"Able Soul" (Lucy Goncalves)

TITLE: Able Soul: Empowering God's Spirit Within
AUTHOR: Lucy Goncalves
PUBLISHER: Vancouver, BC: Able Soul Wheel Press, 2019, (90 pages).

Many of us take our physical freedom and mobility for granted. Those who lack the use of any part of the body would be labeled either "disabled," "handicapped," or the more politically correct phrase, "physically challenged." For many people, this would pretty much define our outlook in life. As the saying goes, it takes one to know one. What about a book where we can see life from the eyes of those who are physically challenged? This book is a beautiful example of one who has multiple challenges. Speech impairment and the inability to walk may restrict one's lifestyle choices, but the most crippling of them all, is a broken and downhearted spirit. Such a mood would easily break down one's enthusiasm for life. Lucy Goncalves discovers this early, that the biggest barrier is put up by oneself. She writes with honesty that she's "the one who puts up the barriers" with her negative emotions and unwillingness. Her story challenges us to pray in spite of helplessness; to press on in spite of weakness; and to persevere on in spite of challenges. She shares twenty personal reflections on God, faith, life, and lessons. Each time she compares and contrasts what she lacks with what she receives from God, family, friends, and the kind things that are visible to her when she is willing to see it. I like the way she credits the writing back to God, that the books was "birthed in prayer." This is the essence of all books written about spirituality.

"Having Nothing, Possessing Everything" (Michael Mather)

TITLE: Having Nothing, Possessing Everything: Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places
AUTHOR: Michael Mather
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2018, (160 pages).

How can we help the poor and the needy? How can we be of help to the less fortunate? How do we go about making a difference? These are some of the questions many of us ask, especially during the festive season and times of giving. While the intentions are good, the mentality behind the questions are not as good, especially when we fail to understand the contexts of the poor. What makes us think that we are their heroes? How can we have the audacity to think that we can help them according to our own terms? This is something that pastor and author Michael Mather had before he had a change of mind and heart. A major paradigm shift is to learn to see people as peers rather than people inferior to us and needful of our gifts. Having worked in two lower income parishes for 31 years, Mather learns that the best way to help is to encourage people to do what they could do for themselves. In 1986, he ventured into the ministry to the poor at the inner city streets. Using a "white mainstream Protestantism" approach to ministry to the poor, he would be serving in the soup kitchen, providing a food bank, organizing summer programs for kids, and other giveaway initiatives. Such projects may seem charitable at first but on hindsight, it does not empower people as much. In fact, it could be disempowering. What rocked the author was the violent deaths of 9 youths in the neighbourhood. With each death comes the singing of "Amazing Grace" during funerals. He soon discovers that the way to help the poor was to "shine a spotlight on the glories of the people" in the neighbourhood. In other words, give the people the dignity that rightfully belongs to them. Don't be condescending or presume we are the savior of their predicaments. Don't do things for people when they could very well do things for themselves. Spurred by the idea of an "Asset Based Community Development" (ABCD) which seeks to empower people to use their gifts, Mather writes this book about his personal journey from giving people food to eat toward helping them help themselves. The key reason why needy people remain needy is because of projects that create dependency. So he listened. He facilitated participation. He started paying attention to the uniqueness each individual brings with them. The very people who could help the poor are the poor themselves! Thus the mantra: Focus on what the people have instead of what they lacked. Thus, the title of the book summarizes the essence of this message. People outside think that they needy had nothing and needed everything. The truth is, they possessed everything in spite of public perception of their poverty.

"On Reading Well" (Karen Swallow Prior)

TITLE: On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books
AUTHOR: Karen Swallow Prior
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2018, (272 pages).

For many people, reading can be a great pastime. Students read for learning, but more often than not, do so in order to pass their courses. Professors read in order to teach. Researchers read in order to build their reserviour of knowledge and bibliographical resources. Many teachers also encourage their students not just to read but to read widely. What about reading slowly and intently? What does it mean to read well? What if reading could change our lives? What if reading well means living well, or vice versa? These questions help us address the fundamental purposes of reading and living. According to author Karen Swallow Prior, "reading well is, in itself, an act of virtue, or excellence, and it is also a habit that cultivates more virtue in return." That is more than a mouthful. It is specifically reading with a virtuous purpose in mind and a holistic relevance to life. Prior shows us how through the categories of the cardinal, theological, and heavenly virtues. We learn many different insights about reading well:

• Reading well is about learning how to think
• Reading slowly leads to deep and meaningful reading
• Speed reading leads to "superficial knowledge and overconfidence."
• Read virtuously by being faithful to both text and context
• Read and enjoy
• Read and be formed in our thinking
• Read toward human flourishing
• Reading fosters virtues and vision
• Reading offers greater perspectives
• ... and so on

"A Disruptive Generosity" (Mac Pier)

TITLE: A Disruptive Generosity: Stories of Transforming Cities through Strategic Giving
AUTHOR: Mac Pier
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017, (208 pages).

