The Missionary

by William Carmichael, David Lambert

David Eller is an American missionary in Venezuela, married to missionary nurse Christie. Together they rescue homeless children in Caracas. But for David, that isn’t enough. The supply of homeless children is endless because of massive poverty and the oppressive policies of the Venezuelan government, led by the Hugo Chavez-like Armando Guzman.

In a moment of anger, David publicly rails against the government, unaware that someone dangerous might be listening—a revolutionary looking for recruits. David falls into an unimaginable nightmare of espionage, ending in a desperate, life-or-death gamble to flee the country with his wife and son, with all the resources of a corrupt dictatorship at their heels.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

William Carmichael is an accomplished bestselling author of marriage, family, and parenting books. He and his wife, Nancie, are popular speakers across the United States and Canada and together have written several books, including Habits of a Healthy Home. Bill is also the founder of Good Family Magazines, which published “Virtue”, “Christian Parenting Today”, and “Parents of Teenagers” magazines. Bill and Nancie have five children and seven grandchildren and reside in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.

source: Amazon

The author can also be found at:

Bill Carmichael

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missionary turn fugitive. Set in Venezuela. He puts himself, his family and his friends in danger because of one bad choice. Drug lords and government officials both want him alive only to get info they desperately need. If caught by either, torturous tactics will be used and his life then disposed. Even his family could face the same fate if he doesn’t play the cards right.

2.5 stars rounded to 3. Some unrealistic circumstances. Well written. Clean suspense.

[Lynn's · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Missionary” by William Carmichael and David Lambert is one of the most page turning, suspenseful books I’ve read this year. It follows a complex plot of missionary, David, and how he unknowingly got caught up in a drug cartel’s plan to assassinate the president of Venezuela, the country he and his wife served in. Most importantly, the book delves into a deep theme of regret and what you would do differently if you could turn back time and undo that one, horrid mistake. David, like so many of us, can’t reverse time. He can only hope to get his family out of Venezuela before the army or drug cartel catches up to them…

The spi/espionage thing isn’t really my go-to genre, but I have to admit, this book was excellent! I picked it up because it was set in South America and I needed another country to cross off the list for a reading challenge, “Around The World In 80 Books.” What I liked about “The Missionary” was how the authors kept the plot moving, interesting and easy to follow even though there were many moving parts. Not once was I bored! Another thing I enjoyed was how “real” it all felt. From the first page to the last, the streets and culture of Venezuela felt like it was dropped right in my living room - that’s how well the writers penned the story.

And the characters…

They had depth and went through real emotions and questions someone would probably feel in a similar situation. If you’ll allow a small rabbit trail; I’ve noticed that some male authors don’t portray female characters in a very convincing manner. You know the type, the things the female characters say are so average it makes you wonder if the author has ever had a meaningful relationship with a woman. Not these authors. When you come to the end of the story and the point of view shifts to David’s wife, Christi, you’re thrown into some very raw emotions. All and all, I was very impressed by how the authors crafted every character in this novel - and that’s quite a few!

Conclusion: This is a great book. Doesn’t matter what genre you’re into, “The Missionary” might very well be one you would enjoy, even if you think you wouldn’t. I was skeptical at first, but a few chapters cured all my fears. A truly interesting plot, great characters and meaningful theme all wrapped into this South American missionary gone wrong story! Give it a try! I’m very sure you’ll enjoy it!

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

David and his wife are missionaries in South America and are working to help children in severe medical needs down there. The work is frustrating and there is always more than what they can do, which is why when an offer comes in for easy money, David takes it, against the feelings of his wife and ends up on a mind boggling chase of bad guys, good guys and a mixture of the above.
This book was not really what I was expecting. I love missionary stories, but this one was something I think a young person would really enjoy, but as an adult I struggled with being super angry at the character for all the stupid decisions he was making and lack of just common sense it seemed to me! i figured it may be because I was expecting something different and instead got a tale of stupidity that led to traumatic events that would effect their family the rest of their life. I was thanking God it was only a story!

[Willa Frizzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting story, not good for bedtime.

[Sams · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I offered to review this Christian Fiction novel I did not expect to be taken on a journey full of action, suspense and intrigue, but that is exactly what I received! Although I have only listened to James Patterson's books, this novel seemed to be written in a similar style to Patterson, as things happened quickly and I found myself not wanting to put it down.

