved by lots of us in my church's adoption and orphan care ministry. When I first read it, my husband and I were in the midst of an international adoption process that has since been met with a closed door, so hearing Beth's firsthand accounts of her work with orphans moved my heart in a very personal way. Anyone with a heart for the orphan will be inspired by the stories of God's "showing up and showing off" in the work of her ministry in Mexico. But this book deals with the bigger theme of faith, and that is relevant for everyone. With each page I turned, I enjoyed seeing the Lord through Beth's eyes. As she shares His faithfulness and describes her own process of growing in the Lord through the times she's stepped outside of her own plans and her own comfort zone and into the reckless place of real faith, my own faith was stretched and my own desire to be less comfortable and more risk-taking and reckless for Jesus increased. Absolutely read this book!

An excellent read for someone who wants to follow God wherever and however He leads. The stories shared by Beth touched my heart. I highly recommend this book for missionaries and others who want to "live all out" putting all of their faith in God Almighty!

This book starts strong and finishes stronger by giving you one of the most simple yet accurate definitions of "vision" I have seen in all the "how to lead, manage" books I read over the years. Furthermore, while reading this book, I was convinced that ministry does not mean I must travel to Mexico but starting right where I am right now and listen for further instructions is the correct path to take.

I purchased this book for my daughter, she is currently in college where the writer made a campus visit and inspired my daughter. Wonderful purchase.

I loved this book. It is so genuine. The stories are inspiring but oh-so-real. It's not just a bunch of spiritual platitudes - it's also about believing in a greater plan when we can't see the big picture. This book was fantastic. I would recommend this book to anyone concerned with the plight of orphans. Loved it!

When I picked up this book, I was expecting to read just another book about a Christian family doing the will of God. But when I finished reading the book, I had realized I cried several times from the honesty and truth of God in the lives of the Guckenbergers. This book is an incredible story of the lives of one couple-Todd and Beth Guckenberger-and how they started an orphanage in Mexico. It's encouraging, inspiring, and exactly what many of us need.