Giving and mission go hand in hand. For the grace of God is about that generous gift of Jesus Christ for the world. All who have received and benefited from this gift would go on to share of the gospel message of love in Christ. Just as Christ had disrupted the archaic world of human society, we too are called to disrupt the world of sin with the gift of grace. In this book, this is about "disruptive generosity." Containing many testimonies of what generous giving had done, readers are empowered through these stories that transformation of the world is possible, one person at a time; one place at a time; one possibility at a time. Such acts of generosity do not simply appear out of nothing. They are rooted in the fundamental truths of the Bible. According to the author, there are three big ideas in this book. The first is to highlight biblical truths from the Book of Isaiah. The second is to link these truths with practical movements. The third is to build relational networks starting with believers convicted about transforming the communities they live in. All these three are rooted in the gospel.

"Eyes to See" (Compassion Canada)

TITLE: Eyes to See -Reflecting God's Love to a World in Need
AUTHOR: Compassion Canada
PUBLISHER: London, ON: Compassion Canada, 2017, (152 pages).

One of the greatest biblical indictments about the human race is this: People have eyes but not see. Used frequently in the Old Testament judgments of a rebellious people of Israel, prophets have constantly railed against the disobedience of the Israelites. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had frequently reprimanded the Israelites for their insensitivity to the call of God. Jesus also rebuked the religious leaders in the first century about their stubborn hearts and closed minds. For many of us in modern world, sometimes we get compassion fatigue where we see so many needs around us that we simply got overwhelmed to the point of inaction. Others presume good intentions are enough. Others deem themselves too small and unable to do anything helpful at all. Poverty is real. Some images of poverty may guilt-trip us into action. Yet, we need something far more substantial in order to make some difference in the world. This is where this book enters in. Rather than simply rely on random images of poverty or TV commercial to jiggle our heart strings, this book provides a six week journey to sharpen our vision and our compassion for people in need. At the end of the 30-days exercise, it is hoped that readers will not only develop eyes to see but hands and feet that are ready for action.

"The Game Changers" (Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese & Patricia Paddey)

TITLE: The Game Changers
AUTHOR: Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese & Patricia Paddey
PUBLISHER: Ancaster, ON, Canada: SaveTheMothers.org, 2016, (225 pages).

Mothers are more important than we think. Protect and empower mothers and we will see how the culture and society improve by leaps and bounds. Without downplaying the role of fathers, the fact is mothers general play a bigger role in a child's development more than anything else. From childbirth to nursing; and from caring at home to making a living for the children, mothers have a specific position which no father can honestly replicate. Right from conception, every child is already intimately connected with the mother. After all, a baby generally spends 38 weeks developing inside the mother's womb. Granted, in places in the West, medical care, children's welfare, and healthcare infrastructures are readily available, the same cannot be said for other developing countries like East Africa. According to reports, about 303,000 women and girls die needlessly from preventable causes., particularly pregnancy related situations. According to obstetrician Jean Chamberlain Froese, 99% of all pregnancy related deaths occurred in developing countries. If the poverty index and survival rates of people are already low, it is even worse for women and young girls. The three critical areas that lead to such fatalities are the three delays, which Froese calls, the "Foundational Triad" are:

1. Delay in Decision-making
2. Delay in Transportation
3. Delay in Medical care

"Slow Kingdom Coming" (Kent Annan)

TITLE: Slow Kingdom Coming: Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly in the World
AUTHOR: Kent Annan
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (149 pages).

