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volson12's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fantastic nonfiction read. A few things that make it great:
- The timeline makes sense
- The spiritual content adds to the story
- The background information (Dr. Brantley’s early life, etc.) is helpful for understanding who he is as a person
- Ultimately a very uplifting story.
Personally, I love reading nonfiction books about things I’ve watched on the news. Even better when they’re written by people who were there. This book definitely falls into this category. Dr. Brantley’s humbleness, bravery and faith are admirable.
- The timeline makes sense
- The spiritual content adds to the story
- The background information (Dr. Brantley’s early life, etc.) is helpful for understanding who he is as a person
- Ultimately a very uplifting story.
Personally, I love reading nonfiction books about things I’ve watched on the news. Even better when they’re written by people who were there. This book definitely falls into this category. Dr. Brantley’s humbleness, bravery and faith are admirable.
pianist44's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This is an inspiring nonfiction story.
nestersue's review against another edition
5.0
Great book start to finish. Brought me to tears more than once. A true reminder of what compassion and loving your neighbor truly means. God is good.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, my five point review:
In a word, this book was captivating. Like many Americans, I followed Kent’s story-and the Ebola epidemic–closely. Unlike many Americans, this felt personal to me. When I was in grad school focusing on African Studies and Library Science at Indiana University, I worked for over three years in the Liberian Collections, an archive dedicated to the preservation of Liberian memory and records. During those years, I met many Liberians, learned about their history and culture, and immersed myself in working to preserve their history. By the time Ebola became international news, I was already living and working in Nashville and all I could think was… something else for Liberia?!? First all the years of war… then all the reconstruction… and now this? I was heartbroken for Liberia and her people and just could see the future, and all that will have to take place to rebuild the country–reputation and all. The story also felt personal because of the local connection. Kent is also from Indiana and went to medical school at the IU campus in Indianapolis. So reading this book was a no-brainer. I just didn’t expect to be captivated by this encouraging and heartbreaking story like I was.
Unlike some current history-type memoirs, Called for Life didn’t seem to be sloppy or rushed. I was impressed with the level of care, attention, and detail that seemed to go into the writing and production of this book. The maps were great to help situate readers in Liberia and along the coast of Africa. There was also a good deal of background information about Ebola, Liberia, and medical missions which is helpful to most readers. The timeline did jump around, so it was hard to follow at times, though that did get sorted out by the end. Dates at the beginning of each chapter/subsection would have been helpful.
As a Christian called to serve others and share the gospel AND also as an academic who has spent close to a decade learning about Africa, I have long had mixed feelings about international missions, good deeds, and foreign aid, so the ethical part of this book was fascinating. In fact, when Ebola was front-page news and Kent was sick, I spent quite a bit of time reading about the ethics behind his treatment [receiving experimental drugs, being transported out of Liberia to one of the most advanced medical facilities in the world]. It is such a hard subject. Why should Americans receive this kind of care while many Africans died? Why should a medical professional be more privileged than the thousands of others who also suffered–and died–from Ebola? And I don’t have an answer, except to say what the title of this book says: that for whatever reason, God called Kent for life and this–the drugs, the flight, the top-notch care–was how He did it. I wondered if [or how] Kent would address it in this book, and thought he did a wonderful job. He discussed these very concepts in depth throughout the last chapter, and in snippets throughout the book. He came across as very humble and grateful, thankful to the Lord. I know this will be a portion of the book and possibly my review that people who are not Christians may not understand or may not agree with, so I just wanted to say that I know where you are coming from. If you want to discuss it with me, I would be happy to do so. I appreciated how Kent grappled with this and would encourage everyone to read the last chapter of this book before brushing off his story as one of privilege.
Aside from being captivating, encouraging, and heartbreaking, this book was also convicting. How do I love my neighbors? How do I serve others? What more could I do if I was willing to follow the Lord more closely? The Brantly family is a great example of this and their story encourages me to pursue this more in my life.
All in all, a great book! I read Called for Life in one sitting on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and immediately texted my mom to see if she wanted to read it next. I have a feeling I’ll be recommending it to many people in the future. It would be a great Christmas gift for anyone interested in faith-based memoirs, medicine, missions, or Africa. Hope you can find a copy soon!
Disclosure: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher, Crown Publishers, for the chance to read this great book!
