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O you need some ideas of real-life books to read with your children? How about stories of missionaries who have put their lives in jeopardy for Jesus? Here are some books we will be reading, that a friend of mine recommended.
End of the Spear by Steve Saint. "Steve Saint was only five years old when his father was brutally killed by Waodani warriors, men from the most savage culture ever known. But in a story almost too amazing to be true, Steve eventually comes to know –- and even love – the very ones who drove the spears into his father’s body. Decades after the spearing, Steve and his family make the difficult choice to leave behind a comfortable life in the United States and return to the jungle to live among the Waodani people. In End of the Spear, Steve embarks on an adventure story that is part Indiana Jones, part time travel, part romance, and part spiritual quest. Striving to mesh his two very different worlds, Steve finally learns the truth surrounding his father’s tragic death. As he comes to terms with the details of that day, Steve must face a new challenge: teaching the Waodani people to live without him. Also the inspiration for a major motion picture, Steve’s incredible true story is one of daunting challenges, agonizing losses, and thrilling rewards – all scripted by the One who weaves together the story of every life." (from back cover) 338 pages [All of our family wishes we could read the 350 pages the editor cut out of Steve’s 700 original pages, as after reading this book, it’s hard to find another one as good!]
High Adventure in Colombia by Chad & Pat Stendal, missionaries to Kogi Indians in Columbia. They started out with Wycliffe in the 50’s or 60’s if I remember correctly but felt called up into the Kogi tribe and were totally independent of any mission society. Their son Russell was later kidnapped by guerillas and they are still there in Colombia today. "I realized the chief was dying. A debilitating disease had been devastating his frail body for some eight months. Now, he had stopped eating. His neck and ankles were swollen, indicating that the end was not far off. In spite of the Indians’ distrust of outsiders and their reputation for poisoning their enemies, my friend Santiago had brought me to this remote village as a last effort to save the chief, but one look at the sick man convinced me that it was too late for my limited medical skills. Trembling with weakness, the chief struggled to pull himself up to a sitting position in his hammock in order to receive me. ‘I am in control here,’ he told me. ‘I bring the sun up, I bring the dry season, I hold this valley in the palm of my hand. You, too, are in the palm of my hand.’ Then with a sinister, upward sweeping motion, he closed his hand into a fist and held it up in a menacing manner, indicating that he had me in his hand and that I had better heal him. Suddenly, I knew that if he died, I would not get out of the valley alive." (from back cover) 381 pp. The Stendals also have written The Guerrillas Have Taken our Son.
Rescue the Captors by Russell Stendal, written from within a Marxist guerrilla camp in Colombia, the story of a kidnapped jungle pilot who realized the captors were the real captives and he has since been ministering to the guerillas. Russell grew up in Colombia in a missionary family and has continued to live there as an adult. "The terror began on August 14, 1983. American bush pilot Russell Stendal, on routine business, landed his plane in a remote Colombian village. Gunfire exploded throughout the town and within minutes Russell’s 142 day ordeal had begun. The guerrilla fighters explained that this was a kidnapping for ransom and that he would be held until payment was made. Held at gunpoint deep in the jungle and with little else to occupy his time, Russell began to write. He told the story of his life and kept a record of his experience in the guerrilla camp. His ‘book’ became a bridge to the men who held him and now serves as the basis for this incredible true story of how God’s love penetrated a physical and ideological jungle." (from back cover) 250 pp.
Deliver the Ransom Alone by Verda J Glick. The story of a missionary’s kidnapping, Christians’ fervent prayers, and God’s faithfulness. "Verda was concerned. Eli still wasn’t home. When Ernest’s pickup pulled into the driveway, followed by Juan’s, she knew something was very, very wrong. She rushed to the door. ‘What’s the matter?’ she called fearfully. ‘Mama,’ Ernest said as he strode towards her, ‘There’s a problem.’ Kidnapping was a nagging possibility in politically troubled El Salvador in the early 1990’s. One night it became a reality to the Eli Glick family. But this is more than a gripping missionary story. It is a thrilling testimony to the power of prayer. As word sped from family to church, across Central American and into the States and other countries, many fervent prayers were offered – prayers for Eli’s deliverance, for his kidnappers, and for the honor and glory of God through it all." (from back cover) 174 pp.
Guerrilla Hostage: 810 Days in Captivity, by Denise Marie Siino. The dramatic story of Ray Rising’s ordeal in the Colombian jungle. "Ray Rising’s story is a page-turner that will take you to the edge of your imagination with intrigue and excitement," wrote Ken Wales, producer of the Christy television series. "Guerrilla Hostage is the triumphant story of one man’s faith, a family’s hope, and God’s never-ending love. Ray Rising never gave in to despair, fear, and loneliness during his 810 days in captivity. Instead, this missionary grew closer to his Lord. He boldly established relationships and shared his faith with the Colombian guerrillas who held him hostage. If you love a gripping story, experience for yourself the shadowy jungles, the overwhelming obstacles, and the ultimate triumphs of Rising’s ordeal, and with him learn how to live alive of integrity despite harsh and frightening circumstances.." (from back cover) 239 pp
If God Should Choose: The Authorized Story of Jim and Roni Bowers by Kristen Stagg. The authorized story of Jim and Roni Bowers. "Perhaps you’ll recall hearing some portion of Jim Bowers’ story, carried by the news media in the days following April 20, 2001: Jim and Veronica (Roni" Bowers, their young son Cory, and infant daughter Charity were flying back to Iquitos, Peru, with pilot and co-worker Kevin Donaldson. They were less than an hour from home when a Peruvian Air Force A-37 fighter appeared briefly behind and off to one side of the Cessna and then the other. Before the missionaries could find out what the air force might want with them, bullets slammed into the missionary plane. As they plummeted toward the rain forest, Kevin prayed that he could glide to the water and land the floatplane…" 221 pp
In The Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merrill. A gripping account of the kidnapping of American missionaries and their year of terror in the Philippine jungle. "For American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham, what started out as a relaxing, once-in-a-lifetime anniversary getaway at an exotic island resort turned into one of the most horrific nightmares imaginable. Kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden, the Burnhams were snatched away from friends and family and thrust into a life on the run in the Philippine jungle. During a perilous year in captivity, they face near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, coldhearted murder – and intense soul-searching about God Who sometimes seemed to have forgotten them. In this gripping firsthand account of faith, love, and struggle in the face of unnervingly casual brutality, you’ll go behind the scenes of a real-life drama, told in gritty detail by the least likely survivor. Whatever the struggles of your life, you’ll find encouragement and hope in this refreshingly honest story of a yearlong battle with the darkness that inhabits the human heart." (from back cover) 340 pp.
Lords of the Earth by Don Richardson. "In Irian Jaya’s remote Snow Mountains lived the Yali – cannibals who called themselves ‘lords of the earth.’ Yet in terror and bondage they served women-hating, child-despising gods. Bowing to the kembu spirits, Yali men rendered fearful obedience, even executing children. When Missionary Stan Dale dared to enter the domain of this stone-age people, he embarked on a course that would swiftly bring him, his wife, and his companions into a bloody life-or-death struggle with the Yali’s complex religion. He did not know what chilling hazards awaited him, nor at what cost the Yali would at last know the love of their Redeemer."
This summer we have read Saddam’s Secrets by General Georges Sada and another Iraq story called Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story by Thomas Hamill, the contractor who was kidnapped there. They are FULL of adventure, but not really missionary stories
You can just use those three booklets if you to keep it simple and teach your child the basics. I used these booklets, but I also enjoyed having another "curriculum" type handbook called, 