Face to Face with Jesus by Samaa Habib

Happy 2015 everyone! I hope your New Year has been enjoyable :D I managed to travel a lot. Well, now school has started and I'm starting to come down to earth, so here's my review of the last book I read for 2014.

Face to Face with Jesus is the testimony of Samaa Habib, a Christian who was born a Muslim in a predominantly Muslim country. She tells her story of her childhood, how she came to Christ, and her life after accepting Christ. And one day, two terrorists bombed her Church, temporarily killing her. It was then that she came 'Face to Face with Jesus'. But to me, the meat of the book started long before her near-death experience, and while this experience is wonderful, it's not the centre of the story.

Nope, the centre of the story is how God is everywhere, even in the places where we least expect it. Consider this, Samaa's birth nearly killed her mother. She grew up during a civil war between Sunni and Shia muslims. But one day, during a free Taekwondo class, she hears the word of God. Something sparks within her that previous experiences haven't (she had attended an Orthodox Church before at the invitation of her friend). She begins to go to Church, and finally accepts Christ. And through her living testimony, she manages to bring her mother, her sisters and most of her family to Christ. And in turn, they are powerful testimony as they model God's love in a country that persecutes Christians, especially Muslim-turned-Christian believers, who are apostates in their eyes.

Samaa's story was a good end-of-2014 book for me because it was a wake-up call. It is so easy to keep quiet when you're the minority, even if unlike Samaa, you don't face the threat of death for your faith. God has reminded me to be a loud and loving witness wherever I am.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.