Just like the action movies, our busy lifestyles and activities that we do make us look like people constantly on the move. If we are not putting anything in motion, we may even be accused of idling. For believers who want to let their faith make a difference in their lives, the pressure is on to do something quick, lest we be accused of hypocrisy. If we open our ears and eyes to see what is before us and what is beyond us through the news and media, we will know that the injustice in the world far outstrips the amount of justice we see. Maybe, the bad news receive greater publicity than the good. There is so much to do that we do not know where or how to start. There are racial discrimination all over the world with the rich and poor often separated by privileges both explicit and implicit for certain people groups. There is human trafficking that despicably enslaves women, children, and vulnerable people. There is violence; violation of human rights; lack of basic resources; and immoral practices throughout the world. Besides that, there are needs closer to home, like the lonely people in our neighbourhood, people experiencing unjust treatment; and the ever growing rich and poor divide. How can we see God's kingdom come when the world seems to be heading toward greater brokenness? Where is the healing and the shalom of God? When we pray "Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done," where are the results? The key thesis of this book is that the most effective way to ensure the long-term development of developing societies is when we spend time and resources defending, promoting, and cultivating their freedom and their rights.

"The Justice Calling" (Bethany Hanke Hoang and Kristen Deede Johnson)

TITLE: The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance
AUTHOR: Bethany Hanke Hoang and Kristen Deede Johnson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2016, (210 pages).

There are many instances where things are easier said than done. With compassion, people usually want to do the right thing. With passion one can press on to do the right thing. Put it another way, our talk and our walk must match each other every step of the way. The prayer to God to help us be the same person in thought, in word, and in deed is very applicable here. According to the famous Micah 6:8 passage, we are reminded:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Why is there a need to call for justice in the first place? That is because injustice still reigns in many difficult parts of the world. How do we persevere in our quest and practice of compassion and justice? We need to go back to the source of all Justice. We must be anchored on solid ground, and in this book, the solid Rock is Jesus, the Person who embodies the full character of God. The authors do this by giving an overview of God's character from Genesis to Revelation through six movements of Scripture and five key words of God's character.

"Be You. Do Good." (Jonathan David Golden)

TITLE: Be You. Do Good.: Having the Guts to Pursue What Makes You Come Alive
AUTHOR: Jonathan David Golden
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2016, (224 pages).

I have heard people telling me that they dread waking up on Monday mornings. Some hated their jobs while others are simply doing it for the money. Rather than merely dragging our feet to work, or to simply try to make ends meet, what happens when a person catches his calling? What would we choose to do if money is no object? What does it take to heighten our boldness to pursue the very things that drive our inner beings? The core message in this book is that once we have discovered our inner selves, the outer actions are simply no-brainers. Our core identity determines our best activities. Better still, what if the very things we are motivated to do are directly or indirectly impacting lives and bringing goodness, goodwill, and even goodies! For we are created in the image of God, and we can surely do good. Lots of good. In this book, we learn of twelve ways in which we can be on our way to doing good. Golden calls them "twelve adventures" that will help us find our calling.

First, we clear the decks by letting go of the myths. The myth of equating our jobs as callings because former is more about money while the latter is beyond the financial considerations. Long task lists, grand positions, and erroneous thinking about the way calling works are dispensed with. Golden also makes a point to clarify that ministry is not necessarily a "higher calling."

"For the Least of These" (editors: Anne Bradley and Art Lindsley)

TITLE: For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty
AUTHOR: Anne Bradley and Art Lindsley (editors)
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2015, (304 pages).

How do we help the poor? We know that Jesus ministers often among the poor, the marginalized, and the outcasts. As disciples of Christ, we are called to be part of this movement to do likewise. The question is then, how? How much do we rely on governments to do the charity? How are Christians called to discharged their biblical responsibilities? Is a way to understand poverty? The editors of this book begin with a good summary of the problem. Bradley and Lindsey write:

"Christians understand that wealth is not an end in and of itself, but a necessary means of giving people choice, access to vital goods and services (like clean water and medical care), and an opportunity to serve and care for others. . . . . For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty was written to provide an alternative perspective for addressing the problem of poverty from both a biblical and economic point of view, presenting a framework that will allow us to become better stewards of the earth’s scarce resources and simultaneously to bring about a flourishing society." (12-13)

Poverty is a complex issue. It is more than simply having the rich handing over money to the poor. It is more than redistribution of wealth. More importantly, it is about empowering the poor to help themselves. Like the famous saying: "It is better to teach one how to fish and eat for a lifetime; instead of giving one a fish to eat for just a day."

"Hoping to Help" (Judith N. Lasker)

TITLE: Hoping to Help: The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering (Culture and Politics of Health Care Work)
AUTHOR: Judith N. Lasker
PUBLISHER: Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2016, (256 pages).

