Books for Understanding—A Culture and a Country—Vietnam
When I knew I was going to Vietnam, I wanted to read a couple of books to get some understanding about the culture and the country, so I could make better sense of what I would see with my eyes, hear with my ears, and notice all around me. I remembered that while we lived in Fort Smith, a friend gave us a book entitled, Where the Wind Leads. She said it was moving, real, and very insightful, especially since a fairly large number of Vietnamese refugees settled in Fort Smith. The book’s author grew up in Fort Smith.
I intended to read it right away, but let it get away from me. Now, I searched for it on my bookshelf and started to read. Timing is everything! I couldn’t put it down, and found myself reading it at 2:30 AM at times. It’s a true, human-interest story about one family of the so called “boat people” who fled Vietnam as the communists took over after the war. It’s the best thing I could have read to understand that chapter of Vietnamese history, the nature and psyche of the Vietnamese people, and where they have come from to this point in history. Even without the Vietnamese connection, it’s a beautiful and moving story about one human family, resilience, God’s help, and providence in their journey through life.
I asked the leader of our group, Pastor Ngoc, what else should I read? He surprise me by suggesting I read, Jesus in Beijing. I thought I should be reading about Vietnam, not China, but ordered the book and started my way through it. Soon I saw the connection he probably wanted me to see. It is likely the most thorough, researched, accurate, credentialed, up-to-date accounting and history, of the underground church in China—probably the largest and healthiest church in the world. Aside from that important insight, it’s also a text book on how the church operates in a hostile, communist environment, being under authority, but following Christ as King. So I now see the connection, and it’s value to the church in Vietnam. I finished it on the plane going over and left my copy with the Bible school in Saigon.
As an aside, I left a copy of my four books with the same school. I told Pastor Ngoc they were about discipleship, the Bible, and knowing God better as we journey, but they are only available in English. He said to sign them and bring them. They would be of value to the young pastors and Bible students. So I did. Thanks, Stan, for carrying them in your checked bag!
More than a decade ago, I was introduced to and read, The Heavenly Man, a biography of one of the leaders of the underground church in China. It was inspirational and eye-opening. Jesus in Beijing is a substantiation and continuation of that story—a story that is still unfolding in our day. So with that information, I can wholeheartedly recommend both of those books for your insight, inspiration, and spiritual knowing about our times and the state of the world in context with the Kingdom of God—especially in Asia.
Shalom as you read, study, and learn more about the Kingdom of God as it ebbs, flows, and grows in the nations of the world. Please pray for the peace of Vietnam, Israel, Jerusalem, and your own city, as the Bible tells us to do.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6)
“Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 2:10-12)
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’” (Revelation 7: 9-12)
Tuesday, 2026 Journal Entry Central Highlands, Vietnam
We are leaving the hotel after two nights. They’re bussing our team to a different location today and we’re spending the night elsewhere. The dental team is splitting off from us today, for today only.
In fact, the authorities only let Dr. Stan, Dr. Le, and two Vietnamese dental and medical personnel with American passports work with the dental team today. The rest of us American passport holders were not allowed back.
I awakened this morning praying for the local pastors, and the church in Vietnam, especially the Highlands.
The people of the Central Highlands seem to be much more open to the gospel and come to faith much easier than the populated areas of Vietnam. They seem to have a simple, child-like, faith, and not so much indoctrination as those in the cities and more heavily populated areas.
I had an impression to leave some T-shirts that have Christian messages for local pastors as I go. I asked Pastor Ngoc, and he said that would be fine, but not here, due to the scrutiny. In the next villages it should be fine.
One interesting thing happened at a public restaurant last night. The local pastor prayed over our long table of about 30 people (mission team plus local church members), a long passionate prayer in Vietnamese. A table of men drinking beer at the next table clapped loudly when the prayer was finished. So we did too. One of them looked me in the eyes and said in broken English, “Good prayer!” :):)
That was a new mission experience!
