Michèle Phoenix’s ‘Of Stillness and Storm’ Giveaway

Of stillness and storm—a Book Review

By Michele Phoenix

My eyes are blurry and I’m very emotional after spending the day reading Of Stillness and Storm from cover to cover.  I love to read but I don’t usually read a 320 page Christian novel in one sitting.  Once it touched a nerve in my missionary heart, in my own life and ministry I couldn’t put it down.  Parenting on a foreign field as missionaries has more challenges than most people know.  Before I knew anything about the author, personally, I was impressed that she intimately understood the challenges of the missionary call and parenting.

For a while I couldn’t understand the darkness I felt through most of the story.  Most missionary stories tell all the glory that folks back home expect to hear. This fiction was so real to me, I felt so much disappointment and even anger--I wasn’t happy with the missionary husband’s attitude from the very beginning in his approach to his calling and consideration for his family.  The choices of both missionary husband and wife profoundly affected and overshadowed the good.  Ultimately, the missionary child suffered.     

Even though this book is fiction, it can be an eye-opener! I will recommend it to pre-field missionaries as they evaluate their call, to missionaries on the field as they balance ministry and parenting and to those who love and hold missionaries accountable on the field.

"No Missionaries Were Sent to My People"

I'm sure Meemee had no idea how her story touched my heart yesterday. You know how sometimes you will feel an emotion so strongly that it hurts?! I still hurt!

As a part of our mission conference, we had just watched EE TAOW, the true story of the Mauk tribe in New Guinea which tells how almost the entire tribe was converted at the same time. The emotion of that film never ceases to impact me each time I see it.

After our "international banquet", while a group effort was putting the fellowship hall in good order Meemee asked me why "no missionaries were sent to her people" in Thailand. I was taken back. I personally know several missionaries in Thailand, so how could that be? She explained that she knew missionaries were in the cities of Thailand, but none had gone to her place-- an overnight train ride, plus from Bangkok. I don't know the answer to that question, but it certainly is worth it to me to investigate. After all, it isn't God's will that any should perish!

By the time we were missionaries in the Philippines in the 80's we were privileged to work along side Filipinos who had worked with American missionaries for many years. I can't imagine entering a land and culture who only know the idol worship of Buddha.

When Meemee ran away from her home many, many years ago to escape the very hard work and poverty, she took her Buddhas with her to the city and eventually to the states. She kept them in their own shrine, taking care of them and burning incense until the day she was "born again"-- then threw them away! That trip was certainly orchestrated by God as her people still have not heard the redeeming message of Jesus Christ. She said if they would hear the message of Jesus Christ, like the Mauk people they would believe too!