Novel Insights Guide To

Safely Home

by Randy Alcorn

Guide - $15.95 Guide On CD - $12.95

Jump to table of contents Jump to Chapter 1 & 2 Review Jump to Suggested Activities

Jump to Chapter Questions Jump to Question Answers

Author Biography	..................................... 1
Chapter 01 - 05	..................................... 2
Chapter 06 - 09	................................... 10
Chapter 10 - 13	................................... 17
Chapter 14 - 20	................................... 26
Chapter 21 - 25	................................... 38
Chapter 26 - 30	................................... 48
Chapter 31 - 37	................................... 56
Chapter 38 - 41	................................... 65
Chapter 42 - 47	................................... 72
Chapter 48 - 53	................................... 81
Test Questions	................................... 89
Vocabulary Tests	.................................. 119
Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle	.................................. 128
Selected Bibliography	.................................. 148

Chapters 01 - 05

As interested observers from heaven watch the events on earth unfolding, the lives of two men begin to converge. Ben Fielding is a high powered executive in Getz International, a multinational semiconductor company based in Portland, Oregon. Ben is faced with a tough decision concerning his cousin, Doug Roberts, who works for him. However, he is forced to put the decision on hold when he is called to a board meeting. In the meeting, the idea of sending Ben to China to live with his old college roommate for six weeks is placed on the table.

In China, Li Quan, Ben's old roommate, awakens at 2:00 a.m. with the familiar question, "Is this the day?" He wonders if this will be the day he dies, even as he wakes his wife and son, and they make their way stealthily through the countryside to the place where their secret house church is meeting for worship. Their Bible is lovingly wrapped in a cloth to protect it from the weather and from prying eyes. As they enter the service, Quan basks in the Word of God and the singing of the hymns. Quan worries they are too loud with their singing. He knows too well the cost of being a Christian in China. His great-grandfather, a young pastor, was decapitated while Quan's then eight-year-old grandfather looked on. Quan's father, also a pastor, had been imprisoned when Quan was a child. When he died in prison from a beating, his mother became the pastor of their church. Quan had resented his father's faith and the shame he felt it had brought on him, and had rebelled against his parents' beliefs. His father had promised many times to take him to see the Great Wall of China, but had never been able to do so. This had been a source of great disappointment and bitterness for Quan. When Quan went to America to college, his American roommate, Ben Fielding, had invited him to a meeting of Christians at Harvard. It was there that Quan had come to accept Jesus as his Savior. Although Quan and Ben no longer corresponded, Quan continued to pray daily for Ben. As Zhou Jin, the house pastor is preaching, there is suddenly a command that they are not to move. Quan puts his arm around his son, Shen, pulling him closer and warning him to look down. The men in uniforms with weapons declare they are involved in an illegal meeting and are distributing foreign propaganda. The man speaking says they are criminals. Quan looks down at his dress shoes, given to him twenty years earlier by Ben Fielding. He called Ben "Dabizi," which means "Big Nose," and Ben called him "Professor." He hopes Ben is praying for him at this moment. Quan wishes he and Ming had never returned to China from the United States. The large man in uniform points at Shen, declaring it is illegal to teach religion to children under the age of eighteen. The man raises his hand as if to strike Quan.

On Monday morning, Ben reviews his personal goals as he has done for the past six weeks. He has had thoughts of Quan all weekend, and has trouble pushing them from his mind in order to concentrate on his goals. His goals are (1) to build Getz's presence in China's business infrastructure, forging strong partnerships with the Chinese. (2) Become president of Getz International by age forty-eight (in three years) (3) Accumulate enough wealth to go anywhere and do anything he wants. He already has more money than he knows what to do with. Of course, he has lost his wife and daughters on the way. He feels he has given his daughters everything, but has not taken time to build a relationship with either of them. By 7:15 Ben is in his office, and thoughts of his old roommate intrude again. The two had hardly spoken at first; they had little in common. However, near Christmas one night Quan shared with him how he had come to Harvard. His father was dead, then his mother died in an earthquake. One of the relief workers managed to help Quan get a scholarship and a residency permit so he could come to America. He received a conditional acceptance from Harvard without even applying, and was able to obtain a passport when he was told it would be impossible. By the time they graduated, the two became close friends. They both stayed for advance degrees, but Ben was eventually hurt when Quan chose to return to China even though he had been offered a teaching position at Harvard. Now it has been twenty-two years since they last saw each other. Even though Ben has visited China over twenty times in the past twelve years, he has never taken the time to look up his old college roommate. Ben tells himself their lives have taken different paths. Quan believes "God will make a way." Ben has become cynical. Where was God when his mother died of cancer? Where was God when his son Jason died? Ben realizes Doug will be arriving in five minutes; it is 7:25 on Monday morning, and he is ready to have some stiff mao-tais.

