--- description: Explore David Joannes' transformative memoir as he shares his missionary adventures and insights on living fully in the present moment. title: Book - The Space Between Memories image: https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-Default-Image-2-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-the-space-between-memories#main-content) [![WRG-Logo-white](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/WRG-Logo-white.png) ![WRG-Logo-black](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/WRG-Logo-black.png)](https://withinreachglobal.org/?hsLang=en) - [Why the unreached](https://withinreachglobal.org/why-the-unreached?hsLang=en) - Get involved ##### [Mission trips Come as an individual or bring your team to Thailand for 7-14 days on the front lines.](https://withinreachglobal.org/trips?hsLang=en) ##### [Apprenticeship 3, 6, or 12 months of discipleship and hands-on ministry in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 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See how your access to the gospel compares worldwide.](https://withinreachglobal.org/gospel-access-score?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://withinreachglobal.org/contact?hsLang=en) - - [Donate](https://withinreachglobal.org/donate?hsLang=en) [![WRG-Logo-black](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/WRG-Logo-black.png)](https://withinreachglobal.org/?hsLang=en) × [Why the unreached](https://withinreachglobal.org/why-the-unreached?hsLang=en) Get involved [Mission trips](https://withinreachglobal.org/trips?hsLang=en)[Apprenticeship](https://withinreachglobal.org/apprenticeship?hsLang=en)[Internship](https://withinreachglobal.org/internship?hsLang=en)[Long-term](https://withinreachglobal.org/long-term?hsLang=en)[Apply to serve](https://withinreachglobal.org/go?hsLang=en) [About](https://withinreachglobal.org/about?hsLang=en) Resources [Field stories](https://withinreachglobal.org/field-stories?hsLang=en)[Missions Pulse podcast](https://withinreachglobal.org/missions-pulse?hsLang=en)[Books](https://withinreachglobal.org/books?hsLang=en)[The Mind of a Missionary Course](https://withinreachglobal.org/the-mind-of-a-missionary-course?hsLang=en)[Spiritual Gifts Test](https://withinreachglobal.org/spiritual-gifts-test?hsLang=en)[Gospel Access Score](https://withinreachglobal.org/gospel-access-score?hsLang=en) [Contact](https://withinreachglobal.org/contact?hsLang=en) [Donate](https://withinreachglobal.org/donate?hsLang=en) ![Amazon and Goodreads review logos](https://withinreachglobal.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Amazon.com-Goodreads-Logos-review.png?width=300&height=73&name=Amazon.com-Goodreads-Logos-review.png) Your honest feedback helps others find the book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [Amazon review](https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=reviews-product&asin=B0HKZF4YCW)[Goodreads review](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/258466024-the-space-between-memories) [Amazon review](https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=reviews-product&asin=B0HKZF4YCW) [Goodreads review](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/258466024-the-space-between-memories) ![TSBM-transparent-2](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-transparent-2.png) Top-seller (Tenth Anniversary Edition) ## The Space Between Memories The Space Between Memories is David Joannes' account of his journey through some of the world’s most unreached corners of the world. Paced like an adventure novel and honest to a fault, this memoir travelogue holds a deeper belief: God is nearest not in the memories we’ve framed or the future we envision. He is right here in the sliver of now where past converges with future to reveal our calling and our purpose. [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1970645016) Look inside ## Get a free chapter Enter your contact information, and you’ll receive a free chapter of David Joannes’ book, *The Space Between Memories*, sent to your inbox. Learn to live in the present! [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1970645016) × The story # Moments matter David arrived in Hong Kong as an idealistic young man bent on smuggling Bibles into mainland China and stayed for 15 years, weathering midnight interrogations in police stations that left him with a criminal record earned in service of the Gospel. He fell in love with a girl from the Philippines, married her, and together they built a family and a mission organization. Along the way, he was held at gunpoint by child soldiers in a Myanmar narco state, transported by tractor through a mountain village by former headhunters, and introduced to an underground movement that was transforming entire communities. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1970645016) [Write a review](https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=reviews-product&asin=B0HKZF4YCW) A memoir / travelogue✦Top-selling book✦Live in the moment✦A unique missional story✦ A memoir / travelogue✦Top-selling book✦Live in the moment✦A unique missional story✦ The promise ## What You’ll Gain from The Space Between Memories The past is gone and can never be relived, while the future remains uncertain and out of reach. What David Joannes came to believe, three decades into a life spent chasing God’s call across Asia, is that only the present moment touches eternity. Within that narrow, passing space, each unique memory takes shape, making every moment deeply valuable. ![TSBM-square-3](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-square-3.jpg) ![TSBM-square-4](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-square-4.jpg) ![TSBM-square-5](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-square-5.jpg) ![TSBM-square-1](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-square-1.jpg) - A front-row seat to an underground movement transforming entire communities across some of the world's least-reached places. - A new tenth-anniversary closing chapter, "Another Decade," looking back on thirty years of ministry and what it still takes to live in the present. - A different way to think about faith and time: God is nearest not just in the memories we've framed or the future we've planned, but in the sliver of now where both meet. - Unfiltered scenes from the field: held at gunpoint by child soldiers in a Myanmar narco state, and rescued by tractor through a mountain village by former headhunters. ![TSBM-square-2](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/TSBM-square-2.jpg) Tenth Anniversary Edition ## Every memory begins in the same narrow space: now. "Over the past thirty years, God’s call has led me to some of the world's most extraordinary places. I tried to capture every detail as I journeyed from small-town Prescott, Arizona, to the vibrant streets of Hong Kong, from the Philippines to Southwest China, and from remote unreached tribes to Chiang Mai, Thailand. These missionary experiences broadened my understanding of God's heart for all nations, and I pray these pages do the same for you." David Joannes, The Space Between Memories [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1970645016) What they're saying ## Endorsements & reviews ★★★★★ "The caricature of the missionary as some stodgy old plodder swathed in polyester has never had much basis in fact, and anyhow The Space Between Memories blows all that to pieces. David’s tales of wildfaring and wayfaring, close calls and close encounters, all in the service of the Gospel, unfold like an Indiana Jones plot. Or better: like a sequel to the book of Acts. If your own faith has gotten a bit stodgy of late, here’s the antidote." MARK BUCHANAN, Author of The Rest of God and Your God Is Too Safe ★★★★★ "The Space Between Memories is a stirring masterpiece of adventure, danger, excitement, and heart-wrenching passion for people. The imagery David paints with words makes you feel like you are actually there, wishing you could jump into the story with him!" RON LUCE, Founder of Teen Mania Ministries and author of Battle Cry for a Generation ★★★★★ "The letters on these pages are inked in blood from a heart for China, spilled onto digital cotton and burned in by a passion aflame for the lost. Reading this reminds me why we do what we do—for the sake of the unreached. Be careful—in reading this book, you, too, might catch fire." JUSTIN LONG, Director of Global Research at Beyond ★★★★★ "In The Space Between Memories, David Joannes shares a captivating journey through his life, moment by moment, story by story. He is vulnerable about the victories and the trials of life as a missionary in China. He learned one of my favorite God lessons: Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. If we let Him, He will prune us until our lives are hidden in Him, so we can see what He sees and feel what He feels. I pray that as you read this powerful book, you will surrender your heart more deeply to the only One who can teach us what love looks like. I pray you will be inspired by David’s life to see the poor and the broken as treasures God wants to bring to His banqueting table and invite them home." HEIDI BAKER, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board at Iris Global and author of numerous books, including Birthing the Miraculous ★★★★★ "God has a plan for every nation, tribe, people, and language on Earth, and His plan includes you. He is passionate about those without access to the Christian Gospel, unwilling that any should perish without ever having the opportunity to hear about His grace and glory. In The Space Between Memories, David Joannes wields words artistically to reveal the heart of God, the struggles of unreached people groups, and the urgency of the missionary venture. Are you ready to take part in God’s epic redemptive plan? This book will help you realize that God wants you to join Him in redeeming the times