The Making of a Happy Old Man

by Peter Pikkert

The story of an old man satisfied with life.

431 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a riveting and theologically rich biography of the life of an elder saint and former missionary. I was spellbound as I read Pikkert's account of his many adventures in the Middle East, and of how the Lord used him to help bring the Gospel to Turkey and the Kurds.
His life is a testament of faith in the God who provides, and his journey helps the reader to examine his or her own Christian walk: how one can never appreciate enough the magnitude of God's grace, how one must be utterly dependent on Christ Jesus for all things, and how one must place Christ first in every word and deed.
I highly recommend this biography for your Christian missionary section! Pikkert takes his place alongside the other greats of modern missions, but like the twenty-four elders before the throne of God, he casts his crown before the throne and gives Him all the glory: "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created" (Revelation 4:11).

[Jeremy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pikkert is a master storyteller. With gripping narratives, personal letters from the field, pithy quotations, geopolitical and historical contexts, and vivid descriptions of exotic locales, he weaves a brilliant tapestry of God’s redeeming grace and power at work in the life of an ordinary Christian called to do extraordinary things in Jesus’ Name. A book like this gives readers a bird’s-eye view of a life well-lived, and reveals glimpses of God’s marvellous dealings with humanity across the arc of a life. This book is not only a must-read for missionaries, ministers, and Christians who want to use their gifts for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom, but a must-read for anyone who wants to see firsthand what sort of life leads to becoming a “Happy Old Man.” I highly recommend this engaging, humorous, informative, gritty, honest, convicting, and inspiring memoir. This is Peter Pikkert’s story, but it is ultimately God’s story.

[Joost Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have had the privilege of working with Peter over the last five years.

This book is invaluable--especially for those who are considering serving the Lord abroad. Pikkert's wisdom and straight-talking style cut to the heart of questions that Christians serving cross-culturally must grapple with. Many of these questions have cropped up as a result of missiological fads that have surfaced over the last forty years, and have sought to displace an old school (and I will venture to add, *biblical*), philosophy of ministry. Pikker does this in the context of his own story of God's faithfulness with him and his wife, Anna. It's a page-turner.