David and Christie Eller help to run the Hope Village mission in Caracas, Venezuela. Money is tight for the mission and if they only had more funds available they could help out the children and community so much more. David thinks that he may have found himself a golden nugget when he accidentally runs into a man named Carol Edwards one day that seems to take a special interest in Hope Village.

Venezuela is run by a dictator who does not take into account what would be best for the citizens of the country. Guzman is a greedy, power-hungry leader and many secret organizations and drug rings would do what is necessary to render him powerless. When David is confronted with a plan to complete this task, he struggles with his faith and what is best for his country and family. But David is offered a large sum of money to complete just a mediocre task in the overall coup and finds that he can't pass up the opportunity that will in the long run benefit Hope Village financially.

Unfortunately the attempted coup goes awry and David finds himself and his family in grave danger. They flee Hope Village and after David finds safety for his wife and son he must find a way to save himself. First he must figure out who exactly he can trust, and to do what he needs to learn who hired him. Was it a governmental agency like the CIA or could have been some blood-thirsty drug lords?

David's struggle with his faith is really what brought on his problems in this novel, and finding his way back is what saved him. I enjoyed that about this novel. It showed us that even devout Christians that have a strong faith still make mistakes, and even big mistakes at that, but can still find their way back to the right road. I've only read a few Christian fiction novels and found myself starting to avoid them because they were only filled with the almost perfect ideal what we strive for through Christianity, but not what we actually endure. I think you can see that I enjoyed this novel and definitely recommend it.

[April Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

American missionary David Eller just wants the world to be a better place. Instead, he finds himself entangled in an assassination plot and there’s no escaping it.
President Guzman of Venezuela is a man who cares little for the poor of his country. On the flip side, David has dedicated his life to helping them. When the occasion presents itself for him to aid in peacefully and quietly removing Guzman from power, David can’t resist. The street children would certainly benefit from a true and equitable democracy, but will it really be a peaceful coup?
Christie, David’s wife, is oblivious to the havoc her husband has wreaked, that is, until she and their child are running for their lives. Can she ever forgive David?
Commando Hawkeye swears this is his last mission. Killing for a living has grown old. But he’ll be lucky to get out of this mess in one piece. If only he hadn’t implicated Eller…
“The Missionary” had me from la primera pagina. A missionary kid once myself, I appreciated the Eller’s compassion for the people of Caracas. The authors did a superb job of portraying the heart and dedication this family has for those without means and without Christ.
Christie Eller, wife, mother, and nurse, is the true victim in this story. Her husband has made some serious errors in judgment, and now, Christie and their son must pay for them. I was pleased to find her reactions very realistic. No fluffy Christianity here!
Poor David. He just can’t seem to get things right. So much so, that I had a hard time connecting with him. How many stupid mistakes can one man make? Hawkeye, on the other hand, is a character the reader has no problem rooting for. He’s a professional killing machine with little conscious. Still, you find yourself thinking, Kill him, Hawkeye! Slit his throat! Only great writing can accomplish that.
“The Missionary” has it all—vindictive drug lords, specialists in torture, delusional missionaries, and children with ADD. The action flows and hardly a page goes by without another problem to solve, and a healthy dose of twists and turns keeps the reader guessing to the end. You’ll not grow bored with this one!
Recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I’d love to just say “Wow! Now you read it!” but that won’t suffice. From page 1 I was hooked – this is a fast paced novel about David, his wife and their young son who are missionaries. I’ve written before on my heart pull for mission trips and for now I satisfy my thirst by reading about missionaries, both fictional and non-fiction. I also enjoy a good suspense/espionage and I’m glad that their are Christian choices for that as I find I can no longer read those written for the secular community. The elderly couple who founded the mission relies on God and their faith isn’t shaken – I think that comes with their age and having gone through fire to get where they are. However, David, is a younger man with a wife and child and trying to do what he thinks is best – his faith gets shaken and built stronger.

The book is hard to put down especially once David realizes that what he’s done endangers everything he and others believe in, even his own faith. I read this in one day and am so glad that I did as I would have been on pins and needles to find out what was going on with the characters inside the covers of a book that shows the inner struggles that missionaries could go through as they are met by temptations.