In a word, this book was captivating. Like many Americans, I followed Kent’s story-and the Ebola epidemic–closely. Unlike many Americans, this felt personal to me. When I was in grad school focusing on African Studies and Library Science at Indiana University, I worked for over three years in the Liberian Collections, an archive dedicated to the preservation of Liberian memory and records. During those years, I met many Liberians, learned about their history and culture, and immersed myself in working to preserve their history. By the time Ebola became international news, I was already living and working in Nashville and all I could think was… something else for Liberia?!? First all the years of war… then all the reconstruction… and now this? I was heartbroken for Liberia and her people and just could see the future, and all that will have to take place to rebuild the country–reputation and all. The story also felt personal because of the local connection. Kent is also from Indiana and went to medical school at the IU campus in Indianapolis. So reading this book was a no-brainer. I just didn’t expect to be captivated by this encouraging and heartbreaking story like I was.
Unlike some current history-type memoirs, Called for Life didn’t seem to be sloppy or rushed. I was impressed with the level of care, attention, and detail that seemed to go into the writing and production of this book. The maps were great to help situate readers in Liberia and along the coast of Africa. There was also a good deal of background information about Ebola, Liberia, and medical missions which is helpful to most readers. The timeline did jump around, so it was hard to follow at times, though that did get sorted out by the end. Dates at the beginning of each chapter/subsection would have been helpful.
As a Christian called to serve others and share the gospel AND also as an academic who has spent close to a decade learning about Africa, I have long had mixed feelings about international missions, good deeds, and foreign aid, so the ethical part of this book was fascinating. In fact, when Ebola was front-page news and Kent was sick, I spent quite a bit of time reading about the ethics behind his treatment [receiving experimental drugs, being transported out of Liberia to one of the most advanced medical facilities in the world]. It is such a hard subject. Why should Americans receive this kind of care while many Africans died? Why should a medical professional be more privileged than the thousands of others who also suffered–and died–from Ebola? And I don’t have an answer, except to say what the title of this book says: that for whatever reason, God called Kent for life and this–the drugs, the flight, the top-notch care–was how He did it. I wondered if [or how] Kent would address it in this book, and thought he did a wonderful job. He discussed these very concepts in depth throughout the last chapter, and in snippets throughout the book. He came across as very humble and grateful, thankful to the Lord. I know this will be a portion of the book and possibly my review that people who are not Christians may not understand or may not agree with, so I just wanted to say that I know where you are coming from. If you want to discuss it with me, I would be happy to do so. I appreciated how Kent grappled with this and would encourage everyone to read the last chapter of this book before brushing off his story as one of privilege.
Aside from being captivating, encouraging, and heartbreaking, this book was also convicting. How do I love my neighbors? How do I serve others? What more could I do if I was willing to follow the Lord more closely? The Brantly family is a great example of this and their story encourages me to pursue this more in my life.
All in all, a great book! I read Called for Life in one sitting on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and immediately texted my mom to see if she wanted to read it next. I have a feeling I’ll be recommending it to many people in the future. It would be a great Christmas gift for anyone interested in faith-based memoirs, medicine, missions, or Africa. Hope you can find a copy soon!
Disclosure: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher, Crown Publishers, for the chance to read this great book!
mlindsey441's review against another edition
3.0
So conflicted. So very, very conflicted. About 25% of my way into this book, I wanted to abandon it. I felt like I was listening to an Good Morning America interview -- many parts of this book didn't read like a story and had that disjointed feeling that I often find in my student's writing when they attempt to write a paper by just answering a list of question prompts. This disjointed reading experience was heightened by the decision to move back and forth between Kent and Amber's point of view. While I do think some readers will find Amber's experience to be interesting and may want to hear her thoughts, it felt like a distraction to the story -- kind of like -- okay, now it is time to hear from the wife. Obviously this would have been a terrifying experience for her and their children, but it didn't add enough to the story line to warrant the pages dedicated to it. I was also frustrated and a little bored with the need for us to hear their falling-in-love story. Yes, it helped make the book get to 200 pages, but I would have liked to have heard more about Liberia, the culture, the people, the medical situation there. There were also some timeline issues and I found myself lost in time more than once. Fortunately I was reading a hard copy of the book so I could flip back to sections to reread portions to orient myself to the exact order of events.
That's the bad. On the other side of this I have a high level of respect for Kent and others like him. Their willingness to serve in areas that many people would run away from inspires me. I appreciated his willingness to allow the world into his private suffering from an illness that humiliates the body. His vulnerability with his readers is admirable. He did not have to share this with us, but I am grateful that he did. I just wish greater care had been taken with the telling of his story. This could have been a five star book for me -- and instead I found myself at moments wanting to give it only one.
