ave done to tear apart a land that was once rich in resources. Each effort, however small, does contribute to the advancement of the people. Even when missionaries are forced to evacuate to another part of Africa or even back to the U.S. or Europe because of military conflicts, they still return and continue their work. They keep their faith, even though the evacuations erase any continuity they might have hoped for.All of these successes would never have happened if a renewed focus on relationship hadnt taken place. Instead of ignoring the people, the new missionaries become friends with the people. They develop an understanding of each other and the differences that lie within. Perhaps one of the best examples of this, although fictional, is the marriage of Anatole and Leah in The Poisonwood Bible. Although they struggled, they made the most noticeable contribution to the Congo. Nathan Price urged fervently and with abandon: walk forward into the light (Kingsolver 375). He, like many others before and after him, failed to realize that the Congo had always been a bright nation on its own terms. Now, missionaries, not only in the Congo, but everywhere, are faced with the challenge to walk forward into the light with the people to which they are bringing the Word of God. ...
