And the Word Came With Power: How God Met & Changed a People Forever And the Word Came With Power is a Christian non-fiction memoir by Joanne Shetler (with Patricia Purvis) that recounts the author’s experiences as a missionary and Bible translator among the Balangao people in the Philippines.
In the book, Shetler describes her calling to missionary work, leaving her home in the United States to live among the Balangao tribe. She and her colleagues undertake the challenging task of translating the New Testament into the Balangao language, learning the local culture and language while sharing the Christian gospel. Throughout the narrative, the book highlights the cultural and spiritual barriers they encountered — including local beliefs in spirits and traditional practices — and how the message of Christianity gradually began to transform individuals and the community.
The story blends personal memoir, cultural insight, and spiritual testimony, illustrating moments of hardship (such as remote living conditions and dangerous situations), deep relationships formed with village members, and the growth of a local church community rooted in the newly accessible Scriptures.