What Are You Going to Do?: How One Simple Question Transformed Lives Around the World: The Inspiring Story of Everett Swanson and the Founding of Compassion International

by Eric Wilson, Matt Bronleewe

What Are You Going to Do? tells an inspiring true story. In the early 1950s, war scattered hundreds of thousands of orphans across South Korea. Many Koreans sacrificed everything to help. When Everett Swanson arrived to preach to troops on the front lines, he stumbled upon starving orphans. The plight of these children broke his heart. He faced the “What are you going to do?” Authors Matt Bronleewe and Eric Wilson tell how Swanson’s answer to those six little words led to the organization known today as Compassion International. Seventy years later, Compassion International sponsors over two million children all over the world, providing meals, education, vocational training, Bibles, letters of support, and more. We are often faced with the same question, “What am I going to do?” And, like Swanson, we feel inadequate, afraid, or ill-equipped. Readers will see how small faithful choices can lead to larger ones—and in so doing, change the world for generations to come. Everyone—young and old—should be acquainted with this amazing story of faith, courage, and compassion. 

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, History, Biography

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Eric Wilson is a retired NY Times bestselling author with 21 published books in over a dozen languages. He wrote fiction (suspense, mystery, supernatural), film novelizations, and nonfiction (biography, memoir, travel).

Eric's books, in order of publication:

Shattered Nerves
(unpublished--written in high school)

Something Suspicious in Bear Flag
(unpublished--written in college)

Dark to Mortal Eyes
Expiration Date
The Best of Evil
A Shred of Truth
Facing the Giants
Flywheel
Fireproof
Field of Blood
Haunt of Jackals
Valley of Bones
One Step Away
Two Seconds Late
Three Fatal Blows (cancelled)
October Baby
The Eagle's Nest (cancelled)
Amelia's Last Secret
Alice Goes the Way of the Maya
Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Team Tyson
Minutes Before Midnight (cancelled)
Samson
From Chains to Change
American Leftovers
What Are You Going to Do?
Confessions of a Former Prosecutor
Come Back Stronger (date not set)
Through the Storms We Faced (never found publisher)

Reviews

[Amber Thiessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

{Full review posted here https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/wh...}

I sponsored my first child from Compassion when I was in high school, a little girl from Mexico. I received colouring pages and letters from her, it was really neat to feel like pen pals from one country to another.

When we moved to Tanzania, we met workers with Compassion International, just as part of the ministry community. We were always encouraged by their steadfastness to serving others for the sake of the gospel and valued their intention of working through local churches.

So, while I'd never known the history of this ministry, I was excited to learn more through, What Are You Going to Do? by Eric Wilson and Matt Bronleewe, because it's the story of Everett Swanson and the founding of Compassion International.

This is the story of Everett Swanson, a farm boy who becomes an evangelist and starts a nonprofit organization to care for the orphans of South Korea during the Korean War, which goes global, after his passing, as Compassion International.

This story of Everett’s life is laced with the theme, which is a question: “What are you going to do?” When we encounter a difficult situation, we’re exposed to new information or face a problem, the Holy Spirit pricks your heart with the opportunity to respond. We see this in his life, and we also get a few snapshots of the lives of other South Koreans who come into contact with Everett through his ministry.

I highly recommend reading this journey through the life of Everett Swanson. I think you’ll be encouraged toward faithful obedience in your own life, renewed in your fervor in prayer and able to better navigate the needs of those around you. His story is truly inspiring, I pray you’ll catch his passion for serving others.

Quick Stats
# of Pages: 336
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars

*A big thanks to Moody Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Gabie Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Moody publishers, for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was incredibly well done. I am very impressed by how well researched this was by the author and the care he took to represent Everett Swanson and his family well.
This biography was truly inspiring. I love books about heroes in the faith, and I can wholeheartedly count Everett as one. This story is not just about the founding of Compassion Ministries, but is about the testimony of God's faithfulness to Everett and his family. Everett Swanson was a very Godly man who truly lived set apart. Although I have many theological disagreements with him, I admire his pure devotion to the Lord and his tangible love of "neighbor." I can't even fathom the number of people that he shared the gospel with and helped meet their physical needs. What a legacy.

