Kelly Minter discusses details about her new book, Wherever the River Runs, as well as her hope for all those who read it.
Lifeway Women: What was your inspiration for writing this book?
Kelly Minter: A man named John Paculabo (president of then-Kingsway Music, now Integrity) invited some of his artists to the Amazon to see the work of a ministry he was involved in there. I instantly fell in love. The river is stunning both in magnitude and beauty. The jungle is a lush habitat for countless exotic species, some of which I’ve gotten to see like toucans, piranhas, pink dolphins, monkeys, and anacondas. And the people are fantastic. I love the Brazilian culture and the way it shines through the people of Amazonia. Those who live along the river are resourceful, strong, relaxed and friendly. I’ve made some very dear friends there and have loved the opportunity to work with Justice and Mercy Amazon there (www.justiceandmercy.org).
Before meeting John I had settled into an American inspired Christianity, which is wonderful in many ways, but the sheer resources and abundance we have here can subtly sneak into our understanding of the gospel. I often meet vibrant believers in the jungle whose total hope and joy is in Christ, despite their absolute poverty. They have story after story of miraculous ways the Lord has met them—healings, unexplainable rescues on the river during storms, financial and food provision at just the right moment—because He is their all in all. They have very little else to fall back on so they take Jesus and His message of good news at His Word. They’re not entangled or ensnared by the materialism and excessiveness that often chokes our joy in the purity of relationship with Christ and His people.
LW: What is your writing process like? How do you tackle a project like this?
KM: I wish I could say I had a writing cottage in the mountains or a serene place at the beach where I get inspired while I write. But picture a somewhat messy dining room table and you’ll get a much better picture of where I tackle my writing projects. The writing process for me hinges on large chunks of uninterrupted time. For me, I liken it to scuba diving, even though I’ve never scuba dived before—but go with me. It takes a lot of time to get to where you want to dive, put your gear on and swim to the bottom. You don’t want to be coming all the way back up to the surface every fifteen minutes for a phone call, text message, web post, lunch appointment, etc. So discipline is a big piece of writing for me because it requires a certain measure of quiet and even detachment for a time.
Another piece of the process is culling my work over and over again. I’m always asking myself the question, Where am I going? And if certain illustrations or stories or facts or information don’t lead in that direction I have to cut them or rework them. I think the hardest part of writing for me is the thinking part. Writing is certainly hard, but thinking through what you want to say, why you want to say it and how you’re going to do it is the most difficult part of the process for me. On a strictly practical level, I like to have a lot of coffee, tea and squares of chocolate on hand for when I need a hit of happiness.
LW: What has God taught you during the development and writing process?
KM: For this book in particular, He continually reminded me that writing—at least as a Christ follower—is about serving the reader for whom you’re writing. In this day of best-sellers and social media comparisons and reviews, it’s quite easy to lose your focus. To write merely for success and notoriety.
The Lord kept bringing my attention back to the vast needs in the Amazon, the people there who so faithfully reveal His character, and the people in America who may be encouraged to take this journey along with me. By doing this He reminded me that writing Wherever The River Runs is really about others and ultimately about Him. Even after the release of the book, He continually reminds me that He is in charge of where it goes and how many copies are printed, etc. The writing process is a wonderful joy and a daily dying to self.
LW: What is your prayer for groups or individuals reading this book?
KM: John Paculabo used to give an illustration about how so many Christians live in the wealthiest part of the world and how we go to school and church together, write songs for one another, write books for one another. He talked about the importance of pressing our faces to the glass and looking through into another world where the abandoned, vulnerable, orphaned, sick and lonely live. He felt that if he could just get people to press their faces to the glass and see through to the other side that God would pierce their hearts and they’d be prompted to action.
So my prayer is that Wherever the River Runs will be an opportunity for readers to press their face to the glass, as so many are already doing far more than I. That they will see the need, yes, but also heed the command that God has given us to love the poor and marginalized. Everyone has a gift to offer. And what we find is that when we offer our gifts—and ourselves—we are given back to immeasurably.
LW: What do you hope the result is for people who read this book? How will they be different?
KM: Again, I hope this book will encourage people to see the needs in their own communities and neighborhoods and to not merely know about the needs but to seek to meet them. Ultimately I pray people will be different as they learn to love in truth and action as 1 John 3:18 so beautifully says.