Book Review: Our Witchdoctors are too Weak

Our Witchdoctors are too Weak, by Davey and Marie Jank, relates some of the adventures Davey Jank experienced as a missionary to the Wilo tribe, deep within the Amazon jungle. He tells his story through a series of personal anecdotes, beginning with his arrival in the remote village of Pakali and ending with the fulfillment of his goal—sharing the Bible with the Wilo people in their own language.

As their language was completely oral, the missionaries assigned to the village had to devise an alphabet and convert the sounds they heard into a written language before they could begin teaching the Word of God. In order to ensure their message would be understood in the proper context, the missionaries had to learn the customs and beliefs of the Wilo people as well as their language. This took many years, but Davey Jank remained faithful in his service to God and to the villagers. Eventually he and his team were able to share the message of God’s love with them, helping many of the people to find hope and peace through faith in the saving grace of Christ’s death and resurrection.

I enjoyed reading about the Wilo’s culture, especially their daily activities and religious beliefs. Since Pakali was far from any large town, I was surprised to learn the villagers had some modern conveniences, such as outboard motors on their canoes and aluminum pans for cooking. Their beliefs, however, were similar to those of earlier generations, including shamanism and the fear of witchdoctors. Yet they waited eagerly for someone to translate “God’s Talk” into their language so they could break free of the fears that ruled their lives. That someone was Davey Jank.

The authors’ wry humor and conversational writing style make this book an easy read. The chapters are all very short, with each one covering a separate incident, making it a good choice for those who want something interesting to read during breaks from work or other activities. It isn’t preachy or judgmental, so even non-Christians might enjoy reading this book, but its message is profound. I highly recommend Our Witchdoctors are too Weak.

To get a feel for the entertaining—yet informative—style and content of this book, visit the Jank’s website. You can buy this book on Amazon.com.

  

 

 

(This book was provided to me for review by a representative of the publisher, Monarch Books.)