That's the bad. On the other side of this I have a high level of respect for Kent and others like him. Their willingness to serve in areas that many people would run away from inspires me. I appreciated his willingness to allow the world into his private suffering from an illness that humiliates the body. His vulnerability with his readers is admirable. He did not have to share this with us, but I am grateful that he did. I just wish greater care had been taken with the telling of his story. This could have been a five star book for me -- and instead I found myself at moments wanting to give it only one.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
I admit to some surprise, and then surprise at my surprise, that Kent Brantly's story is in book form already. Oh, it was only a matter of time, but I suppose there's a part of me that wishes the publishers had waited until the Ebola crisis is over—there's something uncomfortable about a book talking about how lucky they were when Ebola's still a threat in parts of West Africa.*
In any case...here we go. Well done as a book, though sometimes with that stilted 'ghostwriter' tone. I would have liked a clearer timeline—I struggled to piece together things like how long he was in Liberia after diagnosis and how long he was in hospital in the U.S. But I'm more interested in some of the insights on working in a hospital full of patients with Ebola:
Brantly was, when he and his family went to Liberia, relatively untried as a doctor. I do not mean unqualified—only that he'd gone from med school to residency to a post-residency spot, and then straight into missionary work in Liberia. It must have been tremendously difficult to accept the lack of power the doctors had to save their patients from Ebola; of all those Brantly and his colleagues treated, only one survived. One. I know other areas have had lower mortality rates, so I don't know why these rates were so high or if they later went down at that hospital—was it a particularly violent strain? Was the hospital under-equipped in a way that made a difference? Brantly doesn't speculate. He does say this:
Fair enough—sometimes death with dignity is all you can do. But still, yes, must have been hard.
And on mission work, and his faith, he says this (well, and a lot more, but let's leave it at this for now):
I highlight that first quotation because the mind boggles. I mean, yes, it's good that they didn't consider themselves divinely protected. What surprises me is that that made it into the book—that enough people might have thought they did think themselves divinely protected that they addressed it. (I wonder how that came about—did the ghostwriter ask? Had others?)
The second two quotations I pull out for a different reason. The one on page 78 relieved me, if I'm honest; the one on 79 made me think...well, that his view might be a bit rose-coloured. Appropriate boundaries, hurray. But not everyone has them. (I'm reminded of a conversation I heard a few years ago in which one of the participants was a hospital director from Sudan. It's a long story, longer than I want to write out here and tangential anyway, but the upshot was that he viewed the primary purpose of treating non-Christians at his hospital to be to convert them.)
But I digress. Some other interesting tidbits: I believed that if I did have Ebola, I would feel worse than I did, he says (104) while waiting for test results. I found this quite funny, in a way, because as a doctor, he knew better: he'd earlier commented (62) that a patient who had tested positive for Ebola seemed to think the same way—it hadn't hit home because he felt okay. (Doctors, they're just like us!) And then the mention of logistics with getting out of Liberia—that the insurance company didn't want to deal with a patient with Ebola, and that Countries in both North Africa and Europe had refused to grant clearance for a plane with me on board to fly through their air space. If our plane needed to make an emergency landing or crashed, the did not want someone carrying Ebola on the ground (137). Especially interesting in the context of the hysterics when the Ebola crisis first hit the news big-time. Won't get into that further, except to say that looking up crash statistics is very reassuring for a nervous traveller.
At any rate—interesting enough read, though one that probably didn't take enough advantage of his role/background/knowledge as a doctor.
*I do understand how publishing works, and that they would have wanted to strike while the iron's hot, not delay publication indefinitely.
In any case...here we go. Well done as a book, though sometimes with that stilted 'ghostwriter' tone. I would have liked a clearer timeline—I struggled to piece together things like how long he was in Liberia after diagnosis and how long he was in hospital in the U.S. But I'm more interested in some of the insights on working in a hospital full of patients with Ebola:
Brantly was, when he and his family went to Liberia, relatively untried as a doctor. I do not mean unqualified—only that he'd gone from med school to residency to a post-residency spot, and then straight into missionary work in Liberia. It must have been tremendously difficult to accept the lack of power the doctors had to save their patients from Ebola; of all those Brantly and his colleagues treated, only one survived. One. I know other areas have had lower mortality rates, so I don't know why these rates were so high or if they later went down at that hospital—was it a particularly violent strain? Was the hospital under-equipped in a way that made a difference? Brantly doesn't speculate. He does say this:
When I reflect on patients like Korpu, Serena, and Francis, I do not feel like my care was a failure. Even though they died, I feel that I did something more for them than treat their sickness. I did everything I could to save their lives and could not, but I also had compassion on them. I entered into their suffering with them. I tried to offer back to them the dignity that Ebola was taking away. (76)
Fair enough—sometimes death with dignity is all you can do. But still, yes, must have been hard.
