I wrote the other day about how one of my goals for this year is to start alternating what I read. And by alternate I mean that every other book I read will be fiction and the others will be non-fiction. It is a goal that I just started working towards in the last few weeks. So far, I have read 3 books... 2 non-fiction, 1 fiction. I have enjoyed all of them and I think that already it's helping me to engage better with what I am reading and to focus more on what I learn or explore. I am not sure how long I will stick with this goal/plan. I definitely want to stick with it until my TBR pile of hard-copy books has been defeated. The books on my Nook are mostly fiction anyway, so I think that if I can master my TBR pile of hard-copies I will feel quite accomplished and productive.
The latest book I read was called Walking His Trail by Steve Saint. Steve Saint is the son of a missionary pilot named Nate. Nate and 4 of his friends (Jim, Ed, Pete and Roger) were killed by a savage stone-age tribe in the Amazon Jungles of Ecuador back in the 50s. They were killed after an attempt to reach the tribe, the Waodani tribe, with the Gospel message of God's saving grace. 50+ years later... The Waodani is a tribe of God-followers. They are a people who have completely turned from their old ways of revenge killing and have become a group of people on fire for God. Steve started an organization called I-TEC (I forget what it stands for exactly) that helps indigenous people groups around the world be able to learn how to be dentists, eye doctors, mechanics and pilots with a very simple training program that is not limited by their inability to read or write or even speak common trade languages. It is an amazing organization and one that I have a pretty special place in my heart for.
Steve's book was written with his wife, Ginny. It's full of stories about how God has worked in their lives in some pretty big and amazing ways. They talked about how everyone has sandcastles (monuments) that mark where something big in their lives and faith happened. These sandcastles aren't necessarily physical. But they are seen as one looks back on life. The stories they shared were all connected by the fact that they are committed God-followers and strive to serve Him anywhere He calls them. Many of the stories were connected to the death of his father and how their story became so well known that, even now as a grown man, Steve's experiences are still closely tied to his dad. Their stories were full of real, raw emotion and faith. They were full of experiences that some people would never believe.
I read the book in one day. I just laid on the couch after cleaning my house and read it straight through. I did nap for a few hours at one point, but I just picked it right back up and finished it before going to bed that night. I know I cried over most of the stories. I just couldn't help it. They were some powerful stories. I have always loved the Saint family and their story. I got to hear Steve and one of the Waodani Indians, Mincaye, who killed his father (and since then has become a grandfather to Steve's children) when I was in 8th grade. They were a big reason for why I began to fall in love with missions and then went to Ecuador on my first mission trip. So to hear more of Steve's story was amazing and I couldn't help but cry.
I could rave and rave about this book. But I will leave it at that. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an inspiring, faith and love and family filled book that is all true and real. Steve is a great writer, a great missionary, a great man. His story is one that is definitely worth reading over and over.
Some other books about Steve, the Waodani, I-TEC and the 5 martyred missionaries are:
Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Jungle Pilot by Russell T. Hitt
End of the Spear by Steve Saint
The Journals of Jim Elliot compiled by Elisabeth Elliot
The Fate of the Yellow Woodbee by Dave & Neta Jackson
Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears by Ethel Emily Wallis
The Great Omission by Steve Saint
There are also a couple of movies out about their stories:
"Beyond the Gates of Splendor" -- a documentary
"End of the Spear" -- a full-length feature film
The latest book I read was called Walking His Trail by Steve Saint. Steve Saint is the son of a missionary pilot named Nate. Nate and 4 of his friends (Jim, Ed, Pete and Roger) were killed by a savage stone-age tribe in the Amazon Jungles of Ecuador back in the 50s. They were killed after an attempt to reach the tribe, the Waodani tribe, with the Gospel message of God's saving grace. 50+ years later... The Waodani is a tribe of God-followers. They are a people who have completely turned from their old ways of revenge killing and have become a group of people on fire for God. Steve started an organization called I-TEC (I forget what it stands for exactly) that helps indigenous people groups around the world be able to learn how to be dentists, eye doctors, mechanics and pilots with a very simple training program that is not limited by their inability to read or write or even speak common trade languages. It is an amazing organization and one that I have a pretty special place in my heart for.
Steve's book was written with his wife, Ginny. It's full of stories about how God has worked in their lives in some pretty big and amazing ways. They talked about how everyone has sandcastles (monuments) that mark where something big in their lives and faith happened. These sandcastles aren't necessarily physical. But they are seen as one looks back on life. The stories they shared were all connected by the fact that they are committed God-followers and strive to serve Him anywhere He calls them. Many of the stories were connected to the death of his father and how their story became so well known that, even now as a grown man, Steve's experiences are still closely tied to his dad. Their stories were full of real, raw emotion and faith. They were full of experiences that some people would never believe.
I could rave and rave about this book. But I will leave it at that. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an inspiring, faith and love and family filled book that is all true and real. Steve is a great writer, a great missionary, a great man. His story is one that is definitely worth reading over and over.
Some other books about Steve, the Waodani, I-TEC and the 5 martyred missionaries are:
Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Jungle Pilot by Russell T. Hitt
End of the Spear by Steve Saint
The Journals of Jim Elliot compiled by Elisabeth Elliot
The Fate of the Yellow Woodbee by Dave & Neta Jackson
Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears by Ethel Emily Wallis
The Great Omission by Steve Saint
There are also a couple of movies out about their stories:
"Beyond the Gates of Splendor" -- a documentary
"End of the Spear" -- a full-length feature film
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