Through Her Eyes book report

Hey, it kind of seems like old news now, but you know, I wrote a book. I mean, one that has my name on it and was published by someone who is not my employer. In spite of the "written by me" part, though, like most everything else worth doing it was a collaborative effort - I was basically the narrator for stories told by two dozen women serving in cross-cultural ministry.

They live in various parts of the Muslim world. Including England. Yes! I only met "Joyce" once but heard enough of her story to put together a chapter called "Loving Muslims in Her Own Country." I'd love to see more people doing that.

And it's a pretty strategic thing in several regards. Have you heard about the teenage Somali boys in Minneapolis that have been disappearing? Yeah. They are being lured away to join their country's civil war. That's likely one step on a process of radicalization that some fear will lead them back to the US, with their American passports, fully indoctrinated and equipped to wreak some serious havoc.

So if we want to live in something like peace we've got to keep finding ways to reach out to people who are different from us. This is a multi-cultural world, and it's far too easy to make enemies. We need more sensitivity (like Rick Warren's inaugural prayer) and less throwing stones (like that uphelpful Obsession documentary).

Where was I going with this? Yes, the book. Well, writing a missions book is like writing a book of poetry. It may get published, but don't quit your day job. Through Her Eyes was published in 2005, and it brought in a whopping $80 in royalties this last year.

What pleases me is that I'm running into more and more people who have read it and found it of use. Several mission organizations are recommending it or even making it required reading for their outgoing candidates who are women. It finally got its first customer review on Amazon this month. (A favorable - if somewhat ungrammatical - one, too!) And most everywhere I do public speaking I'm able to get it into more hands. I hope to sell a couple dozen copies at Perspectives classes this winter.

So at long last I put up a simple Through Her Eyes website. Interested? Take a look.