And on mission work, and his faith, he says this (well, and a lot more, but let's leave it at this for now):
We didn't believe that because we were there as medical missionaries we would automatically be divinely protected from getting Ebola. (21)
As a follower of Jesus... I am to show compassion and mercy to everyone... But the doctor-patient relationship is not one of equal footing. There is a power differential. And just like any other relationship, the one in a position of power must respect the vulnerability of the one seeking help. It is wrong for a doctor to use the position of power over a patient to impose religious teachings on someone who may not feel like he has any choice but to listen and agree. (78)
There are people who have serious grumbles against medical missions, because they think its purpose is to leverage that power in patients' moments of vulnerability to coerce them into a religion. But there is nothing coercive about Jesus. (79)
I highlight that first quotation because the mind boggles. I mean, yes, it's good that they didn't consider themselves divinely protected. What surprises me is that that made it into the book—that enough people might have thought they did think themselves divinely protected that they addressed it. (I wonder how that came about—did the ghostwriter ask? Had others?)
The second two quotations I pull out for a different reason. The one on page 78 relieved me, if I'm honest; the one on 79 made me think...well, that his view might be a bit rose-coloured. Appropriate boundaries, hurray. But not everyone has them. (I'm reminded of a conversation I heard a few years ago in which one of the participants was a hospital director from Sudan. It's a long story, longer than I want to write out here and tangential anyway, but the upshot was that he viewed the primary purpose of treating non-Christians at his hospital to be to convert them.)
But I digress. Some other interesting tidbits: I believed that if I did have Ebola, I would feel worse than I did, he says (104) while waiting for test results. I found this quite funny, in a way, because as a doctor, he knew better: he'd earlier commented (62) that a patient who had tested positive for Ebola seemed to think the same way—it hadn't hit home because he felt okay. (Doctors, they're just like us!) And then the mention of logistics with getting out of Liberia—that the insurance company didn't want to deal with a patient with Ebola, and that Countries in both North Africa and Europe had refused to grant clearance for a plane with me on board to fly through their air space. If our plane needed to make an emergency landing or crashed, the did not want someone carrying Ebola on the ground (137). Especially interesting in the context of the hysterics when the Ebola crisis first hit the news big-time. Won't get into that further, except to say that looking up crash statistics is very reassuring for a nervous traveller.
At any rate—interesting enough read, though one that probably didn't take enough advantage of his role/background/knowledge as a doctor.
*I do understand how publishing works, and that they would have wanted to strike while the iron's hot, not delay publication indefinitely.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
Spectacular! I felt as if I were reading a really intriguing, high paced medical drama -- except this is horrifyingly real and true. The descriptions of the cultural, social, and economical restraints in Liberia were eye-opening, and the first hand accounts of treating -- and later personally battling -- Ebola were enlightening and entertaining.
I go through phrases where I really just want to read amazing memoirs, so this one definitely hit the spot.
I go through phrases where I really just want to read amazing memoirs, so this one definitely hit the spot.
emthewordenthusiast's review against another edition
4.0
This incredible biography is the true story of Kent and Amber Brantly, a Christian couple from America who moved to Liberia in 2013 to provide medical care to the hopeless and dying during the Ebola Epidemic.
It read this book amid the 2020 pandemic and found it interesting to compare the worlds reaction to Ebola to our reaction to COVID-19. Although the physical effects of the coronavirus can in no way be compared to the harrowing effects of the Ebola virus- Kent and Amber’s story speaks volumes about loving our neighbor no matter the risk, as Kent himself actually contracted Ebola as he served to help others dying from it.