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In the early afternoon our dental team of four rejoined us. We boarded our bus and drove a few hours to our next location.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I’m not sure where that pharse comes from, but out leader, Pastor Ngoc, must take it to heart, because at our next hotel in the Central Highlands, we were suprised by two Asian elephants giving rides next door! What a sight, and experience! All this was in the middle of a beautiful agricultural valley on the shores of a very large lake. It was an incredibly beautiful and peaceful setting we were to enjoy morning and evening for two days before and after serving in nearby villages.
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“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”(Galatians 6:18)
The team from the US arrived from different places individually and in small groups via different routes. But eveyone arrived by Friday evening and the whole team met in the hotel lobby early Saturday monring for breakfast and our inbriefing by Pastor Ngoc. After hearing our plan for the week beginning tomorrow, we were free to rest or roam. Some took naps during the day to recover from jet lag and travel drag, but with so much anticipation and adrenaline thinking about the trip, it was difficult.
Some shopped for last minute items that might be hard to find in the Central Highlands or for soveniers. Some took strolls in the neighborhood getting to know the culture, food, and money. A few of us took a cruise on the Saigon River in the afternoon to see some of the city from the water. Rest and recovery, as well as culture familiarization, was the order of the day. We were told to report downstairs in the morning with our bags packed, ready to board the bus after breakfast.
We would be attending Sunday church services at a Bible school on our way out of town, followed by a nine hour bus ride to our first ministry station or village.
The students and church members were welcoming and friendly. It was different, and it was the same, as it mostly is in different Christian communities around the globe. The sermon and the worship was in Vietnamese, but it felt like home–peaceful and the same spirit. Speaking of Spirit, we were there on Penecost Sunday 2026. And that was the theme of the worship, as well as, the teaching and preaching. They sang some songs we knew by the melody, so we could sing along in English.
We discoved Google Translate could translate the sermon in real time to text on our phones. That was nice. And the Google Translate camera feature would translate print into English for us as we held our cameras to print or signs. Nice! But even had we sat in silence, it was a comfortable, familiar feeling. There was a lot of reverence and worship of God, and there was a lot of love for each other in the room.
We had a nice lunch with students and church members in the kitchen/dining room of the multistory dormitory complex. Before long we walked to our bus, and began the long, interesting ride north and upward to the Central Highlands–our mission and home for the coming week.
We settled in on the bus for quiet visits to get to know each other, and for quietly seeing the country side and the way people lived. There was time for reflection, dreaming, imagaing what might lay in front of us, rest, and prayer.
Soon we’ll know! We’re supposed to arrive at our hotel before midnight.
After a couple of nights in Da Nang, our host and his high-school friend drove us north 5 hours to their hometown of Dong Hoi. Our first stop was Hué, a former capital of Vietnam and a residence of the last imperial emperors. We had a nice walking tour of the palace and grounds before heading north again to the 17th parallel which became the dividing line between north and south Vietnam after the French were expelled in 1954.
We stopped there to look at the site, the war memorial, and the walking bridge across the river that was the border—the DMZ, established by the Geneva Accords. It divided the country for two decades. It was somber to think about the devastation and loss of life caused by the war. Estimates are 2-3 million Vietnamese lives lost and 60 thousand American lives lost. It seemed very surreal to stand on the spot fifty years later with normalized relations between the two countries, and ponder what the feelings might be in different parts of both countries and different generations.
From there we continued and hour north to our friend’s parents home, a hundred yards from the beach of the South China Sea. Dong Hoi is very modern. It looked surprisingly like the building going on in Northwest Arkansas. Apparently the government and private investors are promoting it as a tourist destination, and also a nice location for the urban population of Hanoi to get away to the beach for rest and relaxing a reasonable distance away. It boasts white sand beaches and fresh seafood aplenty.
Dr. Le showed us the city and some of his favorite spots. The following day, his dad drove us an hour away to a beautiful, green river with high limestone mountains all round. It was the world-famous UNESCO caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. There were boat tours to a large cave that can be explored and experienced by boat, and also by walking. It was a peaceful, refreshing adventure, as well as, extraordinarily beautiful. In the afternoon we climbed 1000 steps to an amazing view of the river and mountains around Dong Hoi as they encompassed a large lake and bordered the sea shore—breath taking.
