Chi Cheng Huang

I really wanted to like this book and was quite excited about reading it when I read the cover. I thought it might be similar to my own experiences working with street children in the Philippines. In that respect there were a lot of similarities and a lot of shared mistakes and learning from them in the same way.

The author gets off to a good start talking a bit about himself and his Christian faith. He doesn't go far enough really but at least he mentions that he is a Christian and a bit about that. He describes arriving in Bolivia with no idea what to expect and is extremely naive from the outset; venturing into dangerous areas without realising it to track down the elusive "street children." Many of these children are addicted to "thinner" sniffing. Which again is what I dealt with in the Philippines with the "rugby boys." The author takes a different approach in that he just accepts this as part of their lives and doesn't attempt to stop them doing this in his presence. It is hard for me to understand how this decision alone didn't drive him to despair. Watching the children "sniffing" day in and day out whilst trying to build friendships with them must have been intolerable and not placing any types of boundaries on acceptable behaviour whilst in the author's presence apart from the occasional comment doesn't bear thinking about. Indeed the author frequently refers to emotional outbursts of grief after dealing with the various situations.

Maybe this is why the author seems to struggle with his faith throughout the book. He went to Bolivia to help as a trainee doctor but also as a Christian Missionary. But he became overwhelmed with the scale of the problem and the numbers of people needing help. Also the attitudes of the locals towards these children and others in poverty, as they just didn't care. Instead of turning to God in his crisis he asks the questions "Why does a God of love allow this type of suffering?" and "Where is God in this?" At times he clings on to his faith but at other times he seems to flounder.

I understand the experiences of the author well and the temptation to want to "rescue" each child from poverty thinking that this is the answer and will improve their lives. But, as a Christian Missionary the author does not speak enough about what he was doing to bring "hope" to the people he is "helping." He rarely mentions a church or personal times with God or even prayer. At one point he even says that he didn't have time for this as he became too busy. I think the author may have fallen into the classic trap of doing things in his own strength. As a result the people he is "helping" see him as the "angel" helping them and not God who is in control.

My view was confirmed when I read about the charity that the author later set up and the homes that were built to house these children. There is no mention that they are even Christian. A lot is said about holistic ministry and giving the children their "right" to a normal life, but sadly nothing about God. Does this really "help" them....where will they spend eternity?

A strange section in the centre of the book discloses the author's very personal experiences in relation to the death of his sister who had cancer. The tragic story becomes almost like something out of a horror movie as the author describes vivid nightmares/visitations for a year after her passing. Again I struggled with the fact that the author didn't seem to turn to God for help with these issues. I felt these experiences were too personal for a book like this and explained in too much graphic detail.

I feel sad to write that I would not recommend this book to Christian readers as it offers "help without hope" which is just such a waste.

For my prior review of another book like this and more general comments on this subject my blog post is here;

http://christianmissionaryinthephilippines.blogspot.com/2015/06/help-without-hop...… (mer)

Chi Cheng Huang certainly knows how to write. When he describes the street children he tried to help in Bolivia, it feels like you're right there alongside him. The problems the street kids are facing are uncomfortably similar to the problems American foster children have. Dr. Huang wanted to save everyone he met and he learned, time and time again, that it doesn't work like that. But you can save a few people, one at a time.

Other points of interest: He does describe his childhood and his sister's death and how it affected him, and this adds to the narrative and doesn't distract the reader from the main story. Also, Dr. Huang is a very religious Christian, but he doesn't spend too much time on that either. And the book was written in part to raise funds for his non-profit to help Bolivian street children, but I didn't even find out about that until the very end.

In all, WIN.… (mer)