Mary Helen Wright

Surprised by Grace Mary Helen Wright

Life is full of surprises; some good, some bad, some astounding. This memoir is our story of the astounding surprises of God-surprises of His grace. From two vastly different childhoods, a thousand miles apart, God independently invaded our lives with the amazing good news of the gospel. We fell in love first with Jesus Christ then with each other. He prepared us to share ministry in Pakistan. Our story, while unique, can be duplicated millions of times for it is the story of God's gentle, benevolent leading of His children even when they resist the re-direction of their lives. God always have our best interests at heart. We have supplemented our memoir with 100 photos. In this memoir, we share our growing love for Pakistan and its people, the agony and ecstasy of ministering God's Word in a Muslim culture. We describe times when the cupboard was bare and how God miraculously provided. We introduce a wheeler-dealer who became a passionate preacher. We describe going through two wars between India and Pakistan and the devastating flood of 1973. We talk about the challenge of having our children educated at a boarding school. We reflect on Muslim outreach and the development of the Pakistani Church. We celebrate the advancement of the gospel into a tribal group. We describe times of chaos and sickness but over it all is the over-arching plan of God unfolding in all its blessing and leading up to a nation-wide extension training ministry that continues to thrive 40 years later. Throughout this story, we reflect on how God shapes us, in spite of our failures and limitations, into vessels He can use to extend His Kingdom. Soli deo gloria Eric and Mary Helen Wright