90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper and Cecil Murphey

On 18th January 1989 Don Piper’s car was sandwiched between the railing of Trinity River Bridge and an eighteen-wheeler truck driven by a prison inmate, in Texas USA. Medics said he was instantly killed, but while his battered body lay inside the ruins of his car, he had a glimpse of Heaven.

In the earthly realm, during the ninety minutes it took to cut him free from the wreckage, a minister caught up in the subsequent tail-back of traffic felt compelled to pray for him, convinced that God was doing something miraculous with his life-less body. In the heavenly realm, that ninety minutes was for Don a glimpse of the glory and splendour of paradise. He miraculously returned to life on earth with uncontainable memories of a place of awe and joyful delight, convinced of its reality.

As a minister himself, his long and painful recovery was an ordeal almost too much to bear at times, but one that changed his life and deepened his faith in a loving, caring God. Don now shares his story with thousands of people every year, bringing comfort and hope to those recovering from serious injuries or dealing with the loss of a loved one.

I found this story in the bargain box, at a local bookstore, and was immediately drawn to the title. I cannot remember a time I have not thought about Heaven: What will it be like? Who will be there? Will my body be the same? What will I do there? And so on…

The title conveys a very small portion of Don Piper’s story; in fact his time in heaven covers only two chapters of the book. Told chronologically, I wondered initially if the author was perhaps trying to sensationalise his accident and long recovery by including an ‘out of body’ encounter. However, I came to see that his life’s work of being able to praise God through his suffering was a process that was rooted in the ninety-minute heavenly experience and expressed through his down-to-earth existence. The few black and white photos included in relevant places help to illustrate the horrendous accident and torturing bone growth device he wore, known as an Ilizarov frame.

90 Minutes in Heaven confirmed a lot for me. I read it as a believer and not as a sceptic and found his descriptions credible and encouraging. As a Christian I have read many of the scriptures about Heaven, given in the Bible. I have an assurance that, when this life is over, Jesus has prepared a place for me in Heaven. I even preached about it once, many years ago, and I found the tape of that message quite recently, listening to it again. I enjoy talking to others, hearing their thoughts about what they think Heaven will be like. It’s a subject which has actually featured quite highly in my life over the past few months, through conversations, books and DVD’s. 90 Minutes in Heaven has not answered all my questions, but has contributed to my understanding of this fascinating topic.

I would heartily recommend Don Piper’s contribution to this field.

All Things Wild and Wonderful - Kobie Kruger

This sequel to Mahlengeni, by Kobie Kruger continues the true story of her family's adventures living in Kruger National Park, in South Africa. I actually read this book first and felt the story was complete in itself, not requiring Mahlengeni to be read first.

All things Wild and Wonderful, retells the events from 1991 onwards, when the family moved from their beloved Mahlengeni south to Crocodile Bridge and then to Pretorius Kop. For the author this was a traumatic episode as they left the largely deserted bush for a more populated area complete with neighbours and tourists. The shock at meeting strangers on the road, or being watched whilst out walking, took several months to absorb but she finally recognises the value that occasional visits with her neighbours can bring to their rather insular existence.

In this new home, where from her perspective, the sun is always setting in the wrong place, Kobie continues to foster many orphan animals, returning most of them successfully to the wild. However, when her ranger husband, Kobus brings home an orphan lion cub her role as foster parent takes on new meaning. Kobie and her three daughters' devotion to Leo, their 'Foundling Prince'; how he becomes part of the family, unaware that he is a royal beast, form a large part of this book. The way she explains the relationships between Leo and the dogs is fascinating.

Despite the park rules of not domesticating wild animals, the family realise that Leo will never be able to return to the wild and so start the difficult and painful process of finding a permanent home for him. Eventually, a suitable location is found in Pamuzinda, Zimbabwe and the story of transporting and settling him there, retains all the excitment of earlier chapters.

In common with Mahlengeni, All Things Wild and Wonderful is delightfully descriptive and draws the reader into the locations and circumstances being depicted. Each family member's story is told with passion: detailing their exploits along with accompanying physical pain or emotional heartache, but always with courageous spirit.

Delicate sketches of wildlife accompany the text and colour photos of Leo with various family members form the centre fold.

Well worth reading and enjoying!

God's Golden Acre

God's Golden Acre is the biography of Heather Reynolds, by Dale le Vack. It is the inspiring story of a South African Woman, from the KwaZulu-Natal province, who has spent much of her adult life caring for thousands of orphan children - victims of the AIDS pandemic of south eastern Africa.

This is a heroic story, of Heather's determination to be a mother to those who no longer have an able parent to care for them. The need is great, the situation desperate and the task daunting, but there are few obstacles which Heather has not removed by sheer hard work and her indomitable spirit, in her quest to provide a haven, now known as God's Golden Acre.

The book is written in three parts. Part 1 retells some of the key events that have become the milestones in Heather's journey; they set the scene for the other sections. Part 2 recounts her childhood, early adult life and her roller-coaster spiritual journey, leading up to her first encounter with AIDS orphans in Uganda in 1973 and the life-changing realization that God was calling her to be involved in caring for these most vulnerable members of any society. Part 3 is the establishment of her ministry God's Golden Acre, in its various locations to the place where it is now, looking out over beautiful rural Africa. Many miracles take place, both in the raising of finance and in rescuing children from intolerable conditions. She eventually sets up a network for international volunteers to participate in her project and many of them retell their own stories in the book.

Heather is now an ambassador for her foster care system throughout Africa and is a well respected and much loved South African. God's Golden Acre has now received much media attention and the American chat show host Oprah Winfrey recently became one of its main financial contributors, raising the charity to international status.

Much of Heather's story is told by herself, as first person narratives from the interviews that Dale recorded as a preparation to writing the book. Twenty-four full-colour pages of photographs are inserted into the book's centre and the cover has photos of Heather with some of her children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this true story. It is challenging and heartrending in places and definitely shifts you out of your comfort zone, but also helps to dispell cynicism against some charity work.

Tutu as I Know Him

This is a tribute to Desmond Mpilo Tutu, complied by Lavinia Crawford-Browne, for the occasion of his 75th birthday, in 2006. Each chapter, or piece, is written by a different person who has known Desmond Tutu, in a variety of settings and countries, right throughout his life.

It follows roughly the chronology of his life, starting with reflections from childhood by his two sisters and ending with a letter by Years 3 and 4 pupils of Fellview Primary School in Cumbria. The proceeds of the book will go to the Tygerberg Children's Hospital, in Cape Town, which celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2006, of which Desmond and Leah are the patrons.

Most pieces conclude with a relevant photograph, helping to demonstrate the multifaceted personality which makes up Desmond Tutu. He is a man of huge compassion and strong faith, persuing justice with a passion unequalled. His influence is enormous ranging from audiences with Heads of State to Hollywood filmstars. He strikes me as a man who always has time for people, listening with interest or concern, despite a pressing schedule. But he is also fun to be with, often surprising his visitors with his informality, telling jokes and laughing at himself, putting the most nervous at their ease with his often irreverent humour. His affectionate relationships with his wife and children are much in evidence and you can't help liking and admiring him.

It isn't a biography, but the writings give you a very good grasp of the breadth of his life's work and by the end you feel that you know so much about him.

The front cover illustration is taken from a patchwork embroidery depicting Desmond in his Red Archbishop's cassock talking to a group of children, with a typical South African township, the skyline of Cape Town and Table Mountain in the background. This typically sums up the man who manages to make everyone he meets feel like a 'Very Important Person'.

I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into his life and am now keen to read his full biography.