Over Mountain or Plain or Sea

From the Foreword . . . Here's a prediction: Before you finish the first page of this book, you'll sense you're holding a gem in your hands. Trula Cronk's flow of words, her breadth of learning, her vivid pictures, cast-iron honesty, and indelible lessons give this autobiography a priceless appeal beyond the ordinary. Her journey from the depressed Appalachians of the 1920s to the far-flung ends of the earth is the story of one who traveled from an orphanage to India, a tale of a cast-off child who became an ambassador for Heaven. But it isn't just her story-it's Dan's. If Trula provided the wisdom, her husband, Dan, contributed the knowledge. "He taught me everything I know," Trula once told me. But I have a feeling she taught him quite a few things, too. Her can-do met his here's-what-to-do-with international consequences and eternal ramifications. In an age of superstars and pop idols, we badly need some examples of godly grit, spiritual spunk, and Christian courage. I'd rather know a saint than a star; and I'd rather read about a faithful person than a famous one any day. We need champions for Christ. These are the ones who have braved the fires, torched the culture, touched the heart, and turned the world upside down. Thank God, then, for men and women like Dan and Trula Cronk. And thank God for Trula's willingness and ability to reduce a world of experience into a little volume of anecdotes and narratives that will outlive both her and us. -Robert J. Morgan, pastor and author, Nashville, TN