[Shannon McGarvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moody publishers offered me this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. I had never heard of Compassion International, (though I am well aware of the “adopt a child” program, I just never had a name for it ). The book starts out with Everett Swanson being born to Christian immigrant farmers, and gives some background of his Godly upbringing, being saved, meeting his wife while in high school, and their beginning journey of their family/marriage. All throughout the story you are told of his unwavering faith, his deep trust in God, and his strong calling to preach the gospel to all nations. A huge underlying theme in this book is God’s faithfulness and His provisions, especially when provisions seem impossible. His best friend and family doctor “Doc” was such a beautiful example of Godly friendship, and Doc was extremely generous with his money to not only make this organization become what it is, but to help Everett provide for his earthly family. I also enjoyed the historical events listed, and the afterward explaining how much effort they put into making the accounts as accurate as possible, since this is not a first hand telling. Everett’s faith was strong until his dying day and his story is something to greatly admire; “imitate me as I imitate Christ”. He reminded me of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot, and encouraged me that exceptionally Godly people are out there, despite our current culture.
Though there was quite of few theological stances I would not agree with, that in no way affected my opinion of him and this book. This was a great encouragement to me, and I highly recommend it. There is talk of a movie to follow!

[Nancy Everest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about the challenges and blessings of the founding of Compassion International, a Christian non-profit that supports children in poverty. Amazing how fast the ministry grew. It took a little getting used to the lack of quotes in dialogue, but it reminds us these are not word for word conversations. Very well written and full of historical facts. We can all carry on the legacy. I don’t love the cover. Don’t judge it by that!

[Yvonne Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this book was available, I knew I needed to order a copy and ended up putting aside all the other books I was reading. As a Compassion sponsor for the last 14 years, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this account of Everett Swanson, his childhood, young adult life, and the beginnings of what we know today as Compassion International. So much of what he felt was important for a child sponsorship ministry is still in place today.

I encourage every Compassion sponsor to read this book!

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biography of Christian pastor/evangelist Everett Swanson who went through Korea during the Korean War to minister to the soldiers, prisoners of war, and those impacted by the war and was profoundly impacted by the suffering he saw there, especially among the children orphaned by the war. He went home burning to do something to help, and soon started a ministry to support orphans, widows, and evangelists in Korea to help the hurting people there. The ministry started with his name, but eventually became Compassion International.

I had never heard of Everett Swanson before, but I definitely know about Compassion. He was an inspiring man to learn about, faithful to the Lord and his calling from start to finish. His wife Miriam, played a HUGE role in the success of his ministry too, from traveling with him during the start of his evangelistic ministry, to supporting him at home while their kids were young, to being on the board of Compassion, going to Korea a few times with him once their kids were grown, and helping continue the ministry after he died. Doc Hemwall, a friend and neighbor, was another inspirational figure we get to meet. He supported Everett's ministry in Korea from the get-go, financially (he told Everett his goal was to give all his wealth away before he died), by giving Everett friendship and wisdom, being the voice to say hard things Everett needed to hear, and eventually on the ground - which brought about a fulfillment of Doc's own call to overseas medical missions he hadn't been able to follow in his youth. It was fascinating to learn how Compassion rose out of the great needs created by World War II/the Korean War on the Korean peninsula, and I liked how the authors wove in stories from actual Koreans who were impacted by Compassion and Swanson's ministry. Their stories of what life was life before receiving help are eye-opening. It is also incredible to think about how this country in such dire need has seen a 180 in the lifetimes of my parents' generation. They went from being the main focus of Compassion's funds to help kids to becoming one of the top sponsoring countries to give funds (and Compassion no longer sponsors any children in Korea). I lived in Korea for a year, and after reading this it really explained a lot of why my friends' parents and other adults of that generation are the way they are. They'd been survivors who were children during the time of Everett's first few visits. It helps me have a greater respect for and understanding of that Korean generation. I'll definitely be ordering a copy of this for our school library once it is published. It is an inspirational and faith-encouraging read. And the authors went to a lot of effort to make sure it was well-researched, interviewing family members, looking at original documents, and getting Korean input as well. Very well done.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Deaths during wars are mentioned (never described in any kind of detail) as well as deaths from natural causes, like old age and cancer (the worst lead-up symptom described are limbs that won't respond and headaches). Dire straights of adults and children on the brink of starvation comes up frequently.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Are You Going to Do? is the remarkable story of Everett Swanson, the founder of Compassion International. A gifted evangelist, Swanson encountered starving orphans on a trip to Korea in the 1950s. The experience changed his life as God nudged him with the question What Are You Going to Do?

