Before leaving for the mission field, Carla was a bilingual educator in Tucson, Arizona. Jim worked in television, film, and newspapers. In the 1980s, they began work among indigenous people with a unique assignment in the field of minority language scripture use/promotion. They pioneered the development and field-testing of oral communication methodology, launching an international training curriculum in the late 1990s. They are founders of Scriptures in Use (1987), an organization focused on global training for people groups of oral tradition.

This is the riveting and untold story of the son of the mastermind behind the famous Krupp Diamond heist. From the banks of the Concho River during the great depression to the planning and heist of the diamond -later known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond- the life of the author's father comes alive. It's a true crime story with a twist. The diamond heist plays a big role in shaping Jim's life. From helping his dad appeal his case before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to his unlikely conversion at a Billy Graham Crusade, this story will hold your interest from beginning to end.
God used his father's life of crime, abandonment and the emptiness he experienced to bring the author to faith in Jesus Christ. His life without hope, direction or the support of a father was transformed when he attended the Graham crusade and was discipled during the memorable days of the Jesus People Movement. After years of poor self-esteem and personal sense of failure, God delivered him and called him into an active role in missions. This saga of discovery during his pioneer days among unreached, indigenous people groups is captivating. He realized that traditional, oral learners who do not read and write need a new approach. The result was an oral Bible focused on biblical storytelling, dialogue, the parables of Jesus, poetry of the Bible, drama and the local oral arts including scripture adaptations of song and dance. He was the founder of a creative, one of a kind mission organization that inspires and trains hundreds of global ministries in oral communication methods.
In a quote from the author: "As I reflect on my father, the events of his life I am reminded of the verse in Romans 2:15 when the apostle Paul says that God has written his law on our hearts and that our consciences also bear witness. My father was born into an unjust, corrupt world and he wanted justice. He justified stealing the Krupp Diamond because Alfried Krupp obtained it by corrupt and unjust means.