Walking Man: A Modern Missions Experience in Latin America [Paperback]

Narciso Zamora (Author), Donna Schillinger (Editor), Michael Cassidy (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2008

Winner 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Religious Nonfiction! Narciso Zamora walks the message of Christ into the mountains, jungles, fields and forests of his native Peru and throughout Ecuador and Chile. Dreading the life of hard labor offset by nights of drunken stupor that his father modeled, Zamora ran away from home after high school. He lived a vagrant's life, surviving through delinquency, until through the generous support of a Christian family, Zamora came to know Christ. He left the jungle to study at a seminary in Lima. Walking Man recounts Zamora's winding and treacherous path, literally and figuratively, toward finding his calling in missions. Characteristic of Zamora's more than 25 years of mission experiences is his determination to go anywhere he felt called to preach and teach walking day and night into the jungle or trekking from valley to alpine zone and back down the other side of the mountain, just to reach an isolated village. With half a dozen well-established congregations in place in Peru, Zamora affiliated the churches with an international denomination and later moved to Ecuador and Chile planting churches. In Chile, a new trial faced the Zamora family when his wife's kidneys started to fail. Dealing with the emotional turmoil of a chronically ill spouse wore more heavily on him than any adversity he had encountered in his ministry. Zamora became depressed and in this chapter of his life, he learned new lessons and gained new insights about what it means to carry the cross of Christ. Walking Man, 198 pages, includes discussion primers for each chapter for use with book clubs; map illustration; translator's note; and afterword by Michael Cassidy, renown evangelist and founder of African Enterprise, on being a missionary where you are.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Born into a desperately poor rural family, Zamora fled to a life of casual labor, minor larceny, and the hope of salvation. Rescued by a Christian family, he found Christ and then a seminary. He graduated and began work for a small evangelical group. Dismissed for a disciplinary offence, he became a solo missionary and medico in remote areas of Peru, Ecuador and Chile, preaching to all and founding small churches. His work meant endless horrific journeys usually on foot. The story transcends the telling: Zamora s true gift is instilling hope, conferring dignity, and building communities among the downtrodden, the neglected, and the unserved work in which his beloved wife, fighting a debilitating kidney disease, is a dedicated partner. Zamora confirms that true faith can lead to heroic adventure, and an unheralded mission can be a life-enhancing force. Peter Skinner, Almost Missed columnist Adventures a la Carte: Destinations Unlimited --ForeWord magazine March/April 2008

In the life of Narciso Zamora we find clues as to how grass roots communities of faithful, often humble believers are finding Jesus and growing into enthusiastic, evangelizing congregations in spite of great adversity. We see all over again the basic principles of the Book of Acts in action. Jack Voelkel, Professor of Missiology, Biblical Seminary of Colombia and Columist --Urbana.org

About the Author

Narciso Zamora has been a church-planting missionary for over 25 years in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. Currently he is establishing an institute in Peru to train Latin Americans to be missionaries within their own continent. Pastor Zamora has presented his original training materials in numerous international conferences. Walking Man is a cross-cultural reading experience that tells a compelling story that and generates due interest in Latin American missions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Quilldriver; 1st edition (January 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979163900
• ISBN-13: 978-0979163906
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,431,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable journey told by a simple man, in simple words., December 12, 2007

By 

A. Torres (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking Man: A Modern Missions Experience in Latin America (Paperback)

It's hard to fathom why anyone would voluntarily choose to walk thousands of miles through the jungles of South America, but as you get to know Pastor Narciso Zamora, the author of "Walking Man", you begin to realize that his inspiration for doing so is indeed divine. As a missionary in a third-world land, the trials and tribulations of Zamora and his family are alternately harrowing, baffling, and humbling to those of us who have never known hunger, or worried about having a roof over our heads. Sometimes the author gets mired in descriptions of the mundane while glossing over the fascinating details of his journey, but it simply reminds us that he is a simple man not accustomed to telling his own story. He is, however, a master at sharing the gospel with anyone and everyone he meets. "Walking Man" is a compelling read, and a must for anyone considering missionary work.

3.0 out of 5 stars The long hard road of church planting in Latin America, October 20, 2008

By 

Reid Warner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking Man: A Modern Missions Experience in Latin America (Paperback)

Narciso Zamora's story is an interesting one of faith and perseverance, as he follows the Lord's guidance to speak about Christ and start small churches. In spite of the many hardships of poverty -- lack of food, income, housing, medical help the Lord works through him and shows His love and concern through him. He is quite a testimony to the faithfulness of God.