Years ago, I read Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliott. I was fascinated by the story of the brave men who sacrificed their lives to bring the Word of God to the indigenous people known at the time as the Auca Indians. Their commitment, and the commitment of their wives, touched my heart and challenged me. When Steve Saint, the son of one of the martyred missionaries, later produced the movies End of the Spear and Beyond Gates of Splendor, I was intrigued to learn more about the women who bravely returned to the Auca tribe (the Waodani) and forever changed the tribe’s history by introducing them to Christ.

Walking with the Waodani – Adventures in Ecuador allows parents to present this segment of Church History to their children in a unit study format that covers history, geography, culture, science, worldviews, and creative writing. Stacy Farrell wrote Walking with the Waodani after her sons met Russell, a young man who had visited Ecuador and met some of the Waodani people. She was able to combine Russell’s modern experiences in Ecuador with the rich history of the country and the experiences of the Saint family to create this unique unit study.

The eighty-two-page unit study is contained in a spiral-bound, soft-cover workbook format. There is space provided to write directly in the book, or it could be used as a text with your family members each writing their answers in a notebook. The Walking with the Waodani unit study is divided into six sections:

• The Introduction
• Shell Mera (Then)
• Shell Mera (Now)
• Ecuador
• Quito
• Vocabulary Worksheets

Within each chapter, you will find the same key components. Each of the following sections includes one or two pages of text, with photographs:

• Lesson Introduction
• People and Places
• Meals and Markets
• Amazing Animals and Agriculture
• Worlds and Worldviews
• Additional Resources
• Worksheets

The worksheets at the end of each section include questions to answer regarding a video interview with Russell, which can be found at the link included in the text. Most of the chapters include a map with geography information to fill in. Each chapter provides a page to reflect on the Ecuadoran recipe that is included, as well as a place to draw a picture of an animal from Ecuador. Every chapter ends with a fifteen minute, free-writing assignment. There are two pages devoted to this assignment, with questions to inspire the child, an image to write about, and tips for ways they can bring their writing alive by including their senses and other details.

Stacy Farrell has researched the history, geography, culture and animal life of Ecuador so that you don’t have to. This study is essentially self-contained. While you can expand with other books or movies, you can also complete the study with just the textbook and the videos stored on the Homeschool Adventure Company website. Walking with the Waodani can be used with a wide age-span of children. Younger elementary students can complete assignments orally and will enjoy the simpler activities. Middle grade students will be able to complete the assignments with a parent’s guidance. High school students should be able to complete all the assignments, as well as explore more of the suggested resources.

Our family has been enjoying the Walking with the Waodani unit study. My children, who have yet to venture outside the United States of America, have enjoyed learning about the culture, geography, wildlife, and history of Ecuador. The story of the Waodani people, their tragic history, and the ways that I-TEC is restoring their independence is inspiring. Although my favorite portion is the free-writing, it isn’t a favorite with my children. The children who struggle with perfectionism have had to be encouraged that there is no right and wrong here. It would probably help if I were consistent with short weekly writing prompts, as I intended to be this school year.

Walking with the Waodani is organized well, researched thoroughly, and well-written. It is an excellent way to add geography, missions, and foreign culture to your homeschool curriculum. If you are planning unit studies for next school year, looking for a summer school project, or needing a break from other curriculum, I definitely recommend a virtual visit to the Waodani people of Ecuador.

-Product review by April Elstrom, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May, 2018