Day three we said good bye to Dr. Le’s parents who had extended the most gracious hospitality, and drove to the airport directly behind their home for our flight to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. There we were to meet our medical mission team from the USA the next day.
It was a beautiful, smooth two-hour flight south. We collected our baggage, called a Grab (Asian Uber), and arrived at our hotel in time to take a walk in the neighborhood before dinner. After a relaxing, delicious dinner, we summoned another Grab, and rode downtown to one of the first sky scrappers in Vietnam. The Saigon Skydeck is a 360º observation deck on the 48th floor, and we thought it would be something beautiful to do, to get to know the city better, before turning in for the night. It exceeded our expectations.
I was recently invited by a young Vietnamese dentist to visit Vietnam, where he was born and grew up, along with an American dentist who is a friend of mine. My friend mentored the young Vietnamese dentist, and ended up selling him his practice. Both are believers and were to be a part of a medical and dental mission team to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. So this particular opportunity for travel and adventure had two parts. First, the opportunity to visit a unique and fascinating country, and see it through the eyes of a local who speaks the language. Secondly, to be a part of a team of faith-motivated people who want to serve local churches, pastors, and their flocks by providing some much-needed medical and dental attention.
This two-week trip may merit several blogs. I’m still processing what I experienced there. But I’ll begin with the tourist part of the trip by describing some of the things we saw and did and came to know about Vietnam.
I love history, the study of kingdoms, leaders, and the political science of different types of governments as described in the Bible and history. But I’ll confess that since I’m not too much into current events these days, and I purposely stay away from mainstream media for the peace it affords, I was in the dark about what has happened in Vietnam during the last few decades. In my mind, it was still a war-torn nation recovering from the Vietnam war that ended in 1975, 50 years ago. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In preparation for the trip, I went to the local library and checked out a Lonely Planet tourist guide for Vietnam, and discovered the following facts:
[1] Vietnam is open to tourism and hosted 22 million visitors in 2025. [2] Vietnam has a population of a 102 million people. [3] It’s a long, skinny country, 1000 miles north to south, with a long, beautiful south-Pacific coast line. [4] Vietnam is composed of 54 different ethnic groups. [5] Vietnam is the world’s leading exporter of cashews and the second leading exporter of coffee, after Brazil. [6] Vietnam’s population is young and vibrant with 70% of it below the age of 35. [7] The street food is delicious, safe, and inexpensive. There are a large number of tech startups in Da Nang, an other urban centers. [8] Hanoi (pop. 8 million) established 1010 AD is the cultural heart of the country, while Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (pop. 13 million) is the economic heart and engine of the country. The country is about 38% urban and 62% rural. [9] Modern Vietnam is heavily influenced by 1000 years of Chinese occupation, 100 years of French occupation, and a 25 year civil war between the northern part of the country desiring communist rulership allied with the former Soviet Union, and the southern part of the country wanting a democratic-republic government, allied with the United States. Diplomatic normalization between the US and Vietnam occurred in 1995. [10] Vietnam ranks 34th in the world by GDP, and 23rd by purchasing power parity—its economy in a steady climb since it embraced private ownership of property and encouraged free trade, inviting international investors. There are many billionaires along with large numbers of poor.
Spiritually speaking, Vietnam is reportedly 13% Buddhist, 6% Catholic, 1% Protestant, with 73% reporting as non religious—practicing folk traditions including ancestor worship. The spiritual landscape will be the subject of subsequent blogs as I process my experiences and reference my journal.
We spent time in Da Nang, visiting the beach, driving about the city over the amazing Dragon Bridge, and visited nearby Ba Na Hills for the views, the architecture, and to experience the iconic Golden Bridge held by giant hands. The French discovered the area in 1901 and built a French village in the mountains to enjoy the cool air, and to escape the heat of the coastal jungles. Today it has become an exhibition of where East meets West, and a Disney World-type venture that is remarkable to behold.
