Sunday, October 19, 2008

Gladys Aylward, The Adventure of a Lifetime

This year we are using Sonlight’s history curriculum, and I have enjoyed the emphasis they place on reading. We just finished Gladys Aylward, The Adventure of a Lifetime by Janet and Geoff Benge. It is part of a series called “Christian Heroes.” I highly recommend this book for several reasons.

First of all, it was very interesting. Not having read many books about missionaries, I thought it was enlightening as to how one goes about spreading the gospel in a part of the world that has never heard of Jesus or even white people, for that matter. It was fascinating how she went from being considered a devil to winning the admiration and respect of the Chinese people. I am in awe at all that she accomplished in her life and all the dangerous situations she survived. When God is for us, who can be against us?

We learned numerous things about Chinese culture in the early 1900s and some history. It definitely gave me a better understanding of how Communism took over countries and some of the evil tactics they used to bring people into submission.

It should be noted that there were a few things I skipped while reading aloud, because I felt they were not age appropriate for my eight-year-old son: references to prostitution, rape, and a few extremely violent and graphic parts.

I can’t tell you how many times I cried. Too many to remember exactly. And then, in the evening as I told Greg about what we had read that day, I got to cry again! It was an excellent book.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like an excellent book. I have read about her before, although just a short biography.
Books like that are so much fun because they bring witnessing alive to kids.
Hugs,
Pam

lauralavon said...

My older daughter was very inspired by that book too. We have quite a few of those biographies, and they're all good!

Tamela's Place said...

Hello Farrah,

That sounds like a wonderful book. It takes a very special person to do the job of a missionary.

It sounds as though God's abundant Grace was with her.

Jen said...

Yes they are twins:) Everytime they are out together someoe tells them they look alike:)