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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unique Insights & Reflection, December 13, 2002
"May the urgent things in life never get in the way of the important things." ~Trey
When four friends graduate from Westmont College in Santa Barbara and decided to change their focus, they find themselves considering the possibilities of a worldwide odyssey in search of a meaningful existence. Through their experiences they see the world in an entirely new way. Not only do they find themselves developing a heightened spiritual awareness, they find out what makes life truly important. They want their lives to have some eternal significance.
If you haven't traveled the world, you might not realize the absolute luxury of your life in America. If you have traveled the world, you may already realize that physical poverty does not equal poverty of the soul and physical health and wealth does not equal richness of spirit.
If you are looking for the larger picture, the meaning in life or think of life as a journey, you will enjoy this book. "Four Souls" chronicles a spiritual and literal journey around the globe. Mike, Matt, Jedd and Trey live and work with locals around the world. In each country they touch lives and encourage people who have varied religious beliefs. Their focus is not on one religion, but rather they bring a new sense of adventure to living a life with meaning and purpose and according to the principles of Christ.
They travel to:
Mexico
Guatamala
Russia
Egypt
South Africa
India
Bangladesh
Thailand
Vietnam
Through their travels, conversations, journaling, and real-life cultural experiences they have the dawning realization that the Epic life is the type of life that makes each day worth waking up for. This journey is just part of the process of turning them into the type of men they want to be.
"Snowflakes flurried in the darkness. Whereas the jungles and hills of Guatemala had teemed with movement and noise, chatter and kaleidoscopic color, these ancient forests smothered all sounds beneath their snows. But this realm did not feel less alive. It felt more so, like diving into a lake on a frost-covered morning. There was none of the mental dizziness caused by tropical haze and drowsy warmth. We felt as awake and sharp as the edge of a razor." pg. 106
The writing is often vivid and describes moments with fascinating creativity which shows great powers of observation. Throughout the book, journal sections explore the philosophical ideas each considers while traveling to unique places in the mind as well as the world. They compare the values and culture in America with how unique values are expressed overseas.
Their journey is complicated by overwhelming challenges. First, they must drive through hurricane damaged roads in order to get to Guatemala. They then narrowly escape the eruption of Mount Etna which wreaked havoc on the Sicilian countryside.
To add to the stress of the situation, they leave on their mission with less than the amount needed to complete the trip. They are ten thousand dollars short of their expected budget and then they have many unexpected expenses to deal with along the way. They must deal with corrupt governments, a riot in South Africa, crime and even guerrilla warfare.
They soon realize that America is thought of as a mythical land across the sea and that we have so much while the rest of the world struggles in impoverished conditions. Yet, as they travel, they find that hospitality is given in its purest form, that people live in the moment and the search for wealth is not as important as an emphasis on the beauty of human relationships.
There is also a moment of innocent romance where one of the friends gets a crush on a Russian girl. I loved the descriptions of the cuisine in each country and how the authors brought a sense of culture to each chapter.
"I would have thought that living without the conveniences of electricity, running water, or a car would give one less time for relationships. Surprisingly, I have found the opposite to be true. Wealth and material things so often detract from time for relationships. The complexities that come with more possessions-even while making life more convenient-often bind people to having bad relationships rather than free them to have good ones." -Matt
"What I saw today was just a minor incident, but I think it says a lot about the turmoil that South Africa is going through at this time." -Mike
"If Jesus is who He claimed to be, through, He is the Master of life! From what I've seen in those who really seek to follow Him, living as He taught leads to the epic life I want so badly-not necessarily life without trials, but one full of purpose even in the ordinary moments of everyday life." -Jedd
"Through this trip, we've experienced what an incredible gift it is to be taken in and taken care of. There's just nothing that conveys love and acceptance like an open home and hearth." -Trey
If you enjoy looking at life from unique perspectives, you will enjoy the "reflection sections" which are excerpts from each friend's journal. These sections give each author a moment in the chapters to express their thoughts at a unique moment in time. There are also pictures throughout the book, bringing a creative "travel journal" element to the work.
"Four Souls: A Search For Epic Life" will awaken in you the desire to reach new heights of awareness within yourself and show you there is still good in the world. You may also feel compelled to take this new awareness and channel it into practical ideas that could touch the lives of those you reach out to.
Reading this book made me feel closer to God and made me realize how much God wants to show his love to others, through us. This book will change you and in a few hours you will feel you have gained a new insight into the purpose of life.
~The Rebecca Review
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Odyssey With Purpose, November 8, 2001
When I was a little tyke -- growing up in Portland, Oregon in the 1960s -- I remember riding in the back seat of our old Buick Special station wagon and speaking those four words all parents hate to hear come whining up to the front: "ARE WE THERE YET?" I guess it's hard to have "joy in the journey" when you're five and living Happy Meal to Happy Meal.But while "ARE WE THERE YET?" may be the accepted mantra of car-bound toddlerhood, if we're still droning out those four words as we move into adulthood, we'll never discover that life was meant to be much more than the safe arrival at a series of destinations -- but that as T.S. Eliot said, real life, abundant life, epic life is about "discovering the meaning behind our experiences." In their book "Four Souls", Trey, Matt, Mike and Jedd tell the story of how their "trip around the world" led them to discover some of what they were looking for and all of what they longed for. Are you tired of "self-help" books whose first-person narratives of angst and unearthing leave your soul more bare than it was before turning the first page? Then think about giving "Four Souls" a chance. I have a feeling it just might speak to you the way it's been speaking to me: with clarity, confrontation, and compassion. Coming across a compass while you're lost in the woods would be the find of a lifetime. Gregg Lamm / How blessed are those in whom God lives, whose lives become roads God travels. - Psalm 84:5 / paraphrase
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating book!, October 17, 2001
By A Customer
This might be the best Christian book I have ever read. These four friends travelled all over the globe meeting up with local Christians in each country and joining them in whatever work they were doing. Along the way, they stumbled across some amazing testimonies from believers in far off corners of the world. The book shows that the kingdom of heaven is very much alive and advancing even in the face of brutal persecution, gripping poverty, corrupt governments and all sorts of other obstacles. The authors did not travel as part of an established, structured missionary program, but instead they made plans on their own and managed to find "contacts" in every country. This made their trip much more risky and spontaneous. Their stories are simply fascinating. For much of the book, I felt like I was a companion on their journey. Some stories made me laugh out loud, and others brought me near to tears. Overall, my faith in God and perspective of certain American values have both been changed for the better.
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