We also visited Hoi An about 30 miles south of Da Nang called The Lantern City because the ancient town glows with thousands of colorful silk lanterns every night. It’s a UNESCO site. No cars are allowed in the old town. There’s a river where folks release floating lanterns—super romantic at night. It’s been a trading port along Vietnam’s coast since the 1500s, and has special historical ties with Japan.
As an airline pilot I had many opportunities to travel as a tourist for short stints. But whenever afforded the opportunity to visit a country and culture and see it through the eyes of a local person, who speaks the language, and wants to show you their favorite places—that’s special! We had plenty of unhurried time to dine, sit for coffee, and talk about life, family, history, culture, and beliefs. That’s sort of what short-term mission trips are like too—guided by a friendly local into their world. I’ve been on more than twenty such adventures. Each one is special in its own right. This one certainly was special!
I just finished reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen E Ambrose. Wow! What an interesting book for those curious about American history in the early 1800s! And what a stellar biography of one of the most interesting people of all times, Meriwether Lewis. His story now rests with two others as the best three survival, adventure, and discovery stories of all time for me. The others are Endurance about the Antarctic discovery voyage of Earnest Shackleton and Wager with the Windabout an early Alaska bush pilot, Don Sheldon.
Reading good books is such a healthy exercise for our minds and hearts — our souls. It gets us away from the shallow exercise of scrolling on our devices and into deep thought in a quiet place that’s focused, yet enlarged for imagination, thinking and pondering the meaning of life and the better parts of it, instead of just devouring information and mindless entertainment.
Reading is a spiritual discipline or habit for the enjoyment and development of our souls. It involves solitude and humility. Solitude and silence are almost lost and badly needed in our day for healthy souls to connect with themselves, others, and the spiritual realm. Reading involves humility because you must stop and humble yourself to listen to someone else share their thoughts or stories.
I just finished a season where I read three books. Let me recommend them to you and tell you a little about each. Each was mind-expanding and enriching in its own way. All bought joy, peace, and expanded my horizons as I journeyed with the authors.
Undaunted Courage
I attended a high school with a good curriculum and felt like I had a better than average introduction to American history. I graduated from a university with a minor in history. But when I read this book, I felt like I was reading or learning about this period of history for the first time, and it fascinated me.
Ambrose is obviously a scholar and a good storyteller. But the way he relied on Lewis’ and Clark’s journals and their eyewitness accounts of the Indians they encountered and the descriptions of the terrain and weather conditions on their historic trek, made it a page turner for me. Also the political and relational elements of their lives and times were fascinating. Lewis’ best and closest friends were William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. I’ll share a few highlights at the end of this blog to see if it catches your whimsy.
Catching Whimsy
Speaking of Catching Whimsy, that’s the name of the second book I’ll recommend to you. It’s actually a “365 Days of of Possibility” devotional book of sorts by lawyer and best selling author Bob Goff. His short readings and stories each day will take your mind and heart to some interesting and worthwhile places, making a difference in your day, your outlook, and your life.
7 More Men
An easy-read collection of seven short biographies, 7 More Men, by Eric Metaxas will take your mind away to what’s possible in human history with the stories of ordinary people with flaws and rough starts who became history changers and added to our stories and lives on the planet. It’s inspirational, educational, and will lift your mind and heart out of the mundane and into the free realm of the soul.
Take courage, and read! Then take courage and live a more rewarding life of love and adventure following your dreams, being lifted and perhaps standing, on the shoulders of those who have gone before.
Undaunted Courage—Quips & Quotes & Thoughts
From my journal on February 11, 2026: “Spending the morning in glorious silence and solitude, reading of the Lewis and Clark adventure. Synchronicities abound in God’s helping the USA as a nation to progress. Also in my personal, spiritual, and natural journey I identify with Lewis in many ways–ways you can only understand if you’ve walked some of those paths of resilience and courage. I’ve ridden horses, explored in remote mountains, canoed with friends in ten heavily loaded canoes on a flooding river, and served in the military.
