One of the many types of writing I do is rewriting/editing. The
past few months I have been doing this for Vivien Wilson.
Vivien is a tough, courageous, generous-hearted lady who,
before this, worked for World Vision in Africa amid war, famine and disaster,
including the Rwanda genocide. In Rwanda she worked amid piles of rotting,
fetid corpses. Her initial book, A Full
Life, which I also helped rearrange and edit, covered the African
adventures.
Her latest book, soon to be published, Called to the Centre, details her founding of Teen Challenge
Centralia. As with the first book, I have found it a faith-builder, an
inspiration and some plain hard work.
The biggest challenge for me is to retain Vivien’s voice, yet
edit out any actual mistakes. I’ve left in the jargon, the slang, and tried to
keep her ‘turn of phrase’ while hopefully bringing it to publication standard.
Called to the Centre
sparkles with miracles. You’ll wonder why you haven’t heard of some of the
healings, even the returnings from death.
It could be a daunting scene. Imagine the dramatic beauty of
the brilliant blue skies and the red rocky outcrops, the lavender ranges curling
in the distance. But here and there, in Alice Springs or the Aboriginal communities
in the area, are petrol sniffers, glue sniffers, drinkers, sniffing or drinking
themselves towards premature death. Some are in wheelchairs from the side
effects of what they inhale or drink. Some give up and hang themselves.
Amid this depressing situation a handful of workers, some
Christians (including Vivien), take practical help and words of life to the
hurting. This extends to anyone who crosses her path or who knocks at her door
at all hours of the day and night. She is confronted with situations beyond her
medical expertise (she is a nurse with experience in many countries) but “I did
what I always do and prayed for them,” she says. And they are often healed. In the midst of all these miracles (often the
result of Vivien’s prayers), are never ending deaths, suicides, frustrations.
But Vivien has carried on, battling discouragement, resisting tempting offers
of exciting work overseas, never giving up. Her love for these people shines
through.
She has every reason to face discouragement. One of the
people given up for dead was taken off life support. To everyone’s surprise, he
was soon healed, not dead! “You’d think it would have caused a revival,” Vivien
says, “but it didn’t. Even in Jesus’ time, many were healed and some followed
Him but many walked away.”
I found quite moving Vivien’s love for the needy, her
perseverance against all odds, her unquenchable faith.
I expect this book will be out within a few months.
Who will like it? Anyone
who enjoyed her first book, A Full Life.
Anyone interested in the Aboriginal people. Anyone interested in Central Australia.
And of course, anyone who enjoys missionary stories or is keen to have a challenge
and inspiration to his/her faith. I enjoyed this book even more than its
prequel.
Thank you, Vivien!
