Witness Men: True Stories of God at work in Papua, Indonesia (Hidden Heroes) Paperback – September 20, 2014

Easy to read and clear photos

Great stories. Some information about the culture early in the book is a bit gruesome, so may not be for everyone.

Well written, accurate big picture of what missions to such tribes require. Readable for children, but not insulting to adults. Great for read-along.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19)The mandate to evangelize is one given to all believers. With that said, God has gifted some with the calling to share the gospel in areas largely unreached, parts of the world steeped in pagan traditions where those cultures have been highly resistant to outside influence. One such place is Papua, Indonesia, an area of the world that for a long time was the residence of a number of tribal peoples, many who were headhunters, who worshiped pagan deities, and who had no contact with the outside world.In her book "Witness Men: True Stories of God at Work in Papua, Indonesia", speaker and author Rebecca Davis shares several stories of missionaries who dared to go where few had gone before to share the saving message of the gospel to people who were truly living in darkness. Largely meant for a younger audience in an effort to introduce children to missionary work over the years in Papua, Indonesia, this book contains 15 short but action packed chapters that engage the missionary journeys and experiences of several men and women who heeded the call of God to reach the tribes of Papua, Indonesia.As one who as a child read a number of books by missionaries to include Peace Child by Don Richardson, a portion of which is included in Davis' book, I had an appreciation at a rather young age for those who journeyed into a harsh landscape to interact with people who, while needing to hear the gospel, often had no qualms about taking the life of the outsider. Many men and women gave their lives to share the saving message of the gospel and quite often paved the way for subsequent missionaries to follow the path they blazed to continue to reach the people of Papua, Indonesia for Christ. I remember being absolutely fascinated by the book Peace Child becoming thoroughly engrossed even as a child with the story about how Don and Carol Richardson risked their lives to share the gospel.While geared towards children, adults will find themselves engaged in the stories of the missionaries and those they reached with the gospel. It is truly an amazing thing to read how God has worked in this part of the world over the years, from the days when the people of Papua had virtually no contact with the outside world to more recent history and the provision of translated New Testaments for many of the tribes that inhabit that country. The stories contained in Witness Men truly demonstrate the courage of these missionaries in the face of often hostile situations, and the fact that God will use those who are willing to go to bring people to a saving knowledge of His Son. While not everyone will be called to go to another country or to face headhunters to share the gospel, Witness Men nevertheless is a salient reminder that as believers, we have all been called to go into all the world and share the gospel. Going into the world can be as simple as your neighbor, your surrounding community, your county, state, country, or certainly foreign lands. Regardless of where God has called you, the fact is He has called us all to go.Witness Men is a book I can't wait for my daughter to read. I am confident she will find the stories riveting. An added bonus is the final section of this book called "Thinking Further." In this section, there is additional discussion points related to each chapter complete with bible verses pertinent to that chapter. This makes this book a useful tool for family devotions or even for use as a Sunday School/Children's Church curriculum. A book that not only relays stories but more importantly brings those stories home to our everyday life is a book truly worth buying, reading, and sharing. Being able to relate the message of a story to Scripture for application is a hallmark of a great book and Witness Men fits that bill completely.I received this for free from Christian Focus Publications via CrossFocused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This book series is not interesting for my 7 yo. I wanted to like it but I have to admit that it is not very engaging for children.

This new book in the Hidden Heroes series for CF4K is a remarkable little book on missionaries and their work in Indonesia. The author, Rebecca Davis culls together in this book, accounts of missionary activity in the western half of New Guinea, at one point called Dutch New Guinea. The book chronicles not one missionary but a whole host of missionaries aimed at proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to these remote and many times hostile tribes. In turn, what you find as you read this book is that the gospel going to Dutch New Guinea takes a whole host of people, who do all kinds of things from building air landing strips, to offering the tribes their services, to learning different languages in order that these witness men might tell of the great work of God.We get a picture of God's general revelation in ch. 2 of the book where Rebecca relates simultaneously the work of missionaries preparing for their mission work through language school alongside a Kimyal boy who is seeking out a different life than a witch doctor. Rebecaa writes, "He had never been taught about any sort of God at all, but he knew there must be something more than the spirit world his witch doctor father taught him...'There must be a greater Spirit, and one day I'll learn about Him. There must be a Spirit who loves' (21). The kind of life where evil and good spirits rage against one another was not the life for this little boy, for he realized that something greater was out there. At every point in the relaying of these missionary stories, the tribes have an inkling about a Greater Spirit or Deity but not the full word on it. Yet, this part of the story is important in that it speaks to God's creative care in designing people with an inbuilt conscience that seeks out for God even in the midst of other belief systems.The real beauty of these stories comes when a witness man, a man of the Damals comes to believe in Jesus Christ and this experience changes everything. Rebecca writes, "But Nogom, the chief's son, the translator who listened and spoke the words of the gospel day after day, was the one who first came to Christ. When he gave his steel axe to a man from whom he had stolen a pig, everyone in the valley knew Christianity had changed him" (31). The concrete expression of leaving behind old ways by not pillaging and committing violent acts leads the community to believe that a radical change has taken place in Nogom's life. The point I believe Rebecca is trying to make is that as the gospel roots itself in the people themselves, and not necessarily outsiders, this impact gives way for whole tribes to believe in the Savior. This truth can be seen almost in any continent and in many ministry contexts from Campus Crusade for Christ to Presbyterian church plants in foreign countries. Yet, what Rebecca's telling also indicates is that the work of missionaries in Dutch New Guinea was tireless and challenging, but one changed believer can upset the whole fabric of a community for Christ.The chapter at the end of the book entitled Bible Party was a great witness to the hard work of people desiring the Scriptures to reach the nations. Rebecca writes, "Then came the airplane with the New Testaments. People were so excited that they began to cry and sing and yell. God's Word was finally coming to them in their own language" (130-131)! The Kimyal people and Pastor Siud rejoiced at the sight of God's Word in the language of the Kimyals. Great rejoicing took place here as former missionaries gathered for this momentous event.These stories give great encouragement to believers as they journey down the road of Christian faith. This book also was a real account of the struggles and victories of life as a missionary. I hope many will be encouraged as a result of this fine book.Thanks to Cross Focused Reviews and CFK4 for the copy of this book in exchange for review.