Customer Reviews

Another Man's War: The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another Man's War: The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan is an amazing book. I really don't know where to begin - other than this is a Must read. I picked up the book after a friend pointed it out to me. The book was and wasn't what I expected it to be. It was actually way more. I expected to read about the horrors and what he had done to help the children of Sudan, but what I didn't expect was the story of how his life was shaped and guided to where he is now. What I mean is you see how God can use what we go through in life to prepare us for what is to come.

This book is not for the faint of heart - it will cause you to rethink things and it will shock you no matter how hardcore you are. This book will not leave you unchanged. All the news reports will not prepare you. Sam Childers does an amazing job bring it all alive.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

A compelling and fascinating story of self-sacrifice, compassion and the fearless drive of a man on a mission. You will be inspired to do more, give more and make a bigger impact with your life.

Sam effectively and powerfully sheds light on a country of people in critical need and calls us all to action.

Sam Childers lives in a world few Americans would dare venture into let alone try to rescue it's children from the insane lunatic evil known as the LRA. This book does not speak of ventures into mamby pamby land but a real world where evil is rampant, deadly, brutal, inhumane and nearly unchecked. Don't read this book if you would rather not know what terror lies beyond the horizon and the men who work to turn back the tide. If on the other hand you care about the suffering of a world gone mad and want to know the good news of what can be done about it, order the book, or several to pass around like I did.

I deployed to Nuba Mountains in Central/Southern Sudan in early 2002; I just returned from 6 months in southern Sudan adjacent to Uganda. The ethnic cleansing and genocidal acts of the Bashir government should not be tolerated by the international community..although, it is and has.

Anyone like like this author who dedicates his time, efforts and safety for the well being of others must be read..hence, I will order the book today. (I am currently overseas)

To all those who help...thank you!

RH
[...]

Oscar Wilde once wrote: "Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."
([...])

That, and the "God, Guns and Guts" tag-line, pretty much describes Sam.

Sam also reminds me of this scripture, James 1:27,
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

And this one too: Matthew 25:40,
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

War widows and war orphans in the poorest, the most desperate, and most strife-torn part of Africa may indeed qualify as "the least of" Christ's brethren.

This is a compelling and uncomfortable read! Sam Childer's testimony is incredible and I was inspired by him. He is a man that is not just reading the Word, but living the Word. He loves to the end of himself like Jesus. It's impossible to read this and not be changed and challenged. Why can't I help my neighbor, when he travels across the globe to protect innocent victims of violence, putting himself in harms way every day? You can't Not care after reading this book.

Sam Childers is both a cultural irony and a Biblical reality. In an age of Christian male niceness and cultural irrelevance, Sam provides us with a contemporary view of a man-of-God warrior, as depicted in the Old Testament. Sam lives his convictions and makes a difference in a not-so-small part of the world, which is in dire need of a man-of-God. The book is an introduction to Sam's life and ministry. It summarizes the atrtrocities focused against the people of Sudan and Uganda in general and against the children in particular. It discusses the orphanage he was led to build as an indigenous ministry in Southern Sudan. It also touches on his U.S. church ministry and his evangelistic ministry. In the end, he challenges us to personally make a difference, to be culturally relevant in a world of Christian irrelevance, and to place your life in the hands of Jesus to mold and grow you into the man God intended you to be.
Bottom line: This is neither another Christian nice-guy book, nor a literary masterpiece. It is a story of how God is working through the life of a redeemed ex-Hells Angel drug dealer to bring shalom to children of Sudan.
As Paul wrote, "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" 1 Cor 1:26-31 (NIV).
As a retired SOF member and one deeply involved internationally with prison and gang ministries, Sam provides me with great hope and a vision for effective ministry in the really tough areas of the world.
I can't wait for Sam's next volume.

Sam shows with God's help what one person can do in desperate times.
It was interesting to understand what it happening in the Sudan politically and spiritualy.

This memoir tells the story of Sam Childers and of the children of southern Sudan and northern Uganda. About half of the book describes Sam Childers' youth, including his years as a drug-using and -selling biker and how he left that life to become a Christian preacher called by God to minister in Africa.

The rest of the book describes his ministry in Sudan and Uganda: first driving a mobile medical clinic to areas without access to medical services and now building and protecting a compound where children left orphans by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) can grow up in safty. He describes what life is like in the areas the LRA (a rebel group led by Joseph Kony) terrorizes villagers, why children are kidnapped by the LRA, what happens to them when they are, and how they get free.

He briefly describes the recent history of Sudan and Uganda. He also describes God's protection and provision of his work there. He describes rescues, going into danger areas, and the fighting. He describes in detail the Village/orphanage and what they provide for the children who live there.

The book is interesting, well-written, and fast-paced. I would have liked to know more about how they help the children recover from what they've seen and experienced, though. For those who don't like gore and suffering, this book has few gory details. Personal accounts of what the children and villages suffer at the hands of the LRA are given briefly and with few details.

Sam Childers is outspoken about his Christian faith in the book and gives credit for a number of miracles (mainly of protection and provision) to God, but he says that a lot of non-Christians are interested in and supportive of his work. So this book might be interesting to non-Christians despite the Christian content. If you're someone who believes there's never any justification for using violence, then I doubt you'll like this book.

I'd recommend this book, especially to those who like incredible-but-true missionary stories, to soldiers who are Christians, and to those interested in what's being done to help the children in southern Sudan and northern Uganda.


Different Time, Different Place Book Reviews
[...]

You cannot wallow in self-pity or claim to be a Christian and do nothing for Christ after reading Sam's book! I've been looking for purpose in my life since losing a son last year and God knows my heart: I want to be a part of something big. I want the joy, peace, and surety of knowing I'm making a difference--Sam is, for so many!