One of the growing movements in the helping industry is medical missions. Whether one calls it "voluntourists" or holiday missions, the pattern is familiar. Some group from a rich first world country would organize trips to third-world countries to "contribute" and to do some good for the people there. This is especially so for medical related trips like "medical missions," "health brigades," "flying surgeons," or anything that has medical professionals flown in from the rich to the poor countries. In 2007, researchers have calculated about 1 million Americans have contributed 162 million hours at the cost of $3 billion into third world countries around the world. This figure is just for USA alone. This is not taking into consideration many other private and non-accounted for volunteering by smaller groups. Amid the big impressive figures, there is a growing disquiet among observers looking beyond the nice feeling generated by the huge numbers.

• About 50% of the money spent are airfares.
• How much of these money go directly to the third-world countries?
• Are the third world countries really that poor and dire?
• Are the people there as needy as the Western media paint them to be?

"Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence" (Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert)

TITLE: Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence: A Practical Guide to Walking with Low-Income People
AUTHOR: Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015, (160 pages).

What do we do when a jobless man enters our church doors asking for help to pay his rent? How would our church respond when a woman walks into our offices asking if we could help her family pay her utility bills? While we would like to help, how do we differentiate the tricksters from the most needy? Do we have a set of guidelines on how to deal with such situations? Written primarily for churches in the United States and Canada, this book provides some simple principles and concepts to assist Church leaders in setting a benevolence policy. At the same time, the authors are aware that any help must not disempower the ones being helped. The authors are both professors at Covenant College who are keen on helping the needy without hurting them. As a follow up to their previous book, "When Helping Hurts," they seek to remind readers that poverty is a complex problem with no simple solutions. While reminding us not to disempower the needy by mere handouts or doing things for them, Corbett and Fikkert are eager to encourage churches to do more to help the poor and the marginalized. Central to their thought is this: How do we help the lost, the last, and the least without hurting their dignity?

"Social Purpose Enterprises" (Jack Quarter, Sherida Ryan, and Andrea Chan)

TITLE: Social Purpose Enterprises: Case Studies for Social Change
AUTHOR: Jack Quarter, Sherida Ryan, and Andrea Chan
PUBLISHER: Toronto, ON: University of Toronto, 2014, (336 pages)

Is money the sole purpose for businesses? What about organizations that not only make money but serves a social purpose? Noticing that the latter are becoming more prominent in society, three Canadian researchers from the University of Toronto seek to find out more about them through three fundamental questions.

1. How these businesses impact their employees to independent serve society? 
2. How the businesses impact shareholders?
3. What are the challenges these businesses have?

Together with many other contributors, the authors ponder many things. How to measure impact? Is efficiency the best criterion? What about effectiveness? Looking at their own research as well as other works from around the world, the authors are quite thorough in their probe. They look at many angles and contexts surrounding social enterprises.

• Businesses that engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) [examples: Ben & Jerry's and Body Shop]
• social businesses [example: Grameen Bank founded by Muhammad Yunus]
• Social businesses earning income for a non-profit [examples: Habitat for Humanity; Salvation Army; University of Toronto Press]
• Social business receiving support from non-profit [examples: United Way; Raging Spoon; Abel Enterprises; Crazy Cooks]

Mission Drift

TITLE: Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches
AUTHOR: Peter Greer & Chris Horst
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014, (224 pages).

Every organization is prone to drifting. It is basically a matter of time. The original mission will always be threatened with change as the years go by. Authors Peter Greer and Chris Horst have come together to tackle this "unspoken crisis facing leaders, charities, and churches." This crisis has affected Ivy Leagues, Franciscan Food Banks, the YMCAs, mainline churches, and other charities. Why? Two basic reasons:

1. Personal Drift as leaders fail
2. Institutional Drift as organizations become distracted

In both these drifts, the basic answer is humility and accountability.  The first step is to recognize the problem. The second step is to revisit one's original calling and mission, and to determine the identity that started it all. The third step is to work toward becoming "Mission True" people and organizations. With remarkable insight and wise guidance, Greer and Horst points the way forward. Unlike books that tend to bash us black and blue throughout, this book has more to say about what it means to be "Mission True." Only two chapters out of fifteen are dedicated to bashing the drifting that is happening in many places. Packed with riveting observations about modern charities and churches, the authors sensitively highlight the challenges of how atheism had infiltrated the typical religious mindset, like the way the YWCA has become more secular than Christian. They bring back the importance of focusing on character rather than credentials. They question the lack of purpose in organizations that have stayed too long in their comfort zones. They provide directions for board members. They list some key performance measures that are more consistent with the mission of the organizations. They suggest a new performance scorecard that helps focused ministry. It is one thing to be all things to all people. It is yet another to be an organization that is true to its values and to let God bless as many people as possible through faithful working out of this mission.