“Let me be clear, I do not consider myself in the same league or conversation with Meriwether Lewis for toughness, courage, or intellect. But I can see his greatness and genius and faith from where I stand, and his spiritual journey and circumstances, maybe even more clearly than he did.
“That’s an interesting thought! But such is the nature of revelation and spiritual sight. It seems to be a meeting of the minds, and a spiritual synchronicity for me what Lewis recorded August 18, 1805, on his 31st birthday.
“As I and my friends contemplate the brevity of life and the limited time we have left, what shall be our purpose and course in the days ahead? Our characters are mostly formed with the truth we believe, and our thoughts are solidified. But our strength and minds are waining, so it seems a good and timely question to ask. It should be asked all along life’s way.
“It seemed poignant to Meriwether Lewis on his 31st birthday, at a time he felt his mission was most in doubt, but also feeling the hand of Providence in the good favor experienced with the Shoshone tribe, Sacagawea there to interpret, and she being discovered to be the chief’s sister, with 3000 miles of amazing, incredible, adventure, and protection behind them. Meriwether Lewis writes, “This day I completed my 31st year… I reflected that I had as yet done but very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation… In the future, I purpose to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.”
“I know he was a son of the Enlightenment and of that generation. But these are major themes of Solomon, philosophers, poets, and thinkers throughout time. There seems to be a strain of “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “He has set eternity in their hearts” in his words, along with faith in God or destiny and the willingness to sacrifice his all for something greater.
“I really found myself loving Meriwether Lewis, and hope to see him in heaven. I found myself wondering if he was a Christian. It even occurred to me to ask that question to Grok, my favorite AI engine. The results revealed some churches he might have attended and the beliefs of some people in his life, but it was inconclusive. Besides religious people try to put people in religious boxes so they can evaluate them, compare themselves with them, and maybe control them. So I decided to look at his character and actions. Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.”
“I looked at how he viewed and treated the Indians, his own men, and how they viewed him. He was honest, kind, fair and very much respected by all. I also looked at his loyalty to his friends William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. He had a respect for authority and practiced obedience to the same. He showed a familiarity with Scripture by some of the things he said, and recorded in his journal. On the Pacific coast, for instance, he spoke of, “Eating the whale instead of the whale eating them,”a reference to the book of Jonah.
“He was complex. We all are, or can be. But based on the points I’ve mentioned and others from his diary and actions. I believe him to be a man of faith, even though it wasn’t his common confession, and even though his life didn’t end well. He loved his mother, his siblings, and his friends. He didn’t often take into account a wrong suffered. He was a man under authority. He lived in amazing times and accomplished amazing feats — almost unthinkable, and unfathomable to moderns.
“And there were many synchronicities which indicate to me divine intervention on behalf of him and the Corps of Discovery, 31 men and a woman over 28 months and 8000 miles of wilderness adventure on a par with any mission of discovery before or since. It’s interesting to consider what God did for them and what he was doing among the nations to bring about his plan. It’s amazing to view the history of the United States and all nations through that lens —the lens of Scripture, given by the God of Creation.
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)
“For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 18:25)
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Another book selection from the fiction catagory that’s a really good read about kindness and goodness that’s recently burst on the scene and wildly popular is Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Also a reasonably good book about soul care and spiritual habits is God Stays Near by Yours Truly.
Unbelizable! Belize It or Not? Those were titles I considered for this short report on the fantastic spiritual adventure I just completed with six friends from Northwest Arkansas, January 3-9, 2026.
Unbelizable! Because of the ways we experienced God, the people we came to know, and the sights we saw.
Belize It or Not? Because initially there where just two college women and myself signed up for the trip, and I didn’t think we should go. But our mission leadership said, “Go for it!” And the two ministries we were going to serve said, “Come anyway. It will keep our relationship growing and God will use it.” Well, we’re back home now, in a snow storm with temperatures in the teens for a week, still processing what happened there. We became a team of seven, and God did all those things, “…Above all we could ask or think” (Eph 3:20).