This was a really enjoyable Christian biography. I liked how the authors tied in the experiences of various Korean people whose stories crossed paths with Swanson’s. I also liked the honest portrayal of his family life and the sacrifices they made for ministry.

Two main takeaways:
1. The book illustrates well how society was changing in the United States in the 50s and 60s. It evolved from a focus on caring for others to caring for self. This made it challenging to interest people in helping orphans in Korea.
2. Swanson is an ordinary man who was obedient. He saw a need, God moved his heart with compassion, and he took small sacrificial steps of faith to answer the call. His life is in contrast to the apathy prevalent then and now.

While this book is about Everett Swanson’s life, it is also a challenge to our own lives. What are you going to do when God nudges your heart? Will you take a risk and step out in faith?

Thank you to Moody Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Waits (emilylovesreading_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve known about Compassion International for many years and have always admired their incredible work around the world, but I had no idea who Everett Swanson was or how Compassion started. Thanks to this book, I now know more about Compassion International and its founder, but also much more about the Korean War, often understandably called The Forgotten War.

Everett Swanson’s story shows God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, and provision in powerful ways. When Swanson traveled to what is now South Korea in the 1950’s, witnessing the plight of war displaced orphans changed his life and led him to start the ministry that became Compassion International as we know it today. I was so inspired by how Swanson’s simple acts of obedience, one after another, lead to such an astounding ministry that serves thousands and thousands of children in meeting not only physical needs but sharing the Good News of Jesus also.

While I enjoyed the content of this book, the writing of it was a struggle for me to read. The writing is very simple and feels a bit clunky in parts, which surprised me and made it hard at times to hold my attention. However, if you are interested in missionary biographies, I would definitely recommend this book to you!

Thank you to @moodypublishers for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Liza Lehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite amazing the difference one man and the people who helped him made for orphans across the world simply because they were willing to try.

Though I'm not sure what the intended age range is for this book, I felt like it was written very simply. I sometimes found my mind wandering while I read it.

[Grace Bronleewe · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow - such a beautifully written testament to Everett Swanson on his journey to compassion. moved me to tears and lit a fire underneath my own possibilities in stepping towards living compassionately and in action! must read.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What Are You Going to Do?" by Eric Wilson and Matt Bronleewe is not just a book; it's a powerful narrative that recounts the extraordinary story of Everett Swanson, the founder of Compassion International. As someone who has worked at Compassion for many years and had the privilege of guiding tours that highlight our organization's rich history, this book deeply resonated with me.

One of my most memorable moments came during a tour with a group of interns. We stood in front of the history wall, where a photo similar to the book's cover is prominently displayed. I spoke about Everett Swanson and how children in Korea affectionately called him "Papa" or "the white man with glasses." A young man on the tour, who was of Korean descent, stopped me and shared a poignant connection. His grandfather had often spoken of a white man with glasses who had rescued him from poverty, and only at that moment did he realize that this man was the founder of Compassion.

This book is filled with stories like this—stories of lives changed, hope restored, and faith in action. It beautifully captures how one man's response to a simple yet profound question led to a global movement that continues to impact millions. Whether you are familiar with Compassion International or new to its mission, this book will inspire you to consider the power of small, faithful actions in changing the world for generations to come.

[Heather Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting story! I had heard of Compassion International. I had heard of sending money to children in poverty. I didn't realize that they were related 😬

This book is a biography of Everett Swanson and how Compassion International got started. It also took a look at the lives of a number of people in Korea who were impacted by WW2 and the Korean War.