This is indeed an act of faith. When we stay true to our mission, we are asking that God lead us to do what matters to God. We are then asked to trust God to do the rest. It is one thing to try to take everything in our own hands. It is yet another work out the things God had given us, and to put the rest in the hands of God. 

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Mission Drift" (Peter Greer & Chris Horst)

TITLE: Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches
AUTHOR: Peter Greer & Chris Horst
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014, (224 pages).

Do you know that the original founding of great Ivy league institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Pennsylvania all had Puritan beginnings? Do you know that child sponsorship charity, ChildFund International had Christian roots? Yet, why do these organizations look so different over time? Why are so many of them unable to fulfill the original missions that they were founded upon? The reason: Every organization drifts over time.The scary thing is not about whether any well-intentioned organization will experience a drift in its mission. It is a matter of when.

From Churches to non-profits, the moment they stop emphasizing their mission, they are called to "drift." That is why authors Dr Peter Greer and Chris Horst, leaders of the non-profit, HOPE International, state upfront: "Without careful attention, faith-based organizations will invariably drift from their founding mission." The example of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton is a case in point. Founded in 1636, Harvard's original mission was to ground students on the foundation of the gospel for the work of Christ. As early as 1701, Christian clergymen sensed that Harvard had become overly secularized. Those concerned about such a drift founded Yale in 1718. Unfortunately, the same thing happened to Yale which led to the founding of Princeton in 1746. All the Ivy Leagues had Christian roots. Yet, the Ivy Leagues of today looked more secular than ever before. What happened? They drifted from their original mission. Why?

Comparing two organizations, the authors note how Compassion International stayed true to their mission roots while ChildFund International started to dumb down their own Christian emphasis. The former remains Mission True while the other becomes mission untrue. By interviewing dozens of prominent leaders and hundreds of hours listening to the many stories, Greer and Horst try to find out what it takes to stay Mission True and at the same time sound a warning to organizations that will eventually experience Mission Drift. Two key drifts are highlighted: Personal and Institutional. The former is the one that happens during our watch. The other is the drift that happens outside of our watch. Both require humility to recognize one's vulnerability and to make plans to address them. Two chapters are dedicated to describing what Mission Drift is and how pervasive it is to all organizations. Thirteen chapters, in fact the most part of the book, is dedicated to describing how to be Mission True organizations. Here are some of the characteristics of Mission True organizations:

1. They are convicted that the Gospel is their single biggest asset
2. They will do everything to protect and to propel their mission
3. They will anticipate the dangers of drifting by building adequate safeguards
4. They are very clear about their purpose
5. They have top leaders who understand where their top priorities are
6. They have leaders who set the tone for the whole organization
7. They hire people based more on heart and character rather than knowledge and technical skills
8. They partner with donors who believe in their core mission and values
9. They regularly track metrics to know how their performance reflect their mission
10. They understand that the Gospel demands excellence in their mission
11. They are passionate about rituals and practices
12. They regularly proclaim their core tenets so that they can remain Mission True and avoid drifting
13. They recognize the importance of Church as the anchor of any thriving mission

Every chapter is filled with stories of real organizations. Each chapter maintains a set of tips and guidelines on how best to protect, to proclaim, and to propel organizations to be Mission True, and to be faithful to their original calling and purpose. This is a compelling book indeed, reminding us that there is no such thing as normal. Leaders and organizations must recognize that even when the waters are calm, that does not mean there is no danger underneath. A little wave, a tiny detour, or a small drift, can render any organization astray. Subsequently, they come up different and lead to a loss of identity. I appreciate the authors' three key points about Character, Competence, and Chemistry. The fact that Harvard's overwhelming emphasis on credentials over character that led to its mission drift is a stark contrast to Chick-Fil-A's strong cultural emphasis on these three Cs. 

Organizational leaders and board members ought to read this book. Those in key management positions too. Pastors and elders of churches will also benefit. Thanks to Greer and Horst, I am more sensitive to dangers that happen on the inside rather than the outside.  If an apple is damaged on the outside, we can easily see it and stop any decay as soon as possible. If the rot happens from the inside, because it is not easily seen, it will cause greater damage. Mission Drift is essentially about preventing any such rot from the inside. Put this book next to your library about leadership, visioning and mission statements.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"To Sing Frogs" (John M. Simmons)

TITLE: To Sing Frogs
AUTHOR: John M. Simmons
PUBLISHER: Salt Lake City, UT: White Knight Publishing, 2012, (376 pages).

