Who Shall Ascend: Life of R. Kenneth Strachan Of Costa Rica

by Elisabeth Elliot

Who Shall Ascend is both a vivid biography of a man with whom all Christians can identify, and a provocative study of the paradoxes of faith. From his beloved Costa Rica, where he headed the pioneering Latin American Mission, to New York’s Madison Garden where, side by side with Billy Graham, he addressed a throng of 17,000 people, Kenneth Strachan changed the lives of countless people.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian

171 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

From the Author's Web Site: My parents were missionaries in Belgium where I was born. When I was a few months old, we came to the U.S. and lived in Germantown, not far from Philadelphia, where my father became an editor of the Sunday School Times. Some of my contemporaries may remember the publication which was used by hundreds of churches for their weekly unified Sunday School teaching materials.

Our family continued to live in Philadelphia and then in New Jersey until I left home to attend Wheaton College. By that time, the family had increased to four brothers and one sister. My studies in classical Greek would one day enable me to work in the area of unwritten languages to develop a form of writing.

A year after I went to Ecuador, Jim Elliot, whom I had met at Wheaton, also entered tribal areas with the Quichua Indians. In nineteen fifty three we were married in the city of Quito and continued our work together. Jim had always hoped to have the opportunity to enter the territory of an unreached tribe. The Aucas were in that category -- a fierce group whom no one had succeeded in meeting without being killed. After the discovery of their whereabouts, Jim and four other missionaries entered Auca territory. After a friendly contact with three of the tribe, they were speared to death.

Our daughter Valerie was 10 months old when Jim was killed. I continued working with the Quichua Indians when, through a remarkable providence, I met two Auca women who lived with me for one year. They were the key to my going in to live with the tribe that had killed the five missionaries. I remained there for two years.

After having worked for two years with the Aucas, I returned to the Quichua work and remained there until 1963 when Valerie and I returned to the U.S.

Since then, my life has been one of writing and speaking. It also included, in 1969, a marriage to Addison Leitch, professor of theology at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts. He died in 1973. After his death I had two lodgers in my home. One of them married my daughter, the other one, Lars Gren, married me. Since then we have worked together.

Reviews

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provided a good sense of who Strachan was as a man (faithful but very flawed), but very little of who he was as a missionary. What did he do? What was the fruit? I wish she'd given us more of that. I've noted before my poor opinion of the whole Keswick movement in the twentieth century, and here's another example of a life it tripped up.

I'm so glad we've got Elisabeth's granddaughter reading the newest audiobooks. She does a much better job than gal who read the last batch—clearly has a better sense of EE's voice and meaning.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a biography of Elisabeth Elliott compelled me to read *this* biography she wrote. Kenneth Strachan, an MK (missionary kid), was raised within a prevalent philosophy of Christian service in the 20th century: "If you do God's work, He'll take care of your family." It was a recipe for neglect and semi-abandonment; it was why families sent their five-year-olds alone to a boarding school 500+ miles away. It was misguided at best and insidious at worst.

Strachan experienced this as a child sent away to school; he also perpetuated it with his own wife and children. Health problems constrained *some* of his traveling, but it seems the desire for greater achievement —a greater profile?— kept him away from home while his wife pointed out all the work that could be done at home in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The title mystifies me. It comes from Psalm 24:3 "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?" Is the answer, Kenneth Strachan? I did a search in Open Library, and the phrase is never used within the text of the book.

I read parts on the archive.org site but mostly listened to the audio (thanks Valerie for clueing me in!) read masterfully by Elisabeth Elliot's granddaughter.

Personal notes. This subject hits close to home. Two generations of absent fathers "doing the Lord's work" have marked consequences in my own family. My cousin, also an MK, told me that, among her fellow-MK friends, half have jettisoned the faith.

I did a deeper dive into RKS's family. His oldest son, Harry, has his own website and is transparent about his agnosticism. "So, if I allow the historic Catholic Church and its Protestant offspring to define what it means to be a Christian, then I am not a Christian." He has a winsome personality and has been very successful academically and vocationally. He is focused on doing good works in Costa Rica.

It is my special pleasure to read a book set in ____, while I am visiting ____. So I read this while I was visiting Costa Rica!

I shelved this in my "niche" shelf, because I don't think it has much interest to the general public.

[Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in the life of this man who headed up Latin American Mission in the fifties and early sixties, after his father had for decades prior.

I also like Elizabeth Elliot as an writer. (Her brother worked with Strachan.

This book described the hardships of a leader of a multinational ministry. I think Elliot did a pretty good job based on a lot of letters and conversations concerning Strachan and his doubts about his abilities, being away from his family most of the time, relationships, and leading and direction from the Lord.

What I was hoping to read was something about his interaction with the Christians in the Latin American countries. The book covered very little of this.

After reading this, this man seems like a regular guy that the Lord used, foibles and all.

What was commendable was his thoughtful letters to his children.

[Brenda Lei · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't that Elliot wrote this biography poorly, it's simply that the content itself was rather depressing and not what I was expecting. However, I must say how I do appreciate the honesty with which Elliot always utilized in her writings, and it's refreshing to read such an honest biography of a great man of God from a different generation than I am accustomed to reading about.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is actually a poem Elizabeth referred to after R. K. Strachan passed away. She quoted it from George MacDonald.

"I have no knowledge, wisdom, insight, thought
Or understanding fit to justify Thee in Thy work, O Perfect,
Thou hast brought me up to this and lo, what Thou hast wrought,
I cannot call it good. But I can cry,
O Enemy, The Maker hath not done!
One day thou shalt behold, and from the sight wilt run."

[Lois Bushong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a very honest book about Ken Strachen and his struggles from being raised by missionary parents who often put their work before their family. He passed on this same pattern into his own family, the next generation. He did not feel free to break the cycle which I believe cost him dearly. It was a sad book, yet eye opening as that was how they “did missions” in that era. It gives the reader an accurate insight into the thinking of the 1950’s - 1960’s. Thankfully, much has changed today! The book is a good historical account of the Latin American Mission.

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off slow, great ending!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was well written, it just was not what i had anticipated

[Jeffrey Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed knowing the backstory of "Latin American Missions."

[Hattush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strachan grew up as a missionary kid in Costa Rica, and, after a somewhat confused and troubled youth, he returned as a missionary himself. As a prospective missionary, I cannot say how encouraging this book was. Elliot, in her introduction, made it clear that she would do her best to portray Strachan as he was without romanticizing, or, for that matter, villainizing him. Elliot did not seek to hide Strachan’s flaws, his doubts, his questions, his failures as a missionary or as a father. Strachan was shown in his human form – warts and all. He didn’t have it together 100% of the time. He messed up. He doubted God. He made poor choices. Yet in all of this, God used him in remarkable ways and through his influence brought many souls into the kingdom. Through Strachan’s story, I was reminded that we do not need to be perfect to be used by God. Where we are weak, He is strong. He chooses cracked vessels through which His glory shines with brilliant clarity.