Tombstones and Banana Trees

There once was a little six year old boy who was beaten off a truck and abandoned on the side of the road along with his mother and siblings in western Uganda by his father.  This little boy begged to die.

This same little boy wore banana leaves for shoes.  He lived halfway up a steep hill near the end of a wide-open valley in a village called Rwanjogori, which means "maggots".  Extreme poverty, abuse and witchcraft were the only staples in his life.  Death of friends and family were a daily experience for him.

What became of this little boy?  This little boy has a name:  Medad Birungi.  And Medad is now a Bible teacher, lecturer, pastor and founder of World Shine Ministries, an organization that evangelizes, disciples, and intercedes in prayer in Uganda and around the world.  He is married with five children and lives in Uganda.

Medad tells his amazing story in his book Tombstones and Banana Trees:  A True Story of Revolutionary Forgiveness.  Audra Jennings, publicist for B&B Media Group sent me an Advanced Reader Copy of Medad's book for the purpose of review.  Here from Medad himself about his story:


Medad is very transparent about his personal struggles in the midst of his pain, but it is against that backdrop that his amazing transformation by the grace and mercy of God shines.  Because he experienced the forgiveness of God, he was able to extend forgiveness to those that had scarred him most, including his father.  His story is griping and you will be encouraged to seek the forgiveness of God and will learn how one can extend this revolutionary forgiveness to others.

"As Medad reminds us, when we forgive others, we are doing something truly radical that changes relationships, communities, and countries.  We are welcoming God into the corners of the human soul, where revolutions begin."  (from the back of the book)

While telling his story, Medad shares many insights into the ongoing struggle in Uganda and African culture.  The only negative thing I would say about the book is that it isn't told in chronological order.  The story jumps around a bit and is sometimes a little confusing to keep up with.  However, for me, this was a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of the message told.

Tombstones and Banana Trees can be purchased by following the link below to Amazon.com:














Blessings,
Jennifer