Finding a book that grabs your attention, pulls you in, makes you laugh, cry and feel all out fear, finding that book is like finding treasure. When that same book does the same thing for a teenage boy, well, you don’t lose that book! Priscilla J. Krahn wrote just that book when she wrote Misson of a Lifetime.

Twenty-one-year old Willie is serving with his family in a missionary in Columbia. He is plagued by the death of his older brother, and won’t talk to anyone about what he saw. This leads to many questions and doubts from the others. When his parents plane crashes, he insists on going to find them, and is met with some who disagree.

After the plane crash and the government finding nothing that could lead to the finding of his parents, Willie’s younger sister is taken hostage by a violent tribe called the Carabayos. One of Willie’s friends, Alano is from that tribe, but has spent years with the missionary learning the ways of God and Christians.

Finally, Willie and Alano decide to go looking for Willie’s family on their own. Willie’s younger brother E.N. wants to come with. When trying to get an airplane, the boys meet Alex Smith, who is looking for his missing wife. He believes that by finding his wife, he would be able to find their family as well. E.N. goes with Alex as a translator, but he also ends up helping Alex learn more about being on a mission from God. My favorite line that E.N. says to Alex is, “No matter where we go, or what we do, we are ambassadors for Christ. When we accept our surroundings and share Christ where we are, then we’re a missionary.” This really stood out for me, even as a stay at home mom, following the mission God gives me, makes me a missionary!

We continue to travel with both boys in the search for their family. We find ups and downs. We laugh, and we cry. We fear for their safety when things get bad. We see God work in Willie, help him through this battle and walk through the fire with him…literally! Willie was able to touch so many lives in this journey to find his parents. He was able to bring God to some of the most hard-hearted people, and this brought warmth to my heart.

If you are looking for a book that will have you reading late into the night wanting to know, you need this book. I couldn’t put it down, and my son loved it as much as I did. This helped him through some struggles that he is facing and helped him realize that God is there for us, we just need to be quiet and listen. I have not read a book that captured me like Mission of a Lifetime did in a long time. It is a must have in any Christian house in my opinion!

—Product review by Amanda Hopkins, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2017