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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.

Have you ever wonder what missionary life was like in the African jungles? I recently got a glimpse into the hardships and rewards of missionary work in Conjurske Publications book Venturing with God in Congo. You will be amazed to see what this missionary family did to bring the word of God to the people in the various Congo tribes. It is a world hard to imagine.

As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, I received Venturing with God in Congo. I used this book as a read aloud with my two kids, ages 11 and 13. We haven’t read any biographies or autobiographies for read aloud in quite some time. This was the perfect opportunity.

Venturing with God in Congo Overview

So what is Venturing with God in Congo about? Darrell Champlin shares stories from his life while he and his family were missionaries in Congo in the 1950s and 60s. At this time, the Congolese are in a fight for independence. Towards the end of their time, the family has to deal with widespread violence due to the communists in the area. Besides the political struggles of the time, the family has to learn a great deal on how to deal with the challenges of jungle life . They also need to figure out how to work with the tribes that are wary of the missionaries. It is quite a fascinating read.

Missionary Life

The book begins with an introduction to Darrell’s upbringing and years leading to his missionary work in Africa. You also learn about his wife Louise’s early life and her family’s missionary stay in Africa. This wasn’t new for her. Through Darrell’s great storytelling ability, you get a clear picture of their devotion to spreading God’s word to others.

The book describes many of the challenges and triumphs of helping others accept Jesus into their lives. After all, this is still an area of witch doctors, idols, and superstitions. The book is so much more, though. You see the hard life of missionaries and their utmost devotion and determination despite everything to help others find God. Not illness, harsh living conditions, and threats of violence will deter them from their calling.

Life in Congo

Besides learning about the Champlin family’s missionary work, you learn a great deal about the African people, politics, and jungle life. This is actually quite fascinating. The life of the people living in Congo is so hard to believe. They are a people stuck back in time with a culture you can’t relate to. Darrell refers to the people as “jungle rats”. While reading, you see why.

The books includes a map and pictures which are helpful. You can see where they are located in Congo, and the pictures bring it all to life even more.

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Thoughts on the this Missionary Book

Physical Quality of the Book

It should be noted that this is a high quality book. The book is hard cover with good quality binding. I had no worries of pages falling out or the binding splitting. This is great with kids in the house.

The book does not have pictures in each of the chapters but a photo section in the middle of the book. I think even young elementary level kids will enjoy hearing the stories and be okay there aren’t any pictures. My older kids were okay with it.

What We Liked

As I stated in the beginning, I used this book as a read aloud. However, I did not read the whole book to my children. Some parts I merely summarized.

Why did I do this?

I did this because I felt it might be upsetting to my son. My son is sensitive, so I chose to summarize some of the descriptions of the violence they encountered towards the end of the family’s stay in Congo. There are details of the violence inflicted on missionaries and local people by the communist group. I also omitted some of the chapters on the local tribes promiscuous tendencies. However, my daughter will be finishing the remainder of the book on her own. I feel she can handle it.

Overall, I read the majority of the book to my kids. They enjoyed it. With chapters like “A Leopard at the Window “ and “Giving a Hippo a Headache”, kids have a lot of fun listening to the stories. It helps, too, that Darrell is a good storyteller.

Kids will be fascinated with stories of jungle life. They’ll get creeped out about the creepy crawly insects in the ground and ceiling of the family home. They will be shocked at how the children sleep at night. And of course, the stories of hunting trips and dangerous animals will intrigue them. Kids will learn so much about Africa, and its people.

The Great Message from the Missionary’s

Finally, I think this book gives children, and adults, a great message about commitment to your beliefs. The Champlin family had a hard life in a hostile land and sometimes hostile people. Despite all the challenges, they continued to preach the gospel. These missionaries teach you to trust in God and always push ahead. They show the true spirit of hard work and determination. Everyone can benefit from seeing this example.

Recommendations

I would definitely use this book as a read aloud with children, though read ahead to ensure the content is appropriate for your children. Older teens and adults will enjoy reading the whole book independently. It is a great read about this extraordinary missionary family.

To read more reviews about Conjurske Publications book Venturing with God in Congo, click the link below. You will find several reviews by other homeschool families.