On to the Sanumás: S

The Missionary Lives of Donald M. and Barbara H. Borgman and the Translation of the Sanumá New Testament

Author: Thomas J. Sorkness and Dr Philip Graham Ryken

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Description

On to the Sanumas is a firsthand account of Don and Barb Borgman's forty-year effort and achievement to place the word of God into the hands of the Sanumas, a tribe of the Yanomami people of Brazil. The edited compilation of personal letters, journal entries, and newsletters is a detailed record of their many years with the tribe and the friendships they established among them. It is a story filled with toil, adversity, trials, and even tragedy, yet also one of joy and evidence of God's faithfulness and love. The book provides great insight into the Sanuma people and their way of life as many experienced change from animism and shamanism to faith in Jesus Christ. It is also a historical record of the first contact expeditions to the Yanomami people by missionaries of Unevangelized Fields Mission in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These are all recorded by Borgman. This is an important work in that it chronicles not only the lifework of this missionary couple and family, but also another chapter of the ongoing expansion of God's kingdom to the ends of the earth. It is a valuable read for both academics and laypersons in the church.

Critic Reviews

"The personal sacrifices made by Don and Barb Borgman defy description. But this skillful compilation by Tom Sorkness goes a long way toward helping us fathom their willingness to sacrifice as necessary to bring God's message to the Sanumá people. We who are in their Crossworld family (previously called UFM) highly honor the Borgmans for their perseverance and recognize with them their dependence on the Lord throughout this journey."
--Luke Perkins, president, Crossworld

"Since the time of the apostle Paul, God has used courageous men and women to bring his word to the hardest-to-reach places on earth. This is one such account. Facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the Yanomami people of Brazil were brought the gospel and had the scriptures translated into their own language. It is, on the one hand, an amazing story of brave and resourceful missionaries. But more than that, it is an account of God's work in building his church with people from every tribe, tongue, and nation."
-- Jonathan Master, President, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

"On to the Sanumás is a real-life adventure story about Don and Barbara Borgman, missionaries with Unevangelized Fields Mission. Along with author Thomas Sorkness's editorial notes, the reader is given a firsthand account of the Borgmans in search of tribes in northern Brazil that had never heard the Gospel. This is an inspiring story of how the Gospel changes lives, freeing people from fear and giving them hope."
--Linda Finlayson, children's author of God's Timeline: The Big Book of Church History and God's Bible Timeline: The Big Book of Bible History

"A compelling account of faith and endurance through trials of primitive jungle conditions. The Borgmans' life and work showcase reliance on God's strength amid extreme obstacles. This carefully crafted historical record highlights God's steadfast mercy and his ongoing global activity. It is a poignant narrative offering needed encouragement to Christians who, as Don aptly puts it, are often 'afflicted by inertia.' The Borgmans preach God's word to us as they preached it to each other."
--Adam Porcella, senior vice president and provost, Cairn University

"This generation needs examples of men and women who have given their lives to the cause of Christ. In On to the Sanumás, Tom Sorkness has given us that. A teacher who spent his own career investing in the next generation, Sorkness has provided us with a labor of love that I trust will be used by God to inspire others to proclaim Christ to the ends of the earth until the end of the age."
--John Currie, professor of pastoral theology, Westminster Theological Seminary

About the Author

Thomas J. Sorkness was a high school history teacher at Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy for forty years. During his college years, he accompanied Don Borgman on a first contact expedition to the Sikois, a subgroup of the Sanumás. This experience provided him with firsthand knowledge of the people, place, and mission. He is married to Lois. They have eight grown children and many grandchildren. He is a ruling elder at Cornerstone OPC in Ambler, Pennsylvania.