Volunteering
in the Amazon to escape a broken heart, an American nurse re-examines her
life’s calling as she confronts hijackers, malaria, and her attraction to a
certain missionary pilot.
Today on The Diamond Mine, we're welcoming author Lee Carver. Hi Lee! It's great to have you with us. You’ve said this book is the book of your heart. You lived in Brazil for
more than twelve years, and as a missionary in the Amazon for six. Did you have
a specific purpose in writing this story?
My
eyes were opened to a new world as a volunteer missionary in retirement. We
gave a few years of service whereas the others in the missionary group gave
their entire lives. I came away with a huge respect for them, and at the same
time an appreciation for them as real people with conflicts, dealing with their
doubts and difficulties, and even marital problems. I wanted to write a
fictional story which portrayed these remarkable servants of God.
What
struck you most about your time in Brazil?
I
hardly know where to start on this question, because our lives spun on a
different axis. The heat, humidity, and disease contrasted with jungle beauty,
tight friendships, and the joy of being on God’s mission. The very most? How
much I loved the people and felt loved and accepted by Brazilians and expats
alike. Brazilians come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and accept others
openly and freely.
They sound wonderful. In
Love Takes Flight, you painted some very vivid images of Brazil. How would you
describe the culture there?
The
culture in the Amazon is even more casual than in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
People function on “rubber time.” Manaus has some wealthy people, but many of
its nearly two million inhabitants live in DIY shacks of found materials.
Beggars and street vendors abound. Traffic is terrible, with scrambled one-way
streets. Outside of the Christian context, Americans are assumed to be rich and
easy prey. One has to be wary and take reasonable care.
How
has the experience affected your perspective on life and faith?
Our
years in Brazil were the hardest and best of our lives. My husband Darrel often
described it as the dessert of our lives. We saw God working every day making
His mission possible and answering prayers continually. My resulting
perspective became that only what is done for the Kingdom of God is lasting.
Nothing builds more faith like stepping out on your confidence in God and
feeling that support and answered prayers.
Well said! That's encouraging to hear. What
takeaway value were you going for in this novel?
One
buried message is, How can you know if you’re called to the missionary life?
Such a decision refutes every desire for self-importance and material gain, and
thus, deep in the gut, seems unwise. How can you be sure this call is real?
Are your characters
anything like missionaries you knew in Brazil?
Some of the characters
are combinations of specific people we knew. The history of the pilot, Luke
Strong, would probably be recognized as a certain person. The teenager Jessica,
who volunteered on the early missions in the novel, is ever so real. I love
this precious woman, who has grown up, become an RN in the US, and is about to
return to the farthest reaches of the Amazon with her husband and baby son—as
yet unborn. Part of the message of the novel is that dedicated missionaries
come in all personality types.
What do you miss most
about Brazil?
The people. Those in the mission, those in our church, and all
the volunteers who lodged in our home on the way to and from missions into the
jungle.
What advice do you offer
to people going on a foreign mission?
Be flexible, pray a lot,
and especially pray aloud every day with your spouse. Cast all your fears on
God and leave them there.
Beautiful advice. What was your most
memorable experience or experiences as a missionary?
The week I served as
translator for American college kids on a large mission ship plying the Rio
Negro. For the complete picture, go to my website and download a free PDF copy
of Flying
for Jesus. It’s also available in print and Kindle without profit added on
Amazon.com.
What are you working on
now?
I’ve found novels with a foreign
setting to be hard to sell, which was a major disappointment. Currently, I’m
writing a contemporary romance set in a small Texas town, a fun story that’s
relatively easy after the WWII and Brazilian novels. As always, it has an
inspirational thread and is based within the Christian worldview. I’m also
collaborating with five other authors on a romance novella set, as yet unnamed,
which should be out in June.
Lee, thank you so much fro spending time with us at The Diamond Mine. It's been inspirational to learn about you and your experiences.
Okay readers, don't forget to leave a comment for Lee, and you'll be entered in the free drawing for a copy of Love Takes Flight! Now, here's an excerpt from it. This
excerpt of Love Takes Flight comes
from the fifth chapter, after you’ve gotten to know the main characters and the
situation:
Morning
broke bright and hot. When Luke came to haul a barrel of medicines to move the
clinic to the next village, Camille approached him with a frown.
“I’ve
been thinking all night about Pedro. I need to stay here. Any number of things
might still go wrong with his leg.”
“You
can’t stay if Dr. Flavio goes with us. You’re only legal to practice medicine
in Brazil as his assistant.” Luke mopped his face with a worn bandana. Camille
didn’t seem to understand the laws they had to obey.
