Inspiration for "A Stand Yet Taken"

Several years ago, I traveled to Timor, Indonesia with a group of volunteers to work on a small development project. We worked side-by-side with the villagers, installing a clean water system. I was fascinated by the simple lifestyle of the local residents, which was very different from my own background. Despite the differences in our circumstances, however, it was amazing how much we had in common. The parents were just as concerned about the well-being of their children as I was about my children and the kids were just as fun-loving and playful as those in my own neighborhood.

Following that experience, I decided to write this book, which is not at all based on any real experience I had while in Indonesia, but does, I feel, portray some of the fascinating culture and environment of that part of the world.

One of my goals in writing this book is to convey the message that the only thing separating the various peoples on this planet is geography—in reality, we’re all a lot more alike than we are different. We may speak and worship differently, but we're all part of the same human family.