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Debbie Kaufman » Author of historical Christian fiction

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How It All Began, Part One

One of the questions that I get asked a lot is about where I got the idea for my book, The Doctor’s Mission.  It’s a good question since I had been working on suspense up until the inspiration for this book hit.  Let me say first, that most authors have way more ideas bouncing around in our heads than we’ll ever get on paper.  So a specific idea has to really grab you before you choose it above all the others. 

So how did I get the idea?  Am I just fascinated with cannibals?  No, not really.  The idea for The Doctor’s Mission literally  walked in my fron door one evening in the guise of a visit from one of my married children.  As kids piled in the door, my daughter handed me a small paperback authored by my son-in-law’s great-great uncle.  It had a rather provocative title, Before We Kill and Eat You.    This book, the story of pioneering missionary, H. B. Garlock and his wife Ruth, sat on my dining room table for months before I picked it up and finally read it. 

The story of how God worked in the Liberian jungle with the Garlocks was fascinating, probably because missions have always been my heart.  The subject and the country grabbed hold of me after reading that book, and wouldn’t let go.  Before long, I had read what seemed like a library full of Liberian pioneering missionar stories, and names like Bishop William Taylor, Rev. Adolphus Clemens Good, and Miss Amanda Smith became more than familiar to me. 

The more I read of these dear saints on the mission field, one question grew with each page turn.  Could I set a romance here and bring this world to life for readers? 

To be continued….

I’m curious today.  Do you or a family member have any experience with missions?  If you could go anywhere in the world, missions or not, where would it be?

  • March 14, 2011 - 3:11 pm

    Pamela Mason - Debbie! How cool is this, to see how God’s timing works so perfectly.
    I have no missionary background. But my church goes to Africa yearly to build wells so the people there can have clean water supply, and of course to support the missionaries there building churches and buildings.
    I don’t have the calling to travel so far, but I have worked in the past with children with special needs, and our church does have a mission with our local families in that as well.
    I would like to travel to New Zealand and Australia. But not for a while! Too much to do here!ReplyCancel

  • March 14, 2011 - 3:18 pm

    admin - Hey Pamela,
    Clean water is such a huge issue worldwide. As to not going far, I’m going to add another page later on domestic missions. We don’t all have to go across the world to serve 🙂
    DebbieReplyCancel

  • March 14, 2011 - 3:19 pm

    Katy Lee - I love how God gives us what we need when we need it. Not too soon or too late. His timing is perfect. Thank you for being obedient in writing the story He gave you to write.

    As for missions, I organize a bunch, but have yet to go on one. Every year I’m asked, though. At this point, I have said when my daughter can go with me, I’ll go. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • March 14, 2011 - 4:11 pm

    Vanetta - Hi Debbie… I can’t wait to pick up this book… it sounds so wonderful! I have never been on a missionary… But when I was younger I thought it would be a neat thing to do. Though, I do travel to Mexico to see family and I feel like I do missionary work when I go. My family takes lots of clothing and other items that we can take across the border. We give to a few families when we get there. Traveling through Mexico is so heart breaking in some of the states you go through. We see kids as young as 2 selling Eagle feather just so they can feed themselves. It’s heart breaking. I will be picking up this book, once it hits the stands! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • May 6, 2011 - 5:07 pm

    Lucrecea Harvey - Love your books. My parents caretake a missionary’s property and are very involved. The missionaries usually visis Thiland. They are such a nice couple. They are also very generous.

    Cre Harvey
    sxyldy@live.comReplyCancel

    • May 6, 2011 - 5:34 pm

      admin - How sweet that your parents do that, Cre. Thanks for stopping by :ReplyCancel

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