Stories to inspire our children.
Did you know that if you include self-published material there are nearly 4 million newly published titles every year. Ecclesiastes is right then that of the making of many books there is no end.
If that number of newly published material overwhelms you a little, I’d like to introduce you to three books from my past – two of which were published in the 1970s!
Forgive me Natasha (ISBN: 978 0 551 005 747 ) Vanya (ISBN: 978 0 884 190 097) and Jesus Freaks (ISBN: 978 0 764 200 830).
Forgive me Natasha is about Sergei Kourdakov, a KGB agent involved in the persecution of Christians. After reading the Gospel of Luke he was transformed by it and defected to the West where he joined Underground Evangelism, an organisation that smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union.
Vanya is another book from that era. It is the testimony of Ivan Moiseyev, a young soldier in the Soviet Red Army, who was ruthlessly persecuted for his faith. Through two years of trial and torture, he never denied his Saviour.
If you can’t get your hands on either of those titles, the book Jesus Freaks is still available. It was published in the 1990s and is a collection of testimonies of martyrs past and present. With the support of The Voice of the Martyrs this book has the authority of a recognisable Christian mission behind it. It has also made the leap from print to Kindle.
Some other notable mentions: The following article from TGC: ‘Resources to Teach Kids about the Persecuted Church’ (thegospelcoalition.org) will give you some links to free resources from Open Doors that include colouring pages and a prayer passport.
Ten Boys Who Didn’t Give In and Ten Girls Who Didn’t Give In. Both titles focus on martyrs from past and present. (ISBN: 978 1 845 500 351; 978 1 845 500 368) Ivan Moiseyev is included in the boys’ book.
Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of Voice of the Martyrs, is the first title published in the Trailblazer series. (ISBN: 978 1 857 922 981)
If you are looking for something more detailed, Barnabas Aid have produced two volumes on martyrs entitled Heroes of the Faith. Each book has 365 testimonies as well as selected Scriptures and words of inspiration. This could be a useful addition to family worship and Bible time. Volume 1 is available on Amazon (ISBN: 978 1 952 450 129.) The other volume is available through the Barnabas Aid website.
