The story of one family's time in a Cambodian slum, establishing aninnovative ministry caring for over a thousand orphans. "When Jesus moved from the most exclusive community in the universe to the worst ghetto in the world, seeking out prostitutes, lepers, and children, he sparked revolution in at least one man's life. My own." Craig left a high-flying job to move to Cambodia and set up home with his wife in the Phnom Penh slums. As the poor became their neighbours and their friends,a distinctive ministry began to emerge. Project HALO has transformed the lives of hundreds of children affected by AIDS, and empowered the poor to care for their own orphans.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'A unique story...gripping, compelling, requiring life change and action.' Viv Grigg, Urban Leadership Foundation and author
About the Author
Craig Greenfield left a successful life as an executive to move to a Cambodian slum. There he found a ministry caring for over a thousand orphans. Craig now heads Servants to Asia's Urban Poor.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An gripping insider's story of living among and serving the poorest of the poor
March 10, 2008
By Andrew Gray
You can read this book quickly, but the lessons and insights will stick with you for a long time. The author is a Christian who has lived and served among the poor in the slums of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He calmly writes about choices that one in a million Jesus followers would take, like giving up his lucrative job as a brand manager in an internationally successful company to go live at "The End of the Road" (the actual name of a slum where he eventually settled with his wife and baby).
I picked up the book in Cambodia after visiting some of the sites mentioned in the story. I was amazed to see nearly destitute Cambodians looking after the needs of truly destitute Cambodians. It was an image of empowerment made possible by sacrifice which you can't buy with money. It takes someone, like this author, willing to invest his or her own life.
I picked up the book in Cambodia after visiting some of the sites mentioned in the story. I was amazed to see nearly destitute Cambodians looking after the needs of truly destitute Cambodians. It was an image of empowerment made possible by sacrifice which you can't buy with money. It takes someone, like this author, willing to invest his or her own life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Craig Greenfield uses his own autobiography to powerfully argue for two frameworks: incarnational Christian ministry in urban slums, and community-based care for orphans. Both models are ones that he saw work during his service alongside the poor in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, and he uses his own story, academic research, and 25 years of his organization's history to make his case.
When an author shares about an issue as life-encompassing as Christian service among the poor in the slums, I appreciate if they share their whole lives. Greenfield does this well - not just sharing about the service, but about his life that led him to this place, the difficulties in living simply, the strain on his relationships, the successes and the failures. I was grateful for that.
I liked the story, feel the author makes his argument well, and found a lot of practical advice. My only gripe was that the book could have gone more in depth. The academic research supporting a move away from orphanages to community-based care for orphans was well-covered, but I wanted more on the details of Project HALO, the other projects Servants was involved in, and daily life. There was too much there to cram into only 183 pages! It could have been 50% longer. However, I'm sure that Greenfield wanted to keep the focus on a better model for orphan care, and so that is the book we get. It's still a quite good one.
When an author shares about an issue as life-encompassing as Christian service among the poor in the slums, I appreciate if they share their whole lives. Greenfield does this well - not just sharing about the service, but about his life that led him to this place, the difficulties in living simply, the strain on his relationships, the successes and the failures. I was grateful for that.
I liked the story, feel the author makes his argument well, and found a lot of practical advice. My only gripe was that the book could have gone more in depth. The academic research supporting a move away from orphanages to community-based care for orphans was well-covered, but I wanted more on the details of Project HALO, the other projects Servants was involved in, and daily life. There was too much there to cram into only 183 pages! It could have been 50% longer. However, I'm sure that Greenfield wanted to keep the focus on a better model for orphan care, and so that is the book we get. It's still a quite good one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By K Parker
This is one of the few books that has ever made me cry. The author and his wife and children lived in the slums of Cambodia for a number of years and their ideas on how to help the local children left when their parents died are surprising to a person with traditional solutions in mind. What is even more surprising is the honesty the author shows when describing his own reactions to living life on the front lines. Anybody who is interested in helping the poor in real ways needs to read this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A practical way to help deal with the World's 144 million orphans.
I have always been a big believer in teaching others to fish, rather than just giving them one. The Urban Halo is a book that illustrates how to help the poverty stricken slums of... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Edwin Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Book! Inspiring!
Like mentioned earlier, this is an easy read with a profound message of hope. It will leave you inspired with a desire to see what God is calling you to. Must read!
Published on November 26, 2010 by chadmar
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