One Million Arