Ten inspiring stories of faith and mission from Asia and the Arab World from the mission agency Interserve. In The Plum in the Desert Naomi Reed tells stories of difficult situations in the mission field; some of victory, some which left the mission workers feeling they had failed. But despite the difficulties and perceived failures, each story speaks of the goodness of God and what it means to persevere and trust in him, even when it seems too hard. These stories give us a new perspective on those perceived failures and remind us that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him". Commendations for The Plum in the Desert: "I smiled, I cried, and I marveled, but most of all I found myself moved to thanksgiving to the Lord as I read through these absorbing stories." Rose Dowsett - mission writer, researcher and former Chair of the Interserve International Council. "These stories of Interserve workers illustrate vividly the flexible and innovative approaches to mission in our day. Gripping, challenging and informative." Martin Goldsmith, author and mission lecturer, All Nations Christian College

Author of the bestselling title My Seventh Monsoon, Naomi Reed grew up in Sydney and trained as a physiotherapist, alongside her high-school sweetheart, Darren. After graduation, they married and worked in Sydney hospitals before answering God's call to the mission field in 1993.They spent six of the next thirteen years working in Nepal with the International Nepal Fellowship and it changed them irrevocably. They now eat rice for breakfast, leave their chappals at the door and pause interminably if you ask them where their home is. Their three sons, Stephen, Christopher and Jeremy, will tell you excitedly about their home in Nepal. They describe motor bike rides in the Himalayas and home school in their Nepali back garden.