This book was first recommended to us from a friend in Manitoba who had read it along with her daughter. I started to read it and found myself unable to put it down for too long...it was such a good book! I finished it really quickly and then started to read it aloud with our family.
You can click on the link for a description of the book from Amazon, but I'll give you our family's take on it as well.
What our family enjoyed about this book was it's pure honesty and the view point of a teenager... a young woman who is just seeing the world for the first time. What Katie did and does, is put her faith into action through simple things. She does not toot her own horn, because she knows that there would be nothing to toot without Jesus helping her every step of the way.
There were some funny stories, but more stories of just how simple acts of kindness can change a life, a family, a village. She offers a little more insight into things like child school sponsorship programs, etc.
We found her writing to give a clear picture of what life is really like in some other areas of the world. Information on simple diseases that are devastating to those who can't get treatment, etc.
We ended this book wanting to know more...and thankfully, she does have a blog and a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/amazima to keep updated. Facebook Page They started an organization called Amazina where woman make beaded necklaces, etc and sell them to provide for their families. Click Here to go to the Amazina store.
We read this book and often felt the sticky hot heat as Katie described it...imagined brushing the red dirt from our feet and washing little dirty hands and eating beans.
This book made us more aware than we normally are and while our hearts have always had compassion for the suffering ones, we felt more urgency to put our faith into action. There will always be excuses and while some excuses may be very valid, others are not. So we don't personally have a large enough house to adopt or provide foster care ~ can we do something else to help someone? While we had talked to organizations about adoption, we now talked to them about "what can we do in our situation?" Sometimes it's just being willing to step out. Turns out there are other areas to help, right here in our little town. Imagine that! It does seem easier to sponsor a child overseas than to love one right here in our own neighborhood. We felt we were being selfish and a bit hyprocritical in our actions ~ oh how I wanted to adopt a child for years, but in the mean time, what was I doing? While our family is our first priority, we were feeling that there was more, as there is always a call to let go of "self". So for us personally, it is doing what we can at the moment, while we wait to see what other doors may open for us.
When we were about 1/2 way through the book, a friend of our daughter sent her a copy for her birthday. Now we own a copy! If you are local and would like to borrow it, just let me know, we'd love to share it with you.