It read this book amid the 2020 pandemic and found it interesting to compare the worlds reaction to Ebola to our reaction to COVID-19. Although the physical effects of the coronavirus can in no way be compared to the harrowing effects of the Ebola virus- Kent and Amber’s story speaks volumes about loving our neighbor no matter the risk, as Kent himself actually contracted Ebola as he served to help others dying from it.
sarahs_readingparty's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, my five point review:
In a word, this book was captivating. Like many Americans, I followed Kent’s story-and the Ebola epidemic–closely. Unlike many Americans, this felt personal to me. When I was in grad school focusing on African Studies and Library Science at Indiana University, I worked for over three years in the Liberian Collections, an archive dedicated to the preservation of Liberian memory and records. During those years, I met many Liberians, learned about their history and culture, and immersed myself in working to preserve their history. By the time Ebola became international news, I was already living and working in Nashville and all I could think was… something else for Liberia?!? First all the years of war… then all the reconstruction… and now this? I was heartbroken for Liberia and her people and just could see the future, and all that will have to take place to rebuild the country–reputation and all. The story also felt personal because of the local connection. Kent is also from Indiana and went to medical school at the IU campus in Indianapolis. So reading this book was a no-brainer. I just didn’t expect to be captivated by this encouraging and heartbreaking story like I was.
Unlike some current history-type memoirs, Called for Life didn’t seem to be sloppy or rushed. I was impressed with the level of care, attention, and detail that seemed to go into the writing and production of this book. The maps were great to help situate readers in Liberia and along the coast of Africa. There was also a good deal of background information about Ebola, Liberia, and medical missions which is helpful to most readers. The timeline did jump around, so it was hard to follow at times, though that did get sorted out by the end. Dates at the beginning of each chapter/subsection would have been helpful.
As a Christian called to serve others and share the gospel AND also as an academic who has spent close to a decade learning about Africa, I have long had mixed feelings about international missions, good deeds, and foreign aid, so the ethical part of this book was fascinating. In fact, when Ebola was front-page news and Kent was sick, I spent quite a bit of time reading about the ethics behind his treatment [receiving experimental drugs, being transported out of Liberia to one of the most advanced medical facilities in the world]. It is such a hard subject. Why should Americans receive this kind of care while many Africans died? Why should a medical professional be more privileged than the thousands of others who also suffered–and died–from Ebola? And I don’t have an answer, except to say what the title of this book says: that for whatever reason, God called Kent for life and this–the drugs, the flight, the top-notch care–was how He did it. I wondered if [or how] Kent would address it in this book, and thought he did a wonderful job. He discussed these very concepts in depth throughout the last chapter, and in snippets throughout the book. He came across as very humble and grateful, thankful to the Lord. I know this will be a portion of the book and possibly my review that people who are not Christians may not understand or may not agree with, so I just wanted to say that I know where you are coming from. If you want to discuss it with me, I would be happy to do so. I appreciated how Kent grappled with this and would encourage everyone to read the last chapter of this book before brushing off his story as one of privilege.
Aside from being captivating, encouraging, and heartbreaking, this book was also convicting. How do I love my neighbors? How do I serve others? What more could I do if I was willing to follow the Lord more closely? The Brantly family is a great example of this and their story encourages me to pursue this more in my life.
All in all, a great book! I read Called for Life in one sitting on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and immediately texted my mom to see if she wanted to read it next. I have a feeling I’ll be recommending it to many people in the future. It would be a great Christmas gift for anyone interested in faith-based memoirs, medicine, missions, or Africa. Hope you can find a copy soon!
Disclosure: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher, Crown Publishers, for the chance to read this great book!
In a word, this book was captivating. Like many Americans, I followed Kent’s story-and the Ebola epidemic–closely. Unlike many Americans, this felt personal to me. When I was in grad school focusing on African Studies and Library Science at Indiana University, I worked for over three years in the Liberian Collections, an archive dedicated to the preservation of Liberian memory and records. During those years, I met many Liberians, learned about their history and culture, and immersed myself in working to preserve their history. By the time Ebola became international news, I was already living and working in Nashville and all I could think was… something else for Liberia?!? First all the years of war… then all the reconstruction… and now this? I was heartbroken for Liberia and her people and just could see the future, and all that will have to take place to rebuild the country–reputation and all. The story also felt personal because of the local connection. Kent is also from Indiana and went to medical school at the IU campus in Indianapolis. So reading this book was a no-brainer. I just didn’t expect to be captivated by this encouraging and heartbreaking story like I was.
