Stories that will touch your heart.

My introduction to World Vision was back at Christmastime 2009, when a great friend of mine gave me a goat for Christmas! I really had no idea what that meant, but the more I looked into it, the more impressed I became at the impact this gift promised to make on a poor family in India, as it would provide a steady source of milk and income to meet their daily needs.

World Vision has a long legacy of distributing funds where they’re needed most, and that legacy began with Bob Pierce, a motivated young evangelist who was drawn to the neediest children of the world. Oftentimes, it seems he traveled to these distant lands  simply as a temporary, ministerial asset to long-time missionaries, but while there he also built relationships with these ministries. These faithful works then became the target of World Vision’s growing funds. In this book, we get to meet some of those missionaries and ministries represented by the children whom they reach.

Pierce takes readers to meet children in Japan, Korea, India, China, and Taiwan, and while he shares the heart of the story, co-author Dorothy Haskin helps bring life to his memories. Certainly, the book is dated, but it’s the historical anecdotes in war-torn regions as much the heart-touching tales that make it such an enjoyable read. I’ve long been a fan of travelogues and cultural studies that some would consider outdated, as these—far better than any history book—reveal the daily lifestyles of a region’s average citizens. I got that from this book.

Beyond that, however, are the genuine stories of Christian love that makes this book an inspiring read. What otherwise would have been forgotten children or unseen acts of love are honored, if but in a minor way, by Bob Pierce and Dorothy Haskin. The book is likely long out of print, but I’m glad I found it.

©2017 E.T.