With lots of twists and turns, some expected some not so expected – this book will have readers, both Christian and non-Christian, flipping the pages long into the night. I felt like I really got to know the Eller’s and got caught up in their plight of wanting to do what’s right, having choices go south and then fighting for freedom and justice and ultimately forgiveness. Please don’t take my word for it though, this book is a great must read and it makes some wonderful faith building words.

To read more reviews like this one, go to: Tell Us The Truth Reviews.

**I received this book from Bring It On! Communications, in exchange for my honest review – no other compensation was given.

[Trinity Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of this book really caught my attention and makes you think about everything you do. Here are a few first sentences of “The Missionary”,
“Life turns on small choices. A last-minute decision to take a shortcut over a snowy pass. A shrugging dismissal of the odd-looking man in the long coat standing off to one side. A decision to postpone a physical exam till a less busy time. A word spoke with the best intentions.”
All of these we do every day and think nothing of them, but David Eller made a choice that cost him much.
David and Christie Eller are missionaries in Venezuela. The country is full of political unrest and drug cartels. They work with poor and sick children. David wants to somehow help more than he already is and this choice is life changing. “The Missionary” is very suspenseful and action packed. It shows how we sometimes can go ahead and make our own decisions without waiting on God's direction. David meets a stranger with a helping hand with the children and also with money for the clinic. A short time later the same man comes visits Hope Village. Where the Eller’s are working. The man says he is Carlos Edwards. He makes a deal with David that will make everything he has been working for well worth while. The president Armando Guzman is not well liked. Before David knows it, he is caught in a violent war, one that could cost him and everything he holds precious.
This was a really interesting, thrilling read. I would recommend “The Missionary” for a fast-paced, page-turning read.


Thank you to Moody Publishers for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

David and Christie Eller are missionaries in Caracas, Venezuela. They run the Hope Village, a mission that has a school, orphanage, and medical clinic. Christie is a nurse, and David takes care of the administrative duties.

When David brings home a young boy from the streets who is having trouble breathing, they fear he won't make it. But David is guilted with the fact of the other kids he left in the street. David and Christie can only help the children so much, but David wants to help them all.

When a ten minute speech on television is watched by a revolutionary, David has no idea that his impassioned and political talk could have so many repercussions. He feels that the government is at fault for all of the homeless and impoverished. Venezuelan sits on an ample oil supply, but instead of using that to help, the government sits in their big houses with their full bellies.

When a man approached David to help, just a minor role, in their quest to overthrow the government, he has no idea what to do. While he cannot explain to Christie, he has his own talk with God, and convinces himself that it is something he must do. But his choices soon have them in a nightmare and David is soon scrambling to get himself, his wife, and their young son out of the country. However, not only God is watching David, but so is the Fraternity, an elite team of assassins.

The Missionary is a thrilling, heart-thumping, page-turning novel with many layers. A domino affect, where one choice can affect so many other things, is a lending subtext through-out. The plight of the children is heart-breaking, but the work of the Hope Village is full of hope. This novel will stay with me for days, as the messages it sends are thought-provoking, and set in a realistic setting. Fantastic!

[Christy Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missionary by William Carmichael & David Lambert is a pulse-pounding thriller about how an innocent man's actions can shake an entire nation. David Eller loves his job as a missionary at the Hope Village in Caracas, Venezuela working alongside his wife Christie and their young son Davy. But he's angered by the children who are devastated by poverty and neglect on the city's streets, and he doesn't always keep his comments quiet in a country run by a megalomaniacal dictator. His political views bring him to the attention of a man who asks David to do just a couple of small, simple tasks, but when the country suddenly faces an attempted coup and David can't contact the mystery man, he and his family are on a race to save their lives. The authors really keep the pages turning through shady alliances and non-stop action. The reader wants to shake David repeatedly as he acts without thinking, but it's an integral part of the character and a vital plot element. My only complaint is with the character of Davy. Early in the story, he is described as having ADHD; David even calls him a hummingbird on steroids, but never once in the story do we see Davy showing any symptoms of ADHD. Not through running for his life, capture for the government, and other traumas does he display any of those characteristics. If the writers had left out that description at the beginning, Davy would be portrayed well. If they had thrown in a few scenes of him acting out to his mother's terror, it would have been powerfully moving, but as it is, that part just doesn't work. Davy is, however, only a minor character, so this small flaw does not detract from the thrilling action.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married couple, David and his wife, Christie Eller has spent years in Caracas, Venezuela trying to care for the children and educate the locals. It has not been an easy road. At times it can also feel like unrewarding work. Lately this is how David has been feeling.

