cover image Total Abandon: The Powerful True Story of Life Lived in Radical Devotion to God

Total Abandon: The Powerful True Story of Life Lived in Radical Devotion to God

Gary Witherall, with Betsy Newenhuyse. . Tyndale, $14.99 (142pp) ISBN 978-0-8423-8899-3

Witherall and his wife, Bonnie, wanted to live for God, so when they felt God leading them to move to Sidon, Lebanon, in 2001, they didn't hesitate. They grew to love the gentle, hospitable people as they immersed themselves in a culture steeped in Christian history yet overcome by civil war and a growing militant strand of Islam. Bonnie also loved her job at a clinic for poor, pregnant Palestinian women. But on November 22, 2002, Witherall's world came crashing down with a frantic phone call from the clinic: Bonnie had been gunned down by an unknown assailant. Her murder reverberated around the world thanks to extensive media coverage, but her killer was never caught. Witherall writes of Bonnie's life and death and its repercussions, also recounting their love story. The pair met at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, so it's fitting that Moody's former president, Dr. Joseph Stowell, writes the foreword. Excerpts from Bonnie's journal allow readers to see the strength, joy and commitment of this woman. Witherall writes honestly about his own devastation and path to forgiveness in this inspiring story of a modern martyr for the Christian faith. (Nov.)