And The Word Came With Power

by Joanne Shetler, Patricia Purvis

FROM BACK COVER:
"God, show yourself stronger than the spirits!" For years, Joanne Shetler had prayed that prayer. And now the village was in an uproar. Two old women who were powerful spirit mediums had decided to worship God. The spirits were angry and the village was terrified. The people pleaded with Joanne: "Those women can't do that, the spirits will kill them." In the past, those who had tried to quit serving the spirits had paid with their lives. Now everyone was watching, waiting for the two spirit mediums to die. This is the dramatic story of how God set in motion events that knit Joanne and the Balangao people (in the Philippines) together in a spiritual battle that changed them forever. For centuries the Balangaos had worshiped the capricious and had-to-please spirits who made relentless demands for sacrifices. They knew the spirits had power... did God have power? You'll be inspired and challenged by the simple obedience of this people transformed by the power of the Word. This book has been translated into several languages and has been nominated for the Gold Medalion Award. The Alliance press in Hong Kong nominated it as one of the top 100 books of the century.

Genres: Christian, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Christianity, Asia, Faith

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[heartwork. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What brought it closer to us is that it happened in the Philippines and how the Word of God was translated to a native dialect. Juammi has become a part of us as we were reading this. This also was the start of my 9 yo son's comment which have become very frequent lately..."I think that I will become a missionary."

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story gripped my heart from the get go. I fell in love with the people of Balangao. I laughed and cried with them. It encouraged me to pray for all the countries in the world who still don't yet have the Word of God written in their language and why it's so important. It also opened my eyes to how difficult a job it is for the missionaries. How many hours they pour into their work all for the Lord's glory! I was inspired and could feel the power of God at work as I read the intense stories of the mediums in this jungle village deciding to pledge their allegiance to Christ instead of the spirits they feared. I didn't want the book to end. It gives me the desire to go and do and be one of those who make the Gospel available to people who want and need it so desperately. The story got even better when the Balangao's fell so deeply in love with Christ they started going with the "American" missionaries to other areas and teaching the natives about Jesus. It brought peace to their land and they knew God was real. One of the best books I've ever read.

[Kaycee Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to translate Bibles now.

[soph.connects.the.dots · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grace, humanity, and humility than Joanne Shetler writes in her book was heart-touching. I've always wanted to be a missionary since when I was five and only knew about ten countries in the entire world.... :)) And the love of the Balangao people is so sweet and protective. They accept her readily as a daughter, though not understanding that she came to translate the Bible for them. As time passed, it was definitely not easy. Spiritual warfare, possession, doubt, and many little things made Joanne's life there harder. But the whole entire point of this book--the point of her life--was that God was always greater than those things.

This books brings me so much joy and urges so many smiles. I love the ways God worked there. I love the Balangao people and their fearless wisdom. Their humility that comes so easily. I love their questions!

My adopted Balangao mother, Ina, asked me once after a conference, "What do people talk about when they don't have God to talk about?"

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family has had a copy of this book for years, but I just never got around to it until now. I am so glad that I took the time to read this because this was such a sweet story.

Joanne Shelters story is so inspiring. I can’t even imagine going off to live in a village in some far away place, and yet she was so brave and made such an impact on the Balangaos lives. She put her faith in God and followed His will, even when it wasn’t what she had in mind. She spent 20 years in the Balangao village translating the New Testament for them. She made many friends, saves lives, and brought many to Christ. She really made a huge impact on the village.

This was such an encouraging and inspiring read, and I’d definitely recommend it.

[Bibliobites Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recently added to Ambleside Online’s year 7 schedule, and when I saw it I thought, Hm, that looks familiar… Turns out it’s been on my shelf for about 7 years, but I’d never read it. Oops. Anyway, finally rectified that, and am now enamored with this quick, powerful read. Loved the focus on the power of God’s word to change lives, am in awe of the work that goes into Bible translation, and am humbled by reminders of the the reverence due to things I am apt to take for granted. Wholeheartedly recommend.

[Jordan Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

AO Year 7 pre-reading. How have I never heard of this missionary story before? I want to say missionary biography but it’s more accurate to say this is the story of God’s Word saving and changing a people in the Philippines (the Balangao). What a joyful story, even with many difficulties and hard to understand tragedies. I will save this for my older students as there’s a lot of heavy spiritual warfare discussed (7-9th is just right). Absolutely loved this one and was delighted by the sweet people (er, headhunters) and the insights into the work of Bible translation.

[Jim Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as it reminded me of the missionary biographies I read as a new Christian. God is real and His power is real. Very encouraging book.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes in these depressing times you just need to read a good missionary story to remind you that God is powerful and working where He will.

[Renee Masterson Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The same God in the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament—who is the same God that is continuing to work today—Jesus Christ who never changes. And I think we functionally forget that—we walk through our days prayerless and without thought to others (maybe that is just me!) Joanne Shelter or “Juami” as she was called by her Balangao family recounts her 20 years in the jungles of the Philippines living among the Balangao in order to translate God’s word into their heart language. The Balangao people were known as “headhunters” (which is exactly what you think!) and worked diligently to appeased evil spirts through animal sacrifice no matter their demands. They were all too familiar with dark spiritual forces and were slaves to whatever these evil spirits wanted—their money, food, children, and even their very lives. Juami experienced this intense spiritual warfare first hand, and continued to teach the Balangao about the God of the Bible who is stronger than the evil spirits that held these people captive. Joanne’s account is incredibly moving and captures the heart of the Balangao people. She shares her doubts and fears as well as the many ways she watched God tangibly answer prayers and do the unexplainable. I was moved to tears countless times as Juami shared the budding faith of the Balangao and how, despite logic and circumstance, the Balangao elders and spirit mediums were actually turning to Jesus. “For Balangaos faith is a matter of obedience. The one you obey is your true master. You watch his eyes, you watch how he does things, and you shape your life to conform to his. For them believing is not saying certain words or repeating a prayer. It’s turning and pledging your loyalties to a new power and basing you life on it. Ama [her Balangao father] called it facing God” (111-12). Juami shows how nothing is impossible with God. The Balangao were overjoyed to have God’s word in their heart language which would show them how to follow Jesus. “It was God’s Word in their own language that had called Balangaos to repentance, and his Word was still changing their lives. It was God’s Word that the Balangaos needed, not me. And now, at last, they had the Book!”

This is the BEST book I have read all year. My faith has not been ignited nor have I been this moved, encouraged, humbled, silenced as I have reading this book—I am increasingly grateful for Joanne Shelter and he obedience to go to those who have never heard with the gospel. I can’t wait to hug a Balangao in heaven because of Joanne’s faithfulness and God’s infinite mercy.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being able to meet Joanne Shetler and hear her speak at a Bible translation seminar this week. Her story is truly inspirational and shows the impact of bringing the Bible to people in their heart languages, whatever the cost. Jo’s work among the Balangao people is a testimony to what God can do through faithful obedience and how the gospel transforms! It also showed the reality of spiritual warfare and how important it is to understand and respect culture. This was a short, easy and impactful read that I would recommend to anyone who wants a taste of missions and to get a further understanding of the importance of missions!

[Jennie Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missionary autobiography. Wonderfully inspiring.

[Kristen Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, like no other, excites my desire to sell my worldly possessions and throw my life whole-heartedly into serving others and sharing Christ with them. Joanne Shetler is an inspiration -- her patience, persistence, sense of humor in unique circumstances, and especially her reliance upon and trust in the God who sent her across the world to live for 20 years with the Balangao people of the Philippines. I found her story extremely moving. I've read it several times, and each time, I look up from the book thinking, "How soon can we sell our house and just GO?"

Incidentally, I was also intrigued during my first reading because of my 3rd grade best friend, April Balangue, who is Filipino (like me), and who I can't help but suppose may be related to the Balangao people -- maybe by way of somebody French? It's all in the name...

[Christy Whitsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting chronicle of a missionary Bible translator’s experiences in the Philippines. I enjoyed getting to know the people in the tribe she worked with and seeing how God worked in their lives. Her adopted tribal father was very moved by her showing him the genealogy in the Bible and used it as a teaching tool with others to show that the Bible really happened. She shared multiple scenarios where confusing or tragic things happened and she feared they would push people away from God, but the opposite happened. This was in Sonlight’s 3rd grade curriculum, and my kids did well with it. It is explicit about evil spirits and the hold they have on people, so I wouldn’t share it with an easily scared child necessarily.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing missionary biography. If you need something to remind you of God's power or to get you prepared for and excited about an overseas missionary trip or lifestyle, this is it. She shares her heart, her prayers, and the fruits of her labors. God's power comes alive and real in this easy read.

[Yibbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a beautiful testimony to the power of the written Word. Joanne mixes her story in with that of the Balangao church. It covers the full twenty years her time with them but is a rather short book. There is really only time to cover the highlights.
It was interesting especially as she tells about the growth of the church and the different missions that grew out of their church.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great missionary story. The cool part is that the author is still alive.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story of the Power of God! His work in the the lives of this tribe is absolutely amazing! Great story, great lessons, great everything.

[Rebekah Barkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this one inspire me so much. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day (something quite rare for me!) A simple, but powerful narrative. Nothing flowery or verbose about it, which in my opinion all the more clearly made evident the amazing events of God’s hand in this story. I also loved that Joanne wasn’t a “superwoman” Christian, and that it showed numerous times where despite her lack of faith, God still worked in the people’s hearts and brought them to Him. After all, it’s Him doing the real work, not us. We are His vessels to be used by Him. This would be a great read-aloud for children.

[BookishKelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Shelter tells about her time as a missionary amongst the Balangao people in the Philippines, trying to tell them about Jesus and translate the New Testament into their language.

This book is absolutely amazing. The struggles that people experienced, the astounding faith that so many of them show when things were hard, and the power of God that they witnessed first hand. I cried, I laughed, I shouted for joy, and then I cried some more.

[Matthew Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating story about a Bible translator in the 70s in the Philippines. The supernatural elements of the story are probably the most striking to a Western reader. But assuming the story is all true, the events that it contains are quite remarkable.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will seriously change your life! Highly recommend.

[Ella Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! 2 women translating the Word of God and changing the lives of an entire people group forever. Definitely recommend if you enjoy missionary biographies!

[Rachel Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories of God’s power in changing lives ❤️

[Janell Hege · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read true story for any lover of missions and the work of God on the foreign front.

[Jess (Jessie’s World of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read And the Word Came with Power for a while and I’m so glad I finally got to it! Reading about Shetler’s faith and her determination to translate the Scriptures so that the Balangaos could come to know God was very inspirational. I admire the courage and trust she had in God to leave behind all her dreams and move to a remote area in the Philippines. I found the spiritual warfare parts to be fascinating; especially that despite the hold the evil spirits had on the Balangao people, God showed Himself to be greater. Another thing I found very inspiring was how much faith the Balangao people had in God after they started believing whole heartedly in Him. Unlike the lukewarmness that is often perpetuated in first world countries, the Balangao people seemed to have no notion of serving God half-heartedly. I would recommend this book to any Christian who is interested in missionaries and spiritual warfare. (I may or may not have cried at the end!)

[Lexi Zuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much!!! It’s clear how much she loved the Balangao people. I was inspired to be bold and long-suffering for the gospel on every page! Highly recommend this lesser-know treasure.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I've never been, I really have a heart for the Philippines. Maybe it's my many years as a US Navy wife (and having so many sweet Filipina friends in that life), or my love of all things Far East (having lived in and loved Japan), or the fact that my uncle retired to the Philippines after serving in Vietnam and made a life there (and how utterly exotic I found that to be in my growing-up years). Whatever the case, I've always had a fondness for the country and, in fact, have chosen as one of my 2016 goals to claim the Philippines in prayer throughout the entire year.

I also love biographies--particularly of missionaries--so it's no surprise that And The Word Came With Power piqued my interest when I saw it recommended on my Kindle. It's a quick read but very engaging on many levels. Shetler does a great job of involving the reader in her daily-life comings and goings during her years in the Philippines while introducing us to the Balangao people and culture as well as giving us a look into the complexity and intricacy of translating the Word into remote foreign languages. She accomplishes all of this while remaining firmly rooted in the Lord and His Word.

[EagleRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love well written, true stories; especially missionary stories and it is getting harder and harder to find one I haven't read. A dear friend of mine gave me this one recently and I loved it!!! I also love true stories for the tidbits of wisdom to be gleaned from each one and this one did not disappoint. There were several things it mentioned that were thought provoking -- one being how interesting it is that people in 3rd world countries so often seem to have much more understanding of the spiritual realm than those even who call themselves believers. In some ways, I think this gives them a certain edge when they do become believers that some of us can miss out on. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. One thing that really helped me with this book was that it articulated something I have felt intuitively for years but fought because I couldn't articulate it in my mind. When I read it in the book though it helped me understand a whole lot of things. I highly recommend you read it, everyone has different take-aways from different books but this is a great one.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite missionary stories of all time.

When I was a girl, our denomination had several missionary books that they wanted you to read. Each year a different set would come out and we were encouraged to read those that year. Several times I tried to do so. I'm sure it was during the years my grandmother had charge of getting people to read them. I never liked them, maybe it was just my age. They seemed so dry and boring.

Oh, if they had only been as interesting as this book! I was captivated with the Balangao people...Ama, Doming, Tekla, little Forsan, and all the rest. They made me smile and at times tear up. But what really captured my heart was just the way God worked among these people! Time and again, Joanne would find that after trying her hardest to teach a spiritual principle and getting nowhere, they would get a certain Scripture translated and suddenly hearts would change.

What a great book for families to share!