Background
Our church community is an average size, and fairly young, but very mission minded. They envisioned and promoted this short term mission adventure to Belize in Central America. The thought was that not everyone can muster the time and financial resources necessary to go on our longer mission trips such as Malaysia and Uganda. Therefore we should provide opportunities for Harvest Community Church members who have it in their hearts to participate in the great commission by going to other nations and sharing the gospel and making disciples in a shorter and more accessible timeframe and place.
Let’s Go!
I co-led this adventure with a young couple, Colt & Taylor, from our church and community group. I’ve been on 20+ short term mission trips since my first to Burkina Faso, Africa, in 2002. But I’m encouraging the next generation to go and learn to lead them. I tell them often, “All you need is someone you know, and some place to go.” “The Holy Spirit will be with you to lead and guide and do the things He does.”
Our young team got it! We so bonded with the young pastor and his wife with their two young daughters and their community in Bella Vista, Belize, that we hated to leave and tell them good bye. The feeling was mutual and we all felt a loving, spiritual, and family bond that’s impossible to forge in three days, unless the Holy Spirit is working, or the wind is blowing among His people (John 3:8). I wrote a several-page, after-action report for our elders and leaders, but there isn’t space for that here. I only want to report that we went, and you should consider going yourself.
I’m giving a thumbnail sketch of our trip, along with some photos, and I’ll let those do the talking. Normally one wouldn’t visit two places on a short adventure like this. But we were led to do so from an earlier scouting trip to Belize in April 2025. I had made five trips to Belize with our church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but that was more than a decade ago. So we were asking the Spirit to lead us to ministries we could support and people we could trust to allow our short term groups to do kingdom work there in the future.
Our first three days were in service to a small, growing, multigenerational church in southern Belize with lots of kids. Our second three days we served the discipleship ministry of a young couple from Northwest Arkansas, who intend to disciple Belizeans to disciple future generations of Belizeans. We were welcomed into their lives and saw the places they minister and their vision for a campus on the outskirts of the capital, Belmopan, high on a jungle mountain top. We ministered in area high schools, and were connected serendipitously with the East Texas Baptist University track team which was staying at the same camp where we lodged and had our meals.
There were so many opportunities for prayer, ministry, interactions, and friendship that we will be processing what happened for a long time with a sense of mystery, wonder, and joy.
During our ministry time, we visited the beach at Placencia to buy paint, for a brief swim, and to admire the beauty of Belize. We also visited a Mayan ruin near the Guatemala border, and ate some of the world’s best ice cream at a dairy owned by Mennonites, who produce most of Belize’s food in the community of Spanish Lookout. Most mission teams include a day of recreation and reflection to further enjoy a new culture and place, while meditating and talking about the experiences they’ve encountered–still fresh on their minds and hearts.
Go Ye Therefore…
I hope you’ll find a group who takes these kinds of adventures and go! We are blessed more than the people we go to serve. But they are blessed too, so it’s a win, win situation.
Also, you almost have to go away to get to know your friends in our day and time. It’s a bonding time with friends in your church community that you’ll always remember, and a fresh experience with God. You’ll discover, or rediscover, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand….” as Jesus frequently told us ( Matt 3:2, Matt 4:17, Mark 1:15). Adventure with purpose!
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“The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!” (Psalm 16:3 NLT)
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psalm 18:35 NASB1995)
“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.” (Acts 13:26)
“‘That the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name,’ says the Lord, ‘who does these things’— things known from long ago.” (Acts 15:17-18 NIV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB1995)
This blog is directed to authors and writers, while others may find it interesting.
I started writing a few years ago because I felt like I had a message burning within me to share with friends, family, the church, and the world at large. Since putting my faith in Jesus at an early age, I found that following Him is the path that brings me much truth, light, wisdom, and joy. I tell how I came to faith in my latest book, God Stays Near, Faith and Flight. Following Jesus, as outlined in the Bible, and with the ever-present help of His Holy Spirit has led me into many joyful and wonderful friendships and relationships during the journey. I believe that relationship may be the purpose of it all, along with knowing God and knowing Truth (Phil 3:10, John 8:31-32). To know our Creator Father, and to be known by Him, as we journey with others on our way to eternity with Him is exhilarating and satisfying (Eph 3).
