[If you are interested, you can read chapter 1 of the book here, and you can see a promo video here.]
If I had to choose one word to describe A Twist of Faith, it would be this: thought-provoking. I can't say that this book was amazing or mind-blowing, but I can say, without a doubt, that this book gave me information that I think I will literally be mulling over for years. ATOF covers two "stories" that eventually become one. First is the true story of a Christian man living in North Carolina who visits Africa on a mission trip and sets out to build an orphanage in Malawi. It chronicles his hardships in working with the locals, raising and maintaining funds, building relationships in Malawi, and the changing of his expectations and goals. The second part of the story provides facts, statistics, and opinions about the influx of Americans who have set out to change the lives of impoverished African people, specifically the children. Sending money to Africa, adopting from their orphanages, and taking mission-type trips there has become increasingly popular, though the aid provided is sometimes harmful to the people.
What I really appreciated about this book is that it seems that the author, John Donnelly, proved himself to be a true journalist in that I never really knew his opinion of the North Carolinian man, David Nixon. He dug down deep for information, then he plainly presented what he found. Some of the information was nowhere near being pleasant, but it was reality. I really appreciated that honesty more than I can say. As a skeptic by nature, I am always trying to look past the rainbows and butterflies to try to see the truth. Donnelly did this, and sometimes the truth was not easy to swallow. He provided unbiased, eye-opening information and I am incredibly grateful for that.
What I did not like about the book is this: it seemed a little incomplete to me. Maybe this was because Donnelly's opinion was never stated--maybe this is a testament to his objectivity and this was done so I could formulate my opinion of Nixon and other Americans with similar missions. Whatever the case though, it just kind of left me feeling a little unimpressed and uncertain of what his goal was in writing this book.
However, I can confidently recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike. Why? Because it gives a picture of reality. The hearts of Christian missionaries, celebrity donors, African government officials, and others are called into question in this book. I like that no one in this situation is the "good guy". I have a huge appreciation for Donnelly in that he chose to wrote this book and chose to do his homework well before doing so. With that being said, let me know if you want to borrow my copy!
P.S. Want to know my opinion on the subject of aid, foreign missionaries, etc? I love and agree with this poem by Lao Tzu that was included in the book:
Go to the people
Live with them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build with what they have.
We love, support, and are glad for the missionaries we know and possibly even hope to join some of them one day. However, I believe strongly that there is a wrong and right way to minister to those of different cultures, and this poem expresses my feelings well.
P.P.S. Of course http://thespeakeasy.info/ did not pay me, bribe me, or anything like that to review this book! They just gave me the book for free and asked me to provide a "candid review". So, this is my opinion and not theirs!
