Laura Ware's column, "Laura's Look," appears weekly in the Highlands News-Sun and covers news items or ideas she can talk about for 600 words. She recently published a collection of her earliest columns. Her short stories can be found in a number of Fiction River anthologies, including Past Crime (Special Kobo Edition), Last Stand, Editor's Choice, Reader's Choice, and Feel the Fear. Her novels include DEAD HYPOCRITES, THE SILENT WITNESS, REDEMPTION, and TWO WEEKS IN GUYANA. Her essay, "Touched by an Angel," was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness in 2017. Laura lives in Central Florida. You can find out more about her as well as news about her current and upcoming titles at www.laurahware.com.

Two Weeks in Guyana by Laura Ware

Matt Brooks has a lot of plans for his first summer in Florida. Those plans do not include a trip to a third world country.

His parents have other ideas. Despite his protests Mat finds himself in Guyana, where he has to spend the next two weeks helping out on a medical mission team.

Guyana: hot and full of bugs. And he has to room with the preacher's kid, a goody-two-shoes. "Miserable: doesn't begin to describe the situation.

Can a new friend and some help from God's word change Matt's attitude before he makes a total mess of things?

CURATOR'S NOTE

Laura Ware is a very spiritual person, and that always shows through in her writing. Two Weeks in Guyana follows a teenage boy on a vacation of discovery when he finds out the trip he dreads might actually be a literal blessing in disguise. – Nick Harlow

 

REVIEWS

  • "With masterful writing, Laura Ware perfectly captures the voice of an adolescent male coming of age and finding God in a foreign land. With his dawning enlightenment, he is able to help others as well, more than he ever anticipated."

    – Rigel Ailur

  • "I am a Quaker, not an Evangelical, but I could feel the truth in this story.

    I had one regret while reading the story - I wished someone had given me this book when I was a teenage boy."

    – Gerald Weinberg, author of The Hands of God

  • "Laura Ware's story of a teenager struggling with his attitude will speak not only to young people, but to people of all ages. Two Weeks In Guyana reminded me that while you may not be able to change your circumstances, God can and will help you in the circumstances."

    – Tina Seward, author of Just My .04, Adjusted For Inflation
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Lockwood kept up the lecture the entire way back to the Phoenix. Matt tried to tune him out. He got the gist of it: Matt was a terrible, selfish person who should just smile and accept that he was stuck here.

It's not fair, Matt thought.

They finally got to the hotel. Before Matt could get out of the car, Lockwood put a hand on his shoulder. "You need to think about what I'm saying, Matt. What you're doing here matters. You can glorify God or bring reproach to His name. It's up to you."

Matt said nothing, pulling away from the older man. He was starving. He hoped there was still something to eat in the dining room.

His father was waiting for him in the doorway of the dining room. "Matt? What happened?"

"I just took a walk," Matt said as he tried to go by.

His father grabbed his arm. "Matt, listen to me. Your bad attitude is obvious to everyone here. You know better than this. You need to change your outlook."

That did it.

Mat had already suffered a lecture from Lockwood for the past half hour. His dad starting in on him was the straw that broke the camel's back.

He pulled away from his father. "Look, I didn't want to come here! You and Mom made me! I hate this stinking country, and I hate you!"

Bile in his throat, Matt turned on his heel and stomped off to his room, his anger overpowering his appetite.