I received a copy of "Coffee, Tea and Holy Water: One Woman's Journey to Experience Christianity Around the Globe" by Amanda Hudson, from NetGalley for the purpose of generating a review. All italicized quotes below are from the book. The opinions expressed here are my own. The book releases TODAY!

Many of us fear hearing the calling. I did know one gal in college who used to pray God would send her.

A Christian missionary sent to Africa.

Amanda Hudson didn’t hear that call exactly. But she very clearly felt God leading her to travel around the world to visit other Christians. What was it like to be a Christian somewhere other than in America?

“We can all debate how you hear the voice of the Lord, but I knew I had.”

Over the course of nine months, she prepared for this trip. Including where she would visit and who would host her in each country.

Brazil. Wales. Tanzania. China. Honduras.

One of the things that kept popping out at me in many of these locations is the need for basic needs to be met before one could even attempt to meet spiritual needs. Electricity, clean water, removal of superstitions.

In Brazil... 

What has made the biggest impression, however, is today’s dancer. She was dancing. In church. Seems like that should break at least two commandments somewhere, but I’m not sure where.

In Wales...

“Contemporary venues such as office buildings or theaters don’t do as well in Britian because tradition runs strong,” [Patrick] says, “and ‘church’ is expected to be in a formal setting."

In Tanzania...

A few other congregation members trickle in until there are ten of us present. Justus leaders us in songs. My mind wanders as he begins the lesson in Swahili... dust storm! To me, a dust storm seems like a biblical mandate to stop the service, as if the book of Exodus is bearing down upon us.

In China...

Of all the countries I’ve been to, the prosperity gospel doesn’t seem to exist in China. China is the first country where the concept of "come to Christ and your life will get better" really doesn’t seem to apply.

In Honduras...

We pile into a school bus and begin the descent into Tegucigalpa for church. The river is swollen with last night’s rain and polluted with garbage... One thing is for certain - it takes stamina to lead worship in Honduras.

Amanda”s two greatest passions are church and coffee. Mostly in that order. Mixed in a with a little bit of sightseeing, she shares her experiences with each of these (and with the times that sadly tea was all she could find) passions at each location. Honduras had her favorite cup of joe. These men and women she met are our Christian brothers and sisters. Someday, we’ll worship our King all together for eternity. What an opportunity that she got to worship Jesus with them for a short amount of time right here on earth. 

... When we look around the Lord’s throne one day at the nations assembled there, I think we will actually be fascinated by what we all had in common.