Stepping Off the Edge: Faith and Fiasco in a Philippine Mission - Paperback
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A Raw and Honest Missionary Memoir from the Philippines
Stepping Off the Edge: Faith and Fiasco in a Philippine Mission by Deborah Tuhy Simmons chronicles the unfiltered reality of missionary work in the remote hill country of the southern Philippines during the late 1980s. This faith-based memoir strips away the polished narratives typically associated with mission work to reveal what actually happens when idealism meets reality.
What This Memoir Covers
The book follows Simmons' six-year journey establishing a mission focused on literacy programs, basic health care education, faith sharing, material provision, and agricultural planning. What begins as a well-intentioned effort transforms into a test of sanity, faith, and endurance. The author returned from the field with stories that defied the typical mission report—stories too raw, too honest, and sometimes too darkly humorous to share at the time.
An Authentic Voice in Christian Ministry Literature
Unlike sanitized mission accounts, Simmons presents the truth about cross-cultural ministry challenges. Her background—growing up in New Jersey, Ireland, and Norway, coming from a family of pastors, and extensive travel experience—prepared her for international work, but nothing could fully prepare her for the realities she would face. Her training in church parish work and administration met the unpredictable nature of remote Philippine hill country life.
Years after leaving the field, Simmons finally shares these stories. The narrative includes the kind of behind-the-scenes details that don't make it into supporter newsletters: the constant vigilance, the cultural misunderstandings, the physical dangers, and the psychological toll of long-term mission work in isolated conditions.
Deborah Simmons prepared for cross-cultural mission work through a diverse background spanning multiple countries and roles including library clerk, secretary, Special Education instructional aide, and literacy administrator. She and her husband Art Simmons, a retired campus ministry pastor, have been married for almost 50 years. Together, they authored Create in Me: Growing in Faith Through Young Adult Bible Study. After years of checking shoes for scorpions and scanning corners for giant spiders, she now lives in Columbia, Missouri, where loud noises still make her jump—a lasting reminder of her time in the field.
Who Should Read This Book
This memoir serves anyone interested in the real experiences of missionaries, those considering cross-cultural ministry, readers of Christian biography, and anyone who appreciates honest personal testimony. It offers valuable perspective for ministry supporters, mission organizations, and individuals curious about the gap between mission ideals and field realities in Southeast Asia.
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