These Strange Ashes: Is God Still in Charge? [Paperback]

Elisabeth Elliot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1998

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.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Elliot, author of numerous books (including A Path Through Suffering) as well as a conference speaker and host of the "Gateway to Joy" radio program, treats readers to more than a bare-bones description of her first year (1952) as a missionary to the Colorado Indians in Equador. Elliot tells her experience so vividly that readers will likely envision the cockroaches climbing the walls, the next-door latrine field's noxious odor, the fight against food spoilage, rusting utensils and molding walls. More acute, however, than these descriptions are the many spiritual lessons and feelings of inner gratification that she found in this jungle setting. The author speaks freely of her own joys as well as her heartfelt struggles to accept losses in life, in materials, in work. Although she encounters many obstacles in her mission to translate the Colorado language into written form, she is able to complete a substantial body of work by year's end. In her own engaging, plainspoken style, Elliot concludes each chapter with a spiritual insight she gained from the event recounted.

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

In this deeply personal account of her first year as a missionary, Elisabeth Elliot shares what it was like to work in the jungles of Ecuador with a small group of women, bringing the Word of God to the Colorado Indians. With fascinating detail, she captures the stark realities of life among this primitive people and reflects upon the "strange ashes" that can result when an act of obedience is passed through the fires of God's perfect--yet mysterious--will.

These Strange Ashes is more than a remarkable sharing of a year in the life of a Christian missionary; it is a reflection on the great questions of life and a memorable testimony to the realities of authentic Christian commitment. First published over twenty years ago, this updated edition includes the author's candid observations about that first year of ministry and how that experience continues to affect her life today. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Vine Books (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569550964
• ISBN-13: 978-1569550960
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,322,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Ecuador

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless reminder that God works through people, His way., September 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: These Strange Ashes: Is God Still in Charge? (Paperback)

Out of print for many years, "These Strange Ashes" now returns as a classic of Christian missions. Written by an author better known for books about her husband Jim Elliot's well-publicized martyrdom in the 1950's, this book reviews Elisabeth's earlier mission work as a single woman deep in the South American jungle. Far from a rosy or simple story, Elliot honestly shares her struggles, frustrations and confusion when God acted contrary to the way she thought He ought. This is a "must read" for anyone who deeply cares about Christian missions.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's earned my respect, April 28, 2006

By 

Cindy (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: These Strange Ashes: Is God Still in Charge? (Paperback)

I've always thought Elisabeth Elliot was an exceptional woman. But after reading this book, I have a new found respect for her. It is easy to say God is sovereign.But when you have sacrificed the comforts of modern life and served God on his terms, you earn a whole new level of respect. This is an encouraging book. I am not a missionary, but a homeschooling mom. And this book spoke to my heart. Ms. Elliot speaks of four lessons of faith. They are bedrock. The last paragraph says, "Christ is sufficient. We do not need support groups for each and every separate tribulation. The most widely divergent sorrows may all be taken to the foot of the same old rugged cross and find there cleansing, peace and joy." It is so easy to be overwhelmed with life's situations, to think I am in a rut. This book is an uplifting reminder that we are not to be knocked off course by lifes trials. But to look at them as an opportunity for God to once again prove that his grace is sufficient.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC FROM THE OUT-OF-PRINT ARCHIVES, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: These Strange Ashes: Is God Still in Charge? (Paperback)

This book is awesome!In it Elizabeth shares the details of her first missionary trip.I have the original version which was a hardback published a long time ago.This is a great book for anyone who would like or might take a mission trip.Elliot paints a picture with class using her gift with words found on the pages of her other books.