My rating: 3.5/5
A group of youth participate in a missionary trip to Indonesia that will prove to be unforgettable in more ways than one. In My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay, this indelible trip will force the young missionaries to witness senseless death, suffering, and violence due to the ongoing religious conflict between the Christians and Muslims in the surrounding area. A tale of survival, resiliency, and hope, this novel will provide enlightenment to the dangers that believers of Christ face internationally for their religious beliefs.
Main character Cori desires a meaningful Summer after just graduating from high school, while she decides what her plans are in the future. She makes a sudden decision to take a missionary trip to Ambon, Indonesia to help build a church in a small Christian community, and to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the local villagers. During basic training in preparation for the trip, she meets other youth who were assigned to assist the same village. Cori and her fellow teammates arrive in the village and within a few weeks adapt to the culture and establish friendly bonds with the local villagers. This all changes when a mob of local Muslims plan a surprise attack on the community and annihilate the area and its villagers. Cori and her teammates barely survive the attack and are left to flee to the harsh jungle. In their quest to travel to a safe area, they experience harsh environmental elements, the threat of disease and starvation, and the risk of capture from other habitants who strongly oppose Christians.
My Hands Came Away Red is a medium paced book, with adequate character development. Readers witness the forging of a lifelong bond between Cori and the fellow missionaries as they share in the sorrow and danger they experienced. The faith content was well executed, with realistic aspects of the portrayal of faith. There were descriptions of some youth missionaries who naturally struggled or questioned their faith during difficult situations, and other youth missionaries who provided encouragement to their fellow teammates in their faith. Characters were depicted praying, reading and quoting the Bible, and growing in their personal relationships with Christ. It was also interesting to learn of the violence that persists between Christians and Muslims within the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Most of Indonesia is comprised of Muslim believers, with a small percentage of Christian dwellers. Although the two religions had managed to co-exist peacefully, an increase in violence began to disrupt the balance.
Ultimately, this is an immersing novel that has welcomed elements of inspiration. There is content warning of violence and murder, however it does not take away from the beauty of this novel, and that is the hope that is found in Christ Jesus.
