A Tale of Trust and Hard Knocks

A Tale of Trust and Hard Knocks is the autobiography of F. Donald Caswell, primarily focused on his work with the Shuar tribe in Macuma, Ecuador. Life may knock us around but for Don, faith and trust in an almighty God has carried him through the hard knocks. Don grew up in California, learning the skills of a cowboy, loving horses and ranch work. After completing college and a stint in the military, he worked in the cotton gin industry while looking for a position in agriculture in Latin America. He hardly suspected that he would become a missionary to a primitive tribe living in the upper Amazon rain forest. Through a series of God-guided incidents, Don, his wife, Maxine, and their children moved first to Phoenix and then Kansas City before taking up an assignment in a small jungle station called Macuma. His memories carry a poignancy and honesty that give us a brief glimpse into the life of a missionary working with men and cattle on a jungle station. Don and Maxine knew their time was limited when they moved to Ecuador as their handicapped son would require special education at some point in his school-age years. They made the most of the time given and then returned to the United States. As Don notes, there are no brass bands or welcome banners for returning missionaries. His satisfaction lay in the work he had accomplished in those brief years in a small Spanish-speaking country. Come share Don's memories as God led this man to another time and place where ultimately he would trust a sovereign God for each moment of the day.