I got this free for my Kindle. March 2013
Like a Flood, by Elizabeth Proske. A pastor and group of
young people from area churches go to Colombia to help rebuild a church
compound devastated by a flood. A promising premise that didn’t live up to itself.
Unknown to them prior to departure, a terrorist gang has targeted Christian
churches and individuals. They want to turn all land into coca-growing fields. They
made a threat against the compound that the group is going to help out. The
first half of the book moved slowly, drudgingly so. Too much time spent on exactly
what they did-moving wet, moldy carpet, re-roofing, painting, having lunch
under the trees, how hot it was, etc. The girls acted like love-sick teenagers so I
was surprised to find out that all of them were college age. One of the young
men is approached by one of the Latino workers, who is part of the terrorist
group, and asked to join up with him, spying on the pastors and the group
workers. The Latino pastor’s sister is kidnapped by the terrorist group and two
of the guys and a girl go off to rescue her. Later another group goes back to
rescue the Bibles that were supposed to be delivered to a small village.
Serious events happen from this point on so the story gets more exciting.
Having said that however, some of the storyline is unrealistic. One of the guys is fatally injured and the
group pastor does not send them all home, but allows them to continue to both
work at the compound and to further endanger themselves in other anti-terrorist
activity. One of the characters plays no valid role in the book. He is an
unknown individual that no one grows close to and the book ends without ever
having gotten to know him beyond the brief history he shared with the pastor. I
have to say that my favorite part was when one of the girls witnessed to
another girl and she eventually accepts Christ. Very moving testimony. Published 2012 (I would say self-published.)