and ushering in the Kingdom of God." DAVID HASZ, President of Bethany International ★★★★★ "David Joannes retells his experiences on the mission field with both wit and humor, then peppers his narrative with a healthy dose of humility. In The Space Between Memories, David raises critical questions that have long concerned those aspiring to be missionaries. At the same time, he brings comfort to those who have lived on the mission field and experienced failure and disappointment. His stories capture the complexities of cross-cultural ministry and give the reader an impressive assortment of everyday situations that any ordinary (or extraordinary) missionary might encounter. The story is as entertaining as it is enlightening, a rare find among books dealing with the harsh realities of missions in the darkest, most unreached areas of the world. Above all, The Space Between Memories gives glory to God and rekindles in all of us the childlike excitement for the journey of global missions." EUGENE BACH, Chief Troublemaker at Back to Jerusalem and author of numerous books, including Leaving Buddha ★★★★★ "I highly recommend The Space Between Memories! David uses his God-designed artistic gift to communicate his passion, calling, and the way God transformed his life as he journeyed into the unreached world. The Space Between Memories will inspire, challenge, and encourage you in ways you may have never experienced. But be warned! You may just find yourself giving up everything to advance God’s Kingdom after you read this book! Consider yourself warned!" STEVE SCHIRMER, President of Silk Road Catalyst and author of Legitimacy in Missions Matters ★★★★★ "At once a travelogue, a love story, and a profound reflection on the missionary task, David’s memoir narrates an intense odyssey of the heart. In the process, he captures a pivotal time in China’s recent history as paddy fields gave way to skyscrapers and a fledgling persecuted Church matured into an outward-looking movement with a heart for the nations. David’s journey, from the streets of Hong Kong to the jungles of Yunnan and beyond, brings you face to face with the unvarnished realities of frontier evangelism as the Gospel breaks through geographical, cultural, and political barriers. He relates, in poignant detail, the joys and struggles of ministry among the Yao, a hitherto unreached people group, in which David witnessed God’s sovereign work despite many apparent setbacks. David’s missiological reflections go beyond textbook theory and probe deeply into what it means to have a heart for the unreached and a lifestyle to match. The Space Between Memories is both inspirational and informative, a personal narrative that speaks to the heart and an in-depth look at God’s work among the peoples of China and Thailand over the past three decades." BRENT FULTON, Founder of ChinaSource Books you might like ## Browse our missions books ![The Mind of a Missionary](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/The-Mind-of-a-Missionary-2nd-edition.png) ### The Mind of a Missionary ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2024 A practical and inspiring guide to developing the mindset, endurance, and passion needed to thrive in God’s mission. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Missionary-Kingdom-Workers-Thriving/dp/1737094487) [Get a free chapter](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-the-mind-of-a-missionary/#free-chapter) ![Faith for Firebrands](https://davidjoannes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/fff-front-and-back-1024x1024.png) ### Faith for Firebrands ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2025 A bold 31-day devotional inspired by C. T. Studd that calls readers to radical faith, wholehearted surrender, and passionate mission. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVL4XYVF) [Get 2 free chapters](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-faith-for-firebrands/#free-chapter) ![That Lasting Joy](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/tlj-final.png) ### That Lasting Joy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2025 A 31-day devotional inspired by Amy Carmichael that invites readers into deeper joy, devotion to Christ, and a heart for the nations. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVHQDKJ6) [Get 2 free chapters](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-that-lasting-joy/#free-chapter) ![The Mind of a Missionary Devotional](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/tmoam-devotional-001.png) ### The Mind of a Missionary Devotional ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2024 Thirty-one inspiring readings that draw from missionary heroes to strengthen faith and ignite courage for God’s calling. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D38DMXCZ) [Get 2 free chapters](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-the-mind-of-a-missionary-devotional/#free-chapter) ![A mente de um missionário](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/amdum-small.png) ### A mente de um missionário (Portuguese) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2025 Um guia prático e inspirador para desenvolver a mentalidade, a perseverança e a paixão necessárias para prosperar na missão de Deus. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/mente-mission%C3%A1rio-Mind-Missionary-transculturais-ebook/dp/B0FWRMLP2S) [Saiba mais](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-a-mente-de-um-mission%C3%A1rio?hsLang=en) ![La mente de un misionero](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/lmdum-small.png) ### La mente de un misionero (Spanish) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2025 Una guía práctica e inspiradora para desarrollar la mentalidad, la perseverancia y la pasión necesarias para prosperar en la misión de Dios. [Get the book](https://www.amazon.com/mente-misionero-Mind-Missionary-transculturales-ebook/dp/B0FYX6K4MZ) [Más información](https://withinreachglobal.org/book-la-mente-de-un-misionero?hsLang=en) ![tmoam-devotional-001](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/tmoam-devotional-001.png) 31-day devotional ## The Mind of a Missionary Devotional Following the acclaimed *The Mind of a Missionary*, David Joannes returns with a powerful companion devotional featuring 31 inspiring stories of Christian pioneers like Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, and many more. **Each short reading is filled with adventure, sacrifice, and hope** — designed to strengthen your faith, stir your courage, and awaken a deeper passion for God’s mission. *The Mind of a Missionary Devotional* will challenge and inspire you to follow Christ boldly wherever He leads. [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D38DMXCZ) ![fff-final](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/fff-final.png) 31-day devotional ## Faith for Firebrands Following the acclaimed *The Mind of a Missionary*, David Joannes returns with *Faith for Firebrands*, a 31-day devotional inspired by the life and voice of missionary C. T. Studd. Through bold, seven-minute daily readings, this powerful companion challenges you to embrace radical faith, pursue God’s mission with passion, and live fully for the nations. If you long to become a modern-day firebrand for Christ, this devotional will stir your heart, sharpen your calling, and ignite your courage.   [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVL4XYVF) ![tlj-final](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/tlj-final.png) 31-day devotional ## That Lasting Joy Following the acclaimed *The Mind of a Missionary*, David Joannes returns with *That Lasting Joy*, a 31-day devotional inspired by the life and voice of missionary Amy Carmichael. Through heartfelt seven-minute daily readings, this companion invites you into deeper love for Christ, greater joy in God’s mission, and a growing passion for the nations. Let Amy Carmichael’s example challenge your faith, awaken your calling, and lead you into the lasting joy found in wholehearted devotion to Jesus. [Buy the book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVHQDKJ6) ## Reach the unreached with us. [Donate](https://withinreachglobal.org/donate?hsLang=en) [Apply](https://withinreachglobal.org/go?hsLang=en) ![Within Reach Global](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/raw_assets/public/within-reach-global-theme/images/defaults/logo-white.png) ![](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/local%20missionaries%203.jpeg) ![](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/general%2014.jpg) ![](https://withinreachglobal.org/hubfs/raw_assets/public/within-reach-global-theme/images/defaults/card-trips.jpg) Reaching unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the gospel of Jesus Christ since 1997. #### About - [Our story](https://withinreachglobal.org/about#our-story) - [Vision and mission](https://withinreachglobal.org/about#vision-mission) - [Statement of faith](https://withinreachglobal.org/about#statement-of-faith) - [Our founders](https://withinreachglobal.org/founders?hsLang=en) - [Staff](https://withinreachglobal.org/staff?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://withinreachglobal.org/contact?hsLang=en) #### Get involved - [Mission trips](https://withinreachglobal.org/trips?hsLang=en) - [Internship](https://withinreachglobal.org/internship?hsLang=en) - [Long-term](https://withinreachglobal.org/long-term?hsLang=en) - [Donate](https://withinreachglobal.org/donate?hsLang=en) - [Field stories](https://withinreachglobal.org/field-stories?hsLang=en) - [Missions Pulse podcast](https://withinreachglobal.org/missions-pulse?hsLang=en) - [Books](https://withinreachglobal.org/books?hsLang=en) #### Get our newsletter Stories and updates from the front lines of missions, straight to your inbox. © 2026 Within Reach Global, Inc. | P.O. 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