While helping some children, David meets a stranger with a helping hand. A few days later the same man comes and pays a visit to Hope Village. The place that the Ellers are working at. The man identifies himself as Carlos Edwards. He proposes a deal with David that will make everything she has been working for well worth while. The current president Armando Guzman is not very well liked. Before David knows it, he is caught in a vicious war…one that could cost him and everything he holds dear.

The Missionary blew me away. I had no expectations of this book, only that the brief book description I read intrigued me. I instantly was transported to the country of Venezuela. It was like I could feel the dirt working itself in and through out my clothes. David and Christie were a very lovable and caring couple. You couldn’t help but cheer for them and the cause they were fighting for, even if no one else was. It takes a lot of courage, something that the Ellers did not lack. Authors, William Carmichael and David Lambert make a winning duo. I have not read anything by either of these men. I hope to see Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Lambert collaborate on another novel together.

[Margaret Chind]

*Thanks to Bring It On Communications for providing a copy for review.*

The Missionary is a suspense novel from Moody Publishers. Sometimes I like suspense, but it really has to grab me. This book did not grab me. I just could not seem to pay attention nor find anything likable about the characters. Yet all sorts of people endorse this book. So I would say try it yourself to see if it is your liking it just was not my cup of tea. Yet they do have a cool website for the book: www.MissionaryNovel.com

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished the book but the entire time, I really didn't care about it. I think my problem was that the guy we were supposed to be rooting for, in my opinion, was an idiot and I didn't care if he lived or not. Granted, he was a good Christian man but he agreed to transport millions of dollars from a man he didn't know to assassins so that they could kill the evil president of Venezuela. He wanted to do it so that the country could be a better place and the neglected children would have a chance of a good life. I don't care how good your intentions are, you don't agree to hand off mysterious briefcases between people you don't know in a foreign country, end of story.

[Kaitlyn Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine if Tom Clancy was assigned the task of writing an ad for the Feed the Children network. This book, The Missionary, would be the result. It's an exciting political thriller with a bit of a Christian twist...The action is fast paced, but not dizzyingly so, and the writing is concise and engaging. Was The Missionary the most fantastic thriller I ever read? Nah, but it was a solidly written book, very entertaining and all in all a pretty great way to spend my free time...

To see the full review over at The Book Buff, click here: http://thebookbuff.blogspot.com/2010/...

-Kate the Book Buff

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a book club I belong to and was pleassantly surprised by it. It's a real page turner and fast paced read. I felt for the characters in all their situations and often thought about how I would have reacted to the same situations. For a first time writer in this genre, the authors did a wonderful job creating a book that will be read by many. I can't wait until they put out another book. One more fan here.

[Catherine Richmond]

The Missionary is for everyone who ever made a decision with the best of intentions... and gotten bit in the butt. David Eller serves as a missionary, rescuing impoverished children from the streets of Caracas. When a wealthy man offers to make a donation in exchange for courier service, David jumps at the opportunity and become embroiled in an assasination attempt on the dictator. David Lambert is coauthor.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad thing is, David could be me! Trying to do the right thing but messing it up. Of course, I've never gotten people killed for it or had to leave my mission behind but we've all probably barged ahead before praying things through like we should've:) this was a good book and I'm glad all ended fairly well.

[Denise Untersee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an AMAZING book! I had to remind myself that it was a book! I felt like I was there! I would have done the same things as David. It kept my attention, If I had not had a family and work I would have finished it sooner!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about David an American missionary who is working in Venezuela. He decides to try to change the situation instead of just dealing with the aftermath. This gets him in big trouble. It was interesting although a little hard to follow who was in each group.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of action, little character development. Like some of the other reviewers, I just couldn't care about any of the characters. David's heart seemed to be in the right place but he kept making idiotic decisions. I lost patience with him.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spellbinding! A real page turner! Totally recommend - even includes a list of book club discussion questions. First time I've read this author - will look for other novels by him.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was decent! interesting, if a bit far-fetched storyline. likable characters. happy ending. (i must confess, i do like a happy ending, haha) Christian literature.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Didn't find it worth finishing.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.