[Note: From time to time, I will review books from independent publishers. Today's review is one of them. Even though I do not share the Mormon faith, there is a good message in this book that deserves to be told.]

There is love and compassion. There is a hunger to do the right thing. There is a deep conviction that amid a world of badness, there is still a chance to bring about goodness. In fact, the company founded by the author, White Knights, is specifically created to help alleviate poverty worldwide in whatever small ways possible. This energetic memoir tells the story of one man and his family, bringing hope through adoption of six children. In the process, Simmons learns not only to bring blessings to others, but through others,

The story of compassion and the sharing of hope, especially to people who begin this life thinking that "the world is a bad place." Yes, there are terrible places in this world. Where there are terrible people, there will be terrible situations. After all, the most biggest challenges in the world are often not technical or philosophical. It is relational. For many orphans in Russia, the world is a gloomy place. Refusing to be discouraged by the mountain of challenges, John Simmons seeks to give at least some of them hope through adoption. With his wife Amy, they have three biological children and have adopted six others. After having four boys, the couple was hoping to adopt a girl within the country. Without much success, they shift their focus overseas, in particular, Russia. Here is where the adventure really begins. Through the memoir, the Simmons describe their adoption experiences, their international travels, their strength to overcome administrative challenges, their observation of life in Russia, and their untiring efforts to make their dream of adopting the girls come true.

This is a very personal memoir, written with much energy and passion. Readers will be amazed to read about the mountain of challenges faced in international adoption. It is so difficult that only the most determined can maintain the high levels of optimism to overcome the different kinds of obstacles placed. If local adoption is difficult, international adoption is even more difficult. Words cannot do justice to the experience of the Simmons. For all the difficult times, just looking at the photographs of smiles and family, I can tell that as far as the author is concerned, it is all worth it. This book helps the author to bring back powerful memories for him, his family, for readers, and for many people who have gone through the adoption experience. Not everyone has the resources or the opportunities like this Simmons. Not everyone can overcome the challenges as well as John and Amy.  Yet, with love, it is always worth a try. Be encouraged as you read this memoir that reminds us that when science and intellectual know-how seems impossible, faith takes over. Even though the world is full of challenges, it is also full of the overcoming of challenges.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by the publisher without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Awake" (Noel Brewer Yeatts)

TITLE: Awake: Doing a World of Good One Person at a Time
AUTHOR: Noel Brewer Yeatts
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012, (176 pages).

Good works that flow out of the Good Word in the heart. Doing good to the world one person at a time. Reaching a larger world regardless of how small or how limited one is. All it matters is a big heart and willing hands. This is exactly what Noel Brewer Yeatts has done. Spurred in part by Timothy Keller's book, "Generous Justice," Yeatts attempts to help believers "wake" up to the reality of a world that needs us more than we can ever imagine. She makes a bold call to try to take readers through various shifts. I summarize some of my seven reflections as I read the book.

First, we need to move from guilt-driven kind of a help toward a justice minded perspective. Using the example of Mother Teresa and the story of the Tuohy family who helps a boy get back on his feet, Yeatts points out the need for a kind of help that will aim to make a difference one person at a time. If one is guilt-driven, one may only get to help on a knee-jerk manner that does not last. If one is led by justice, one will persevere in being creative and convicted about helping a person a long way.

Second, we need to move from sleepy knowledge toward wakeful action. So often, we allow our accumulation of knowledge bog us down to inaction. Like Aquinas, we need to choose to "feel compassion than to know the meaning of it." It is not enough simply to be aware of what is going on. We need to take responsibility for this knowledge and to do something about it. The trouble is, far too many people o not think their participation will make any difference. This is tragic not only for the needy, but also for us. So what are the rich of the world, who as a minority possess the majority of the world's wealth, doing about the rest of the world, who not only are poor, but seem to exist only to serve the desires of the rich?

Third, we need to move from a mentality of handouts to compassionate action. Giving handouts is a cop out to reduce one's guilt feeling. Action that stems from a deep compassion will resemble Jesus' being moved by compassion to action. That means learning to move from mere giving to actual serving, distant awareness to up close and personal human touch.

