Cycling Out of The Comfort Zone Review

There are a mammoth number of missionary biographies. 

Stories of amazing work across the globe, tales from gap years and summer trips.

Cycling Out of My Comfort Zone is different. French graduates: Charles Guilhamon and Gabriel de Lepinau don’t take the traditional, tourist-trodden routes on their wide-world trip.

Instead, their few euro-a-day trip, takes them off the beaten path, bringing them into contact with Christians living in isolated or persecuted communities. Taking time to "do life" with leaders, monks and lay people in Syria, Iraq, India, China, Thailand and beyond.

In amongst vivid storytelling, Charles’ memoir goes one step beyond the traditional travelogue. It’s a political statement, a call for Christians worldwide to open their eyes to the plight of refugees, and in what seems to have become an increasing theme of late, a call to Church unity, of embracing differences and working together. Cycling Out Of The Comfort Zone concludes with an afterword on recent developments in Syria and Iraq.

Throughout their travels, Charles and Gabriel experience humble hospitality from those who have little and those who have experienced great loss and tragedy. Yet they continue to give, their hearts open to help and love others.

In the foreword, adventurer, author and speaker: Rob Lilwall states “I hope this book might help us… to live our lives more openly, generously and faithfully”. It is a call out of our comfort zone.

I’ve decided to read Cycling Out of the Comfort Zone again. But this time with a pen and paper at the ready. Reading it not as an autobiography but as a devotional, allowing the stories and testimonies to change me and my outlook.

Cycling Out of My Comfort Zone is available from Eden.co.uk and can check off 'A true-life story' and/or ‘A Book About Social issues Affecting the World Today’ from the Eden 2017 Reading Challenge