"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."(Proverbs 25:25)Like a lively collection of letters from a familiar friend, GeorgeneShalm's book "Allan Was Away" perfectly captures the personal side ofmissionary life, through the eyes of an ordinary wife and mother serving anextraordinary God. Allan & Georgene Shalm have been dear friends and outstanding missionaries for nearlyforty years, but I've never heard their story quite like this. It's all here ... the mundane andthe miraculous, accidents and adversity, severe sickness and supernatural healing, tearfulmemories and fearful moments, ministry frustrations and family celebrations, opposition andterrorism, spine-tingling angelic interventions and side-splitting hilarious misadventures.As you read along, caught up in the whirlwind of activity that is a missionary's life and calling, you'll gradually come to one very important realisation: We all live out our lives at this junctionof the everyday and the extraordinary, at the intersection of answered prayers and unansweredquestions, at the crossroads of our human pursuits and God's higher purpose. And it's in thatterritory of the ordinary that God does His best work.Thanks to our missionary friend Georgene Shalm for inviting us all to join her on this ordinary, extraordinary journey of faith. You will be better for making the trip. Raymond WoodwardPastorCapital Community Church