I must thank my wife, Stacia, for walking with me for thirty-two years, even when it meant fishing villages in Indonesia and farming towns in Arkansas. Our two sons are our greatest joy. Josh clarified my thinking in many a conversation about the book, even though he was busy finishing his Ph.D. in literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Our younger son, Jacob, shared my daily commute for four years and helped start this project. He is now a Ph.D. student in the medical school of the University of Florida.
This book could not have been written without the lessons I learned in Indonesia years ago. My apologies if I confused any details in the stories. I am indebted to my colleagues there, especially Joubert, Jether, Charlie and Don. Mere thanks aren’t sufficient. I am a better person because of you four.
Randy Richards
Because I process best out loud, my patient and insightful wife, Amy, heard nearly everything written here more than once—over dinner, in the car, on walks. And because she is a “third-culture kid” who grew up in southeast Asia, her wisdom and experience sharpened my thinking on most of the issues we cover in this book.
My college roommate and dear friend Sammy Lange was the first Christian I ever knew well who wasn’t from the United States. Sometimes on purpose and very often unintentionally, Sammy forced me to wrestle with my cultural presuppositions as we studied and worshiped and served together. In many ways, he began the process that led to my participation in this project.
Last but not least, I must thank Randy for agreeing to partner with me to write this book. He was there at the very beginning of my theological education, so it’s a real honor to work with him now as a colleague and friend.
Brandon O’Brien