Lessons from a Broken Chopstick

Was the cause really worth it all? Like many parents who are on mission with God in a foreign land, Mary Anne Phemister's father was resolute in his zeal to lead the lost people of China and later Vietnam, Cambodia, and Taiwan out of spiritual darkness. No one ever questioned his passion and dedication to missions. But the dark side of such unmovable faith, passion, and zeal was another matter. Was the cause really worth the emotional pain, suffering, and price that Mary Anne believes she and her siblings, as well as their submissive mother, paid for their father's intractable passion to witness for Christ overseas? With sensitivity, insight, forgiveness, and even humor Mary Anne weaves her recollection of her growing-up days as a child in a "Third-World Culture"-an experience shared by many who are reared in surroundings outside the land of their national origins. Like Pearl Buck's memorable "Fighting Angel" penned some 75 years ago Mary Anne thoughtfully yet incisively addresses issues and topics most missionary books would consider "too hot to handle."