Everett lived in a different time. He was born in the early 1900s and lived through World War 2 and the Great Depression. It was gripping hearing about his life that was so different than mine. I also really liked hearing how Compassion started and what it grew to be.

[Denise Kann · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story of how compassion
International started

[Pamela Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story about one man who answered when God said “What are you going to do?” It took a lot of faith to trust that God would do the work if Everett Swanson just obeyed. And that he did. Seeing the orphans in South Korea begging for food broke his heart. He decided then he had to be the one to help them. This book is very well written and makes you think about your own life and ask the question “What are you going to do?” when confronted with things you would rather ignore. A must read!!

[John L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done. Worth the read.

[Emily Kaiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think a book has ever inspired me as much as this one has. After reading it, I immediately went to sponsor my first Compassion child, because this book puts life into a new perspective. The authors write in a way to keep readers engaged with the storytelling. It engulfs the reader so they feel like they are living through the history. An incredible read that I can’t recommend enough.

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great well researched biography that reads like watching a movie!

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago, my wife and I began donate monthly to Compassion International to sponsor a child. Over the years, we’ve exchanged letters and watched that kid grow to adulthood. Giving money can sometimes feel so impersonal. Actually seeing the specific benefit that your money is having on a specific person not only drives giving, but builds relational connection. Compassion restores the soul into what might otherwise just be a perfunctory, soulless charitable task. And we aren’t the only ones to do this. Currently, 2.2 million children and young adults receive sponsorship funds from Compassion. A secular independent study from the Journal of Political Economy found “large, statistically significant impacts on years of schooling; primary, secondary, and tertiary school completion; and the probability and quality of employment” for those who were sponsored. But where did it all begin?

What Are You Going to Do? is the story of that beginning. The title is a reference to the question that kept coming back to Compassion’s founder, Everett Swanson, when he arrived in South Korea to preach to US troops in Seoul. Confronted by the realities of a country torn apart by war and poverty, Swanson knew that more war wasn’t the answer. And from that question, Compassion International began.

They say you should never meet your heroes. While I knew that Compassion was doing good, beneficial work currently, I also knew that many attempts at Christian charity were clothed in a veneer of racism and colonialism. I was very worried that I would find that Swanson—perhaps well-intentioned and genuine—based his ministry on a foundation that would be problematic at best. What Are You Going to Do? assuaged those concerns. Swanson appears to have had a genuine desire to build the ministry from within, partnering with ministry leaders within South Korea, and giving a lot of freedom to local organizations to run and grow the program.

The book takes us from the beginnings of Compassion, through its growing pains, and even through times of turmoil and internal corruption. Through it all, Swanson remains committed to the ministry, committed to growth, committed to doing all that he can to alleviate poverty—first in Korea then throughout the world.

What Are You Going to Do made me realize that, for such a prominent organization, I really knew nothing about its founder. To be honest, before reading this book, I probably couldn’t have told you his name was Everett Swanson. In an age where ministries get named after their founders, where organizations with strong leaders struggle to continue into a second generation, where the name of the leader was what drove donations, it’s refreshing to see how Compassion managed to remain a community effort, not contingent on Swanson’s name—or that Swanson attempted to use Compassion to build his own celebrity.

Instead, Swanson passed in 1965 and the organization he created has outlived him, growing exponentially while remaining true to his original commitments. What Are You Going to Do is a case study of leadership done well. It’s really quite incredible that it took almost fifty years for there to be any dedicated biography of Swanson—perhaps a testament to Swanson’s humility and desire to place his ministry above himself.

