Missionary Darrell Champlin REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

As a family, we do enjoy read alouds.  When we had the chance to review another missionary story I had to say, "yes."  Venturing with God in Congo from Conjurske Publications is a story about Darrell Champlin, his family, and their missionary adventures.  I received a hardcover copy of this 290-page book.  The story basically covers Darrell's travels from the 1950s and 1960s.

Timeline of important events

Darrell was born in 1932 and his wife, Louise, was born in 1928.  They were married in 1951 and had 4 children (3 boys-David, Jonathan, and Ethan, and 1 girl - Deborah).  Darrell was born in Utah during a time when it was the dream of every parent that their children would be missionaries for the Lord.  Louise was born in Florida but her family had served as missionaries in the Congo from 1917 to 2000 so she was pretty much raised on the mission field.

The Champlins ministered in the Congo off and on from about 1954 to 1964 when they had to evacuate due to war.  They ended up relocating to Suriname, South America where they served as missionaries for many years.  They were able to eventually go back for visits to the Congo but their main mission field remained in Suriname.

The quality of the book is nice.  The hardcover is sturdy with solid binding and the pages are of a nice, slightly thicker quality paper.  The cover art is catchy and colorful.  The font was a little small for my liking, but still easily readable.  I like that at the beginning of the book there is a page about pronunciation tips for the foreign words and a brief timeline of important events.  There is even a simple map of the Congo to refer to.

Pronunciation tips

The book is a compilation of Darrell's memoirs and each chapter consists of a story of something that happened while on the mission field.  There is intrigue, danger, sadness, and excitement as they encounter God over and over again in their missionary endeavors.  God shows up over and over again for them in their ministry.  These true-life stories are great for encouraging your family and especially if you have any mission-minded family members.  I enjoyed the interjection of scripture throughout the stories showing just how God is true to his word.  Reading about the Rogue Elephant and then seeing the picture of the skull in the included Photo Gallery was neat.  There are not many pictures included but they were appreciated by us.

Part of the photo gallery in the book

Story after story that just draws you into their world of what it must have been like to be on that mission field.  Their dedication as a family is fascinating.  Darrell's writing style is simple yet effective in sharing their experiences and invoking all kinds of emotions on the reader.  What it must have been like to experience things like the flies, ants, scorpions, snakes, and other pests in the jungle.  Dealing with the opposition of a satanic culture steeped with witch doctors and superstitions.  Living in a thatch roof hut with mud walls, open air windows, and a dirt floor.  Knowing that a leopard stalked you at night while you were sleeping (Leopard at the Window) and but for the grace of God you and your family awoke unscathed the next morning.  Perhaps the most emotional for me was the chapter, Terror in Congo, where he shares the story of the invasion and evacuation from the war torn area they were in.

Some of the stories were, I felt, a little too much for little ones so you might want to save this book for ages 12 and up or just skip over the more dramatic and graphic stories.  There is a lot of good to glean from the stories and God's grace, protection, and provision are apparent throughout.

I give Venturing with God in Congo a thumbs up.  The individual short story chapters make it perfect as a read aloud and keep the interest of those listening.  The stories speak to the Champlin's perseverance and dedication to the mission field.  Going on the mission field is one thing but taking your whole family and working through all the challenges it brings together as a family makes for a special, encouraging story.  What a wonderful example to learn from and experience through Darrell's storytelling of his missionary adventures.





You can connect with Conjurske Publications on FACEBOOK.  Their goal is to publish good Christian literature from the past for preservation and learning.  I like their mission statement, "Our mission is simple: to reprint the greatest Christian literature from the past several centuries and present it to Christians across the globe today." 

Please also be sure to check out the reviews from my fellow Crew members by clicking on the graphic link below.  Happy reading!