Four, our giving and helping need to move from haphazard help to strategic assistance. Women in general are more vulnerable. They are also more influential. Like the saying in Ghana, that if a man is helped, it is just one man; but if a woman is helped, the nation is also helped. One strategy then is to pay special attention to the needs of women and to train them to develop help channels in their respective contexts.

Five, move from vague ideas about help toward crystal clear ideas. Take the issue of the lack of clean water. It spawns a host of problems with regards to diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid, as well as the good health. Without good health, one cannot have a good quality of life. Helping the poor does not mean just addressing symptoms. It also means addressing root causes.

Six, we need to move from a boring but safe lifestyle to a bold and significant form of faith. It means radical plans with our own lives. It means learning to make our lives count. It means living a worthwhile life for others. Helping the poor is not simply just wearing a T-shirt. It means wearing the needs of the poor through active engagement with the rich AND the poor. We need to evangelize the former and to be an agent to touch the latter. We need to speak up for the voiceless, listen to the silenced, see the marginalized, and to feel that the world as it is right now, is moving toward injustice.

Seven, we need to move from a sense of complacency to a sense of urgency. I think it is an apt reminder that the biggest tragedy for many people is not because they are successful, but when they are successful in things that ultimately do not matter much. Yeatts urge readers to actively join groups that advocate for the poor and vulnerable; to invest in a child; to be an active part of infrastructure improvements in the needy world; and even to make a trip to the poorest of the poor to experience first hand the reality of injustice, poverty, and suffering.

This book is about changing the world, beginning with changing the hearts of anyone who wants to do some good in the world. The primary audience is essentially the rich West, but the scope can be easily enlarged to include other groups. Containing many stories of faith and trust, success and disappointments, Yeatts encourages us not to look at the problem, be discouraged and then do nothing. Instead, she urges us to look at what is possible, be encouraged, and then do something, even if it means just one life or one small situation at a time. Three thoughts come to mind as I marvel at the resilience and the industry of Yeatts. First, we are not responsible to solve all the problems of the whole world, just part of it. Second, we are not meant to help everybody in the world, just who we can reach. Third, we are not responsible for the ills of the world, but we are responsible if we do not do anything about it. If any of these thoughts can be planted in the reader, this book will have done its job. I'm sure readers will be moved. It is a fitting reminder that while we are not responsible for solving all the problems of the world, we are responsible for those things that we can do something about.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"When Helping Hurts" (Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert)

TITLE: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
AUTHOR: Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012, (288 pages).

This book is poised to turn the conventional thinking about helping the poor on its head. In fact, how we define poverty will determine how we address and help alleviate the poverty. A misdiagnosis will not only fail to help the needy, it hurts them. Good intentions are not enough. We need good thinking too. Short-term help must remain short-term. Never help those who can help themselves. Desiring to help is good. Exercising wisdom in helping is better.

Corbett and Fikkert have given us a powerful resource in empowering the helper to help others without hurting them. You may be asking. How can charity ever harm people? The key is, when we fail to help them to help themselves, we are simply making them depend on us, and produce a cycle of codependency. If their poverty and neediness grow worse after our help, then we have not helped them. We have harmed them, especially when our help efforts becomes some kind of a narcotic for them.

Wisdom is needed to help the poor and the needy. Written in four parts, this book attempts to give readers the basics in learning to help in a constructive and beneficial way, for the poor. Beginning with the story of Mzungu, the witch doctor, the authors try to argue at the onset that we cannot help others on the basis of our contexts and culture. We may have the material goods, but others may need something more than material goods. Love.

We need to understand the other party's contexts and culture first. The two key convictions the writers have are, first, North Americans Christians are not doing enough to help. Second. many are helping it the wrong way.

Part One goes into the foundational concepts of help, linking Christian help with the gospel of the kingdom. It asks three basic questions.

1. Why did Jesus come to Earth?
   Here, the authors attempt to expand our understanding of social help as part of kingdom witness. The task of the Church is to be available to help free people from the vicious cycles of poverty. Social responsibility must remain a core part of the Church, that has too often placed inner spiritual concerns and ignore external social concerns.
2. What's the problem about poverty and our understanding of the vicious poverty cycle?
   The poor in various contexts understand poverty in different terms. For instance, when poor people mention a lack of material things, what they need is also a sense of dignity, a need for relationship, and other non-material concerns. "Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness." (51) 
3. Do we have a correct sense of poverty alleviation?
   It is important to understand that poverty is rooted in broken relationships, and a key part of wanting to help is reconciliation to God, to fellow people, and to society at large. Such reconciliation can only happen when it is rooted in the power of hope in Christ's resurrection. 

