AP

Book Review: Encounter: A Journey into Chaos, Culture and Compassion

Author: Ian Reilly

Publisher: Ark House Press

Date: 2025

When a young Australian couple steps into a developing country as aid workers, they know it will be hard, but don’t expect to be deluged by a cyclone. But that is what happened to the author and his wife, Heather, as they began their two-year stint in Samoa. They had volunteered to work in a high school – Heather as a trained English teacher and Ian as an engineer to teach physics. Their salaries would be identical to the locals’—10% of their income in Australia. Why did they do it?

They heard ‘God’s call on their hearts’ to take the narrow road that leads to life, knowing that entails hardship, discipline and sacrifice. That led them to investigate working overseas with the underprivileged.

Ian writes his memoir from the time they decided to join Australian Volunteers Abroad. After undertaking a one-week orientation course, they boarded a plane. Troubles dogged them from the outset, beginning with luggage, passports and an unexpected refuelling stop. After arrival, surprises and disappointments kept coming in quick succession.

In the first seven chapters, Ian colourfully sets out the difficulties they faced and the adjustments they made in setting up in substandard housing and connecting with the school. As they sweated in the tropical climate, they took on new challenges with few resources and worked with people with different outlooks on life. Through it all they learn local expectations and values, in particular, “Don’t worry, be happy.”

The memoir becomes more intense in chapter 8. Just ten days after they arrived and were still settling in, Cyclone Ofa (1990) devastated the country. Buildings were badly damaged, crops ruined; electricity was down; there was no running water in the taps; food was in short supply; and schools could not operate. This was much more than culture shock.   

With humility and honesty, Ian describes their struggles simply to live, rebuild, and work. Instead of retreating into themselves or becoming angry, they used their energy and ingenuity to overcome problems. They also took the initiative to visit students in their villages. As they immersed themselves in the culture, they made mistakes but grew in understanding Samoan ways and built friendships.

Ian writes as an engineer who grew up in a Western country. His reflections show the wisdom and love he had gained from the Bible. This invites the reader to think through issues like honour and shame, the meaning of life, and what constitutes good priorities.

The book is particularly helpful for those interested in cross-cultural work, regardless of their faith, given that many of the issues often mirror those found elsewhere, just clothed in different circumstances. And for those who enjoy a good story: from the comfort of an armchair, they can engage with difficulties and ponder how they could handle life when out of their comfort zone.

– Dorcas Denness