As Quan cringes, expecting to receive a blow, the one he has come to think of as Scarbrow kneels instead before Shen. The man then rages on about how they should be ashamed for brainwashing children. He says they are bad people - traitors to the Republic. Quan remembers visiting his father in prison when he was a boy. His father's face became like a leathery mask until at last only his eyes were recognizable. When he tried to remember his father's face, he could only remember the tortured mask. The uniformed men tell the worshippers to divide themselves into two groups. Those who chose to leave can go to the left. Those choosing Yesu go to the right. Scarbrow tells them in three minutes they will shoot all those who declare their allegiance to Yesu. As Quan and Ming agonize over it, Shen makes his decision to stand with them on the side of the Lord. Those who desire to leave are allowed to leave, and the door is shut.

As Doug enters Ben's office, he finds Ben with two folders on his desk. Ben tells Doug he has forced him into his present position. When Doug pleads ignorance, Ben picks up the larger folder. He recites complaints that have been brought against Doug for sharing his faith in the workplace. During a diversity seminar he has stated that homosexual behavior is wrong, and he confronted a co-worker who was wearing a pro-choice button, asking if children had the right to choose whether or not someone else should take their life. Ben states there have been thee complaints in the past month because Doug has a pro-life poster in his workstation. The poster says, "Pro-Woman, Pro-Child, Pro-Life." Doug remarks the poster has been up for a year. Ben brings up Doug's bumper sticker, which says, "Jesus is the Only Way." Ben tells him it is condemning and judgmental. Ben tells Doug he is fired. Johnny, the corporation's attorney, has worked out a severance package. He hands him the smaller file folder. Doug is stunned - he has worked hard for the company for eighteen years after Ben brought him to Oregon from New York. Ben ends the meeting by speaking into the intercom to his secretary, telling her to let Martin (the owner) know he will be there in three minutes.

Suggested Activities - Chapters 01 - 05

Since the focus of this novel is China, have students research life in modern China - particularly contrasting life in the city with life in the rural areas.
Before beginning the book, have students look at the Ron DiCianni painting reproduced on the cover. Ask them to write the details they notice about the painting, and what they believe the painting will reveal about the story.
The book is dedicated to Graham Staines and his family. Have students find information about the Staines and other martyred Christians.
Have students begin collecting funds to contribute to missions at the end of the study.
From the perspective of the teacher or parent, the most important activity to take place before the reading of this novel is fervent prayer that the student(s) will be impacted by message of this book. They should be reminded that, although the characters are fictional, the situations are based on reality that is occurring to Christians even now. We should examine our own commitment to Christ and never allow ourselves to become mired in complacency.

Review Questions - Chapters 01 - 05

What are the three settings of this book?
What question does Li Quan ask himself every day?
How had Li Quan's great-grandfather died?
How had his father died?
Where do Li Quan, his wife and son go every Sunday at 2:00 a.m?
As they are worshipping, what happens?
What promise did Quan's father make that he did not keep?
What does Ben Fielding do every Monday morning?
How do Ben Fielding and Li Quan know each other?
What promise has Quan kept that Ben has not?
At what cost has economic success come to Ben?
What had Li Quan's dream been?
How did Quan come to America?
Why has Ben made no effort to keep in contact with Quan, even though he has made numerous trips to China?
Where did Quan get his Bible?
What does Ben's boss want him to do?
How has China's one-child policy affected Quan and Ming?
What is Ben's relationship to Doug Roberts?
What does Ben do to Doug?
Why?

Review Question Answers - Chapters 01 - 05

The three settings are heaven, the United States (particularly Oregon), and China.
"Is this the day I die?"
Quan's great-grandfather was beheaded for his faith during the Boxer rebellion.
His father was beaten do death in prison because he was a Christian.
They go to church in an illegal, underground house church.
Men dressed in uniforms, carrying weapons, burst into their service, calling them criminals and enemies of the state, and telling them they do not deserve to live.
He promised to take Quan to the Great Wall of China, but because of his imprisonment, he was never able to do so.
He recites his goals and visualizes each of them.
They were roommates together at Harvard.
Quan continues to pray for Ben each day, but Ben does not pray for Quan.
He has lost his family - his wife has divorced him, and his daughters do not have a relationship with him.
Quan wanted to be a college professor and a writer of books.
After his father's death, his mother died in an earthquake. Foreign relief workers were allowed into China, and one of the workers took an interest in Quan. When he found out Quan's dream to go to college in America, he promised to help him get scholarships and a residency permit. Quan received a conditional acceptance from Harvard without even applying, then miraculously received his passport.
Ben feels Quan's faith in God is too simplistic, and because his life has gone in a different direction, he has not felt comfortable in trying to reconnect with his old friend.
It was hand copied by his mother.
He wants him to go to China and live with his old roommate for six weeks.
Because of the one-child policy, Ming was forced to undergo sterilization after Shen's birth so that she is unable to have any more children.
Doug is Ben's cousin, and Ben had brought Doug into the company from the East Coast fifteen years earlier.
Ben fires Doug.
Doug has been "too vocal about his faith."