I’ve read and enjoyed many novels by Evans, but this is the first non-fiction book by him that I’ve read. It was a quick, motivational read. Much of what he suggests correlates with Dave Ramsey’s principles. (Dave Ramsey has written books about living debt-free, and hosts his own financial radio talk show.) While Evans didn’t have any “new” ideas, he did have a lot of good reminders.

An amazing look at the current lives of the Waodani (“Auca”) people. The author’s father, Nate Saint, along with 4 other missionaries were killed by the Waodani. Instead of reacting in anger, Nate’s family reached out to the Waodani, and eventually went to live with them. In this book, Nate’s son, Steve, at the invitation of the Waodani, chronicles how he returned to live with them in order to help them adapt to the encroaching outside world.

I’ve read Through Gates of Splendor and even visited parts of Ecuador where the original 5 missionaries lived and worked. This book gave me new insights into the events leading up to the killing of the missionaries. But more importantly, it showed God’s power in turning evil into good. The faith that Steve and his family showed in the face of great trials is inspiring.