She planted her feet apart, hands on her hips.
“I’m not practicing medicine. I just want to stay with Pedro long enough to
make sure the artery holds and he doesn’t contract a massive infection.”
“That
would still be illegal. Pedro looks good. He’ll be okay.”
Camille
shook her head. “The pregnant woman, Josamil, had light contractions yesterday,
and the baby is transverse. Dr. Flavio wasn’t able to turn it. If labor doesn’t
push the head down, she could die screaming for help.”
Luke
tracked on a boy carrying a load down the bank to the plane. “You have to stay
with the team. How are you going to get back if we leave you here?”
“Josamil’s
husband can deliver me to the next village by boat.”
Luke
snuffed a laugh. “It would take two weeks.”
“I
thought you said it was only fifteen minutes away.”
“By
air. It’s on the other side of this finger of land. Going around by boat in dry
season takes forever.”
“Can’t
you stop back here on the way to Manaus?”
Luke
could, but he didn’t want to admit it. Leaving a volunteer—one who didn’t speak
the language—involved unnecessary risk.
The
social worker, Angela, was team leader for this mission. He found her packing
hygiene instruction posters. “We’ve got a problem. Camille wants to stay here
by herself while we go on to the next village.”
Camille
followed him over, and he fell into a pattern of translating between her and
Angela. As he explained the nurse’s concerns, he watched Angela’s resolve melt.
She
waffled. “We can’t take Pedro back to Manaus with us. There wouldn’t be any way
to return him for months.”
“I’m
not suggesting that. I just want to keep treating him here. The antibiotic
doesn’t prevent all the possible infections.” Tenacious as a junkyard dog,
Camille uncrossed her arms, hands up as if insisting Luke agree with her
reasoning. “He may need a different type. The wound will probably have to be
debrided—trimmed and cleaned—or he may develop gangrene. And if he doesn’t stay
in bed, his artery stitches may not hold.”
Angela
rolled her big eyes.
Camille
jumped back into the space. “And then there’s Josemil.”
Sensitive
to the whole idea of motherhood, Luke winced. “But we don’t know when she’s
due. It might be another week.”
Camille
shaded her eyes from the brilliant sun. “I don’t think so. The baby had dropped
before we arrived. If it doesn’t move into the correct orientation, her labor
will be rough. Maybe deadly.”
“Doesn’t
the village have a midwife?” Luke looked to Angela for the answer.
“They
do, but what they call a midwife out here is usually only someone who’s been
around for a few births. She’s not necessarily trained and wouldn’t observe
proper sanitation.”
He
translated to Camille, beginning to understand the danger.
“Lucas,
you come back in two days?” Angela used two fingers and bits of English. “When
we return to Manaus?”
He
sighed, shoved his hands in his pockets, and glanced at kids playing with a
small monkey.
Camille
assumed victory without his confirmation. “I’d better pull out the medical
supplies I’ll need. And unpack my hammock.”
“How
are you going to communicate?” Surely she realized the impossibility of her
proposal.
“I’ll
use the books I brought. I’m learning more words every day.”
Maybe
she had a gift for languages. Some people did.
Camille
dashed a few yards away toward the pharmacy and equipment tent still set up
under a palm tree. “Jessica, wait a minute. I need some supplies.”
Decisive
and aggressive, this woman. A Brazilian nurse would never do that.
Now, here's a short bio about Lee and some of her social and purchase links:
Lee Carver lived in the
Brazilian Amazon for six years, the hardest and best years of her life. She and
her husband served in retirement as volunteer missionaries with a Brazilian
organization, Asas de Socorro (Wings of Help), formerly MAF-Brazil. Her husband
flew the amphibious ten-seat Cessna Caravan over jungle area half the size of
the United States. Their home in Manaus—the largest city in the world with no
road to it—was a free guesthouse for missionaries, pilots, mechanics, and
medical volunteers. She went on missions, speaks the language, and knows the
people whose story she tells.
Lee lived in Brazil a
total of twelve years, including two transfers to São Paulo while her husband
worked for Citibank. Other foreign postings were Greece, Saudi Arabia,
Argentina, Indonesia, and Spain. She studied nine languages and visited over
forty-five countries. The Carvers now reside in Texas and are still active in
Brazilian aviation missions.
Lee
is a member of ACFW and president of its local chapter, DFW Ready Writers.
Lee says:
It's
available in both print and Kindle version at this address. I do hope you'll
enjoy the novel, and even return to Amazon and post a comment about it. Those
reviews are so important to its success. And if you use FaceBook or other
social media, sharing this release with your friends would be tremendous
support. Thank you for your consideration.
Here’s some references for you to study on: 
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