Part Two works out some general principles for helping without hurting. It gives an insightful 1 to 3 markers, to help us match the need with the appropriate resource. If it is a need for crisis relief (Category 1), the resource must be immediate, seldom, and temporary. If it is a need for rehabilitation (Category 2), ensure adequate participation by all, assessment, target assistance, and appropriate resource workers. If it is a need for development (Category 3), the proper long term training and empowerment can be employed. The trouble with many is that they fail to correctly identify which category of help is present, and thus, erroneously assign help resources.

A good rule of thumb in cutting through all the confusions is to "avoid paternalism." Simply put, do not help others on things that they can help themselves. Other principles include the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) that affirms the dignity of the poor, and empower them to stand up for themselves. The four key elements are:

1. Identifying strengths and gifts of the needy
2. Look for resources within them
3. Help them build links with local communities
4. Only when necessary, bring foreign help.

When helping any group, it is important to contextualize rather than rely on a blueprint that others have used. What is success in one context may become failure in another. This is because every situation and people group is different.

Part Three showcases some practical strategies, to help communities both globally and locally. For foreign lands, the authors show how short-term missions can be helpfully done. It requires careful design by the organizers familiar with the field. Teams need to be trained and screened. Expectations must be managed. Learn to be more intentional in blessing others rather than pandering to our own perceptions. For local places, learn to pay attention to broken systems and broken individuals. Recognize the skills needed to find work and to remain employed. There are tips on wealth, housing, healthcare, education, and various ministries. Other strategies include microfinancing where the poor are given small loans with certain collateral. The North American Church can train, or subsidize training. They can assist by complementing agencies familiar with the culture. They can be an advocate.

Part Four provides practical steps to begin help. Five principles are proposed.

1. Foster triggers for human change
2. Mobilize supportive people
3. Look for early, recognizable success
4. Learn the context as you go
5. Start with the people most receptive to change.

Finally, the most important step is our own sense of repentance, and humility. We help people from the position of humility and brokenness. Only when we repent of our stubborn and erroneous, even arrogant ways of thinking Only when we repent, we become helped people being equipped to help others.  This means we learn to be humble to learn and re-learn what it means to help. It takes a broken person who has found healing, to help another broken person to find healing.

My Thoughts

The Bible has said that we loved because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). In a similar spirit, we helped because God first helped us. We reach out because God first reached out to us. This is what true help is about. We look at the needy and the poor from the eyes of God, rather than based on our material plenty or rich position of power.

In many ways, this book is similar to "Toxic Charity," which is also a book of the same genre of helping others without hurting them. It is similar in its arguments against wrong kinds of help, especially the ones that turns help into codependency. Unlike Robert Lupton's book, "When Helping Hurts" is written specifically for the Church and the Christian community. There are many biblical references and data on Christian help groups and Christian concerns. It is a book written by Christians for Christians. More specifically, it is for North American churches who want to help, but are not exactly sure how to help without hurting. The "Initial Thoughts" page at the beginning of each chapter is there to help readers to first take a snapshot of their perception of help. At the end of the chapter, the reflection questions help us track our Before/After picture. There are practical tips and exercises to encourage the reader to go beyond simply reading the book. I like the way the authors have defined poverty alleviation.

"Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation....
........ Material poverty alleviation is working to reconcile the four foundational relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work." (74)

This is a book useful for preaching and teaching. Pastors will benefit by giving their churches some guidance with regards to charitable giving, especially with Christmas around the corner. Teachers can help their students to dig deeper into the Word, and to exercise practical living beyond the classroom. With the rising affluence of the North American Church, and the growing rich-poor divide between the haves and the have-nots, may we learn to play our part not only to help, but to help without harming the poor. It is our responsibility that they have their rights to basic dignity, goods and services.


Rating: 4.75 stars of 5

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Moody Publishers without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Book Review: "In a Heartbeat" (Leigh Anne & Sean Tuohy)

TITLE: IN A HEARTBEAT - sharing the power of cheerful giving
AUTHORS: Leigh Anne and Sean TUOHY, with Sally Jenkins
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company, 2010, (271pp)

If you have seen the movie, "The Blind Side," you will want to pick up this book. Written in a matter of fact manner, with both humour and Southern frankness of opinion, the authors share insightful details about how they become cheerful givers. Their giving culture can be summed up by their 'pop-corn theory,' which is:

"You can't help everyone. But you can try to help the hot ones who pop right up in front of your face." (1)