Peace Child is a unique book that forces the readers to think in a in depth way. Don Richardson and his wife encounters a unique culture that they have never seen before, The Sawi People. Throughout the Richardson's experience, obstacles were everywhere, and that is where faith took in to place. Without faith, the Richardson could not have done what they set out to do. Likewise, faith relates to everybody in the world. Gail Devers once said, "Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, handwork, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." This quote represents the very essence of what faith means to me.
Over my 16 years of my life, I have faced many challenges. Keeping my hopes alive wasn't an easy task, especially living in a country with 1.3 billion people. I was culture shocked when I first entered the China. Living in conditions that didn't seem typical of that of a western standard came as a surprise to me. Even at a young age of 5, I noticed such details. As I grew older and adapt to my "new" home, I started to ask questions about my life. "Why am I in this country? What kind of culture is this? Where is my identity?" After a period of pondering and questioning, I realized that I needed to believe in something. I had to have faith. I needed something I could hope for and look forward to.
At first, I didn't know what to do. However, I liked the idea of having faith in someone/something, so I started this objective. I started to have faith in my friends. I trusted that they would make me happy, and our relationships would be perfect. Needless to say, they weren't close to perfect. Many times they have failed me. I also had faith in money. I believed that money can solve everything, and boy was I wrong. I always had this doubt in my mind, and I had a low self - esteem. I didn't have much faith at all during my years in China.
Then one day, my dad told me that I would move to Korea to start off my freshman year in high school. Suddenly, I realized that China was a major part of my life. I felt like this was my home. I entered this country when I was five years old. I didn't know anything, and I had no faith in myself. I didn't think that I would pull it off to live in such a different culture. But I did. I look back at the years I lived in China, and I can say that I had faith in myself. I survived my childhood and early teenage years in China. Without it, I would have been some emo student with a depressing disorder. I had to take this belief. I had to take this faith to Korea. The moment I entered Korea, I had faith that all was going to be well. Don Richardson must have had a similar feeling when he entered the Sawi culture. He believed that everything was going to be well, and that God's goal would be accomplished. However, Don didn't expect a culture that would honor Judas instead of Jesus. In the peace child, the readers find that Don has experienced doubts and fear among the tribe and God. However, his faith is a testimony of his accomplishment. After seeing the peace child from the tribe and the story behind it, Don was able to use that story as God's story. Without his faith, Don wouldn't have done this as he would have left the culture without accomplishment.
As for the Sawi people, it must have been difficult to give up their culture and realize that some of it was non - practical. It must have been hard for them to accept Jesus, and give up the cannibalistic ways of their life. However, "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Sawi people had strong faith in God.
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