My writing journey started with a book about David, king of Israel, about 1000 BC, and what he teaches us about God and about friendship. This turned into four books describing that path and experiences along the way. I continued to write because I felt the Holy Spirit’s leading to do so, found it inwardly fulfilling, and because the path I saw so clearly seemed to be obscured and hidden in our day by deception and dark spiritual forces needing to be combated.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Edward Bulwer Lytton)
This expression voices the belief that the written word is more powerful and effective than violence in bringing about social, moral, political, and spiritual change. I want to be a warrior for truth and light—for the help and protection of family and friends in the kingdom of Heaven which seeks these values for all people. That’s why I write.
My journey seems humorous to me. I started out knowing so little about writing and being an author. I still feel like that. But I’ve learned a few things along the way that I can share with those of you writing or who aspire to do so for your own reasons.
Helping Hands
In an earlier blog I told you about booknook.biz, the people who helped me a great deal in bringing my last three books to fruition. They mainly serve in formatting and giving advice to get your book published and available on line and in book stores.
Recently I told these trusted folks that I was thinking of promoting my books some, and that I have received several unsolicited phone calls monthly for the last ten years trying to convince me to use the caller’s services to do so. The owner replied, “Let me know if you’re going to do that and I’ll connect you with someone I trust who really knows the business.”
Introducing “launchmybook.com” “BRINGING YOUR BOOK TO THE WORLD” “Book Publishing and Promotion For Established and First-Time Authors.” They have plenty of free courses and resources, and also publishing services for a fee, backed with a good track record and methods of doing business. Give them a look and see what you think, then compare their services to others you might find on the web or via recommendations. I found Joel’s discussion on “Traditional Publishing, Hybrid Publishing, or Self Publishing — What’s Right for You?” to be the best I’ve encountered and the most enlightening.
Since I have a good relationship with BookNook.biz, and they helped me with all my books except for A Friend of the King, which was a hybrid book using West Bow Press, I only used LaunchMyBook’s marketing services.
After sharing my intentions with Joel, the president, in a scheduled phone call, he suggested a program they do with Amazon involving a four-day give away of the eBook version of my newest book. They make sure we are marketing to the right category of readers, buy lists of readers in those categories from data companies, do a large email blast, see that the book has exposure to specific bloggers, and then track the results for those four days and in the weeks afterward.
They aspire to achieve 1000 downloads, and perhaps an Amazon best seller rating in one or more of the categories. The idea is that this creates a web buzz and exposure for the book, Amazon book reviews, and readers who will sample the books, tell others, and all this resulting in wider distribution and more sales. This model is known to work best if an author has three or more books.
The book achieved 2700 downloads over seven countries. And it achieved #1best seller rank in three categories: Biographies of Religious Leaders, Spiritual Growth, and Adventurers & Explorers Biographies. So the campaign exceeded the metrics and goals we had for it. The real test of course will be the number of books sold and delivered into the hands and hearts of readers. I was more than pleased with the whole process, even though it still seems a bit nebulous.
It was by faith and following a spiritual leading that I began writing. It’s been that way through all four books. So it seems natural that is continuing with some marketing to make the books more widely known. I hope this description of the process and the introduction to these helpful companies is beneficial to you.
Please write a review of God Came Near, Faith and Flight, after you’ve read a portion. Pray with me that the books find their way to all whose faith would benefit from reading them.
Here’s how to review the book, although a young woman in our community group did it in 30 seconds standing in our living room:):) It’s easy and doesn’t take long!
(1) Go to Amazon.com (2) Type Dwayne Bell (or B. Dwayne Bell) in the search window (3) Click on the book (God Stays Near) (4) Click on reviews (the number to the right of the star ratings) (5) Click on “Write a customer review” (6) Give it a star rating (7) Write a couple sentences about the book, an insight, or its impact on you
Thank you very much! Shalom in Christ Jesus the Lord.