What Are You Going to Do feels a bit like a family history at times. And that’s because that authors, Matt Bronleewe and Eric Wilson, don’t approach their work as investigative journalists but as family biographers. Their sources are Swanson’s family and Compassion itself. In fact, the genesis of the project comes from the fact that Bronleewe’s wife is Swanson’s great-niece. So there’s a hominess to the book. It’s written in a conversational style that fictionalizes some conversations for the sake of narrative. It includes an insert of photos of Swanson throughout his life and ministry. It brings to life this overlooked figure whose simple determination to meet a need led to a global ministry.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This powerful biography tells the story of how Everett Swanson founded the ministry that is now known as Compassion International. The biography begins with his childhood and teen years, and portrays his experiences with faith and the calling he felt to become an evangelist. He and his wife traveled America when he worked as an itinerant preacher, and then he became a pastor as their family grew. Over time, he returned to his passion of traveling evangelism, and in God's providence, doors opened for him to minister in war-torn Korea. His exposure to the dire needs there, especially among the orphan population, led to him founding a ministry to orphans, raising awareness and funds in the United States to channel into reputable orphanages and other ministries on the ground in South Korea.

Eric Wilson and Matt Bronleewe did extensive research to write this biography, including countless hours of interviews. They synthesized all of this information into a compelling, fast-paced read, and I like how it includes occasional perspective shifts, sharing stories from Korean orphans and Korean ministry directors. As the authors note, Swanson was ahead of his time in his approach to missions and relief work, since he channeled funds into good things that Koreans were doing to help their communities, giving them the freedom and flexibility to make decisions about what worked best in their context. I appreciate that this book also represents that focus by including some of their stories, instead of only telling his.

I found this book very inspiring, and I really enjoyed it. Although I have been familiar with the work of Compassion International for many years, I never knew the history of how it began, and I found this story incredibly powerful and hopeful. It was so encouraging to learn about how people responded to these dire needs, and to consider how the ministry has grown from there. For those who are not familiar with Compassion's current work and impact, the authors summarize that towards the end of the book, as they reflect on Swanson's legacy. The authors also share helpful asides throughout the book to explain different historical and cultural things, making this book more accessible to younger readers and readers from different backgrounds.

Unfortunately, the book's readability suffers from a stylistic choice. At the beginning of the book, the authors explain in a short note that they did not put any of the dialogue in quotation marks, since it is fictional, representative dialogue and they don't know what people actually said. I wish that they had used some other symbol instead. Without any punctuation to signal transitions between exposition and dialogue, I frequently found myself confused and needed to reread things. I often couldn't tell at first that we'd moved into dialogue, and would be surprised to see an attribution that revealed that someone was speaking. There were also many times where I couldn't tell if a conversation was continuing or not, or if we were back to the authors' voice.

This book tells an incredible true story, and it is deeply inspiring. I would recommend this to people who want to read an inspiring missionary biography, or even just a powerful true story about people making a difference in others' lives. This book will primarily appeal to Christians because of Swanson's beliefs and influence in church circles, but the book doesn't presume that all readers share Swanson's faith, and it can appeal to anyone who wants to read a deeply touching true story.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning how Compassion International came to be. This is an organization I am somewhat familiar with, so it was really cool to read the story behind it all.

Loved seeing the passion that Everett Swanson had. You need that kind of passion to start up a project like this…passion and Jesus. His reliance of Christ was inspiring. None of this would have happened without him.

Well told story, and a very inspiring read to end 2023 in. Thank you Moody Publishers for the copy!

[Laura Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really inspiring book about a man who truly loved God and used his life to serve Him!

[Kevin Klamm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring!

[Eric Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Bronleewe and I began this project in 2019. In seeking accuracy, we had to sift through numerous documents and hurdle various legal obstacles.

With the Swanson family's approval and Compassion USA and Compassion Korea's backing, this book has finally become a reality, and we are so happy with the results. It is the true story of one American and a number of Koreans who sacrificed everything to care for children orphaned by the Korean War. The work continues today, now touching over 2 million children around the globe.

I was personally challenged and inspired by the example of those in the story. I also loved spending time with Everett Swanson's oldest son, David, and his niece and nephew, Sally and George. What a family legacy!

[Carissa Gobble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a captivating true story of what happens when one man answers a six word question. A woven tapestry of history and present moment it’s full of hope and struggle, triumph, provision and inspiration. I learned history, was challenged to never think one person can’t make difference, and found the book a really wonderful read over the course of a few months. The short chapters help you feel like you’re reading quickly without the story feeling rushed.

[Amber K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspirational testimony and amazing display of what one's love and obedience to God can do to impact millions.