Tag Archives: faith

Book Review: SHOOTING UP by Jonathan Tepper

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SHOOTING UP: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Addiction

by Jonathan Tepper

Genre: Memoir of a missionary kid

Summary:

Jonathan Tepper is a missionary kid (MK) who grew up in San Blas, a heroin slum of Madrid, Spain, in the 1980s. His parents started their missionary service focused on university student ministry, but soon shifted as they saw God leading them to work with the yonkis (junkies). This ministry turned into drug rehab centers throughout Spain. Jonathan shares the stories of the people his family worked with – people who became his brothers and sisters. He tells of the AIDS crisis that swept through the world, but from the point of view of one who experienced the pain and suffering it caused those he loved. He tells of the family tragedy that left them all reeling in their own emotions of loss and grief. His story, though, is not one of hopelessness and trauma of a young kid who saw and experienced very challenging situations in his life. Jonathan does not hide or cover the dark times; however, he shows hope in the midst of grief. His story is a prime example of what many MKs face as they grow up – the very real challenges and grief, AND the benefits of growing up in a land that is different than their passport.

Recommendation:

In all honesty, this is one of the best MK memoirs I have ever read. Why do I say that? The writing is phenomenal. Jonathan draws you in on the first page – three blond boys folding tracks to pass out to the yonkis for ice-cream. His story parallels those of many MKs from the 1970s-80s. And while every MK story is unique, the fact that his parents ministered to junkies and his family tragedy give his story twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. He holds nothing back about what he was thinking at the time, and the way he weaves his story with the lives of those around him creates a beautiful tapestry that honors those he loves.

But it is not just a memoir of an MK. Jonathan also touches on the aspects of the AIDS crisis that hit the world in the 1980s. He saw firsthand the effects of the disease and what it was doing to his neighborhood. He witnessed the fear people felt because of their lack of understanding and ignorance about how it spreads. He also explains how his family responded in loving ways towards those who were diagnosed HIV positive. In the end, Jonathan gives humanity to those who suffered. Humanity and honor to a group of outcasts in the world, but because of their faith in God became children of God who produced much fruit.

I highly recommend getting this book and reading it. You will be challenged. You will be encouraged. You will learn.

*Please note that I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

New Year’s Day Thoughts – an excerpt from my journal

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Day one of 2025 is here. At midnight, our city had a spectacular display of fireworks. I know this for two reasons. One, I felt our house shake from all the “booms,” which caused our dog to whine and bark up and down the hallway, which woke our twenty-something daughter with disabilities. Second, a friend who lives in a village just across the river posted a video this morning of the show from her balcony. I apprecitated the show better from her point of view.

This morning felt heavy – and not from partying the night before. When you have a child with disabilities, many things end – or rather, they change. Some for the better.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that every morning, I write in my journal and read my Bible – some mornings, I write the happenings of the day before or process something I had read in a book the night before. This morning, I processed what my One Word* would be:

I’ve been thinking about a word for this year, but nothing has come to mind. This morning, Uwe and I slept until 8 a.m. Matthea woke at 8:30 a.m. and has been a demanding tyrant for the past half hour. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had my coffee or sat with my thoughts and Bible – but if this is the outlook for 2025, then I choose HOPE for my word because I am feeling hopeless right now.

  • Hopeless that things will change and get better.
  • Hopeless that my writing will become anything worthy to publish.
  • Hopeless that I’ll make anything of my business.
  • Hopeless that Matthea will ever get to go to a Christian Adult Day program.
  • Hopeless that we will always be stuck in this rut of clutter and chaos.

What a great outlook for the first day of the year. It’s like starting a new book or chapter with marks and tears – making it barely readable, and you just want to throw it in the trash and pick another one off the shelf. But the shelf is bare, and this is the only book on it. It’s yours, a gift from the Lord.

So, hope is needed. Hope to take those tears and repair them, to fill in the pages with resurrection hope…And that can only be done with Christ – the Living Hope.

Hope – in my health, my work, my family, and in the home. I don’t say this flippantly, but because of Christ, there is always hope.

But what does your first day of 2025 look like so far? Do you pick a word for the year? If so, what did you choose?

*One Word – This is choosing one word for the year rather than writing New Year resolutions. The reasoning is that one word is easier to remember and can usually cross into all parts of your life.

**pc: my photo of a candle my oldest gave me a year ago that still makes me laugh every time I look at it.