Unlike some current history-type memoirs, Called for Life didn’t seem to be sloppy or rushed. I was impressed with the level of care, attention, and detail that seemed to go into the writing and production of this book. The maps were great to help situate readers in Liberia and along the coast of Africa. There was also a good deal of background information about Ebola, Liberia, and medical missions which is helpful to most readers. The timeline did jump around, so it was hard to follow at times, though that did get sorted out by the end. Dates at the beginning of each chapter/subsection would have been helpful.
As a Christian called to serve others and share the gospel AND also as an academic who has spent close to a decade learning about Africa, I have long had mixed feelings about international missions, good deeds, and foreign aid, so the ethical part of this book was fascinating. In fact, when Ebola was front-page news and Kent was sick, I spent quite a bit of time reading about the ethics behind his treatment [receiving experimental drugs, being transported out of Liberia to one of the most advanced medical facilities in the world]. It is such a hard subject. Why should Americans receive this kind of care while many Africans died? Why should a medical professional be more privileged than the thousands of others who also suffered–and died–from Ebola? And I don’t have an answer, except to say what the title of this book says: that for whatever reason, God called Kent for life and this–the drugs, the flight, the top-notch care–was how He did it. I wondered if [or how] Kent would address it in this book, and thought he did a wonderful job. He discussed these very concepts in depth throughout the last chapter, and in snippets throughout the book. He came across as very humble and grateful, thankful to the Lord. I know this will be a portion of the book and possibly my review that people who are not Christians may not understand or may not agree with, so I just wanted to say that I know where you are coming from. If you want to discuss it with me, I would be happy to do so. I appreciated how Kent grappled with this and would encourage everyone to read the last chapter of this book before brushing off his story as one of privilege.
Aside from being captivating, encouraging, and heartbreaking, this book was also convicting. How do I love my neighbors? How do I serve others? What more could I do if I was willing to follow the Lord more closely? The Brantly family is a great example of this and their story encourages me to pursue this more in my life.
All in all, a great book! I read Called for Life in one sitting on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and immediately texted my mom to see if she wanted to read it next. I have a feeling I’ll be recommending it to many people in the future. It would be a great Christmas gift for anyone interested in faith-based memoirs, medicine, missions, or Africa. Hope you can find a copy soon!
Disclosure: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher, Crown Publishers, for the chance to read this great book!
maigahannatu's review against another edition
4.0
As missionaries in West Africa, we were watching the Ebola story with great interest and, I must confess, a fair bit of fear. What if it spread to our country? What would we do? We were travelling during that time and I remember wondering what if I sat next to somebody who had it? Then I heard that one of the missionaries in our organization (Nancy Writebol and then later Rick Sacra) had contracted it. While Kent Brantley was with World Medical Mission (Samaritan's Purse), he worked at our mission hospital. So this story was very real to me.
Having experienced hospitals in impoverished settings, I can just see what is happening and the stressfulness of working with less than ideal conditions. Some of these hospitals are unpleasant under the best of circumstances and in a crisis of a contagious disease, I can imagine how horrible it would be to deal with such desperately ill patients all day long. While I am not medical, I have a pretty good idea of the stress doctors in Africa face under "normal" conditions because of the large number of patients who die.
I was encouraged by Kent Brantley's faith and his willingness to stay in the face of a horrible and difficult situation. He quotes a missionary I know personally: When things get tough, the tough go back to their calling." Remembering that it is God who has called us is sometimes the only thing that can keep us doing what He wants us to do.
I thought this was a well-told story and I love Dr. Brantley's honesty. Sometimes the transitions between when he was narrating and when his wife was narrating were a bit choppy, but I appreciated hearing how she faced the fear and anxiety of having her husband so sick.
Having experienced hospitals in impoverished settings, I can just see what is happening and the stressfulness of working with less than ideal conditions. Some of these hospitals are unpleasant under the best of circumstances and in a crisis of a contagious disease, I can imagine how horrible it would be to deal with such desperately ill patients all day long. While I am not medical, I have a pretty good idea of the stress doctors in Africa face under "normal" conditions because of the large number of patients who die.
I was encouraged by Kent Brantley's faith and his willingness to stay in the face of a horrible and difficult situation. He quotes a missionary I know personally: When things get tough, the tough go back to their calling." Remembering that it is God who has called us is sometimes the only thing that can keep us doing what He wants us to do.
I thought this was a well-told story and I love Dr. Brantley's honesty. Sometimes the transitions between when he was narrating and when his wife was narrating were a bit choppy, but I appreciated hearing how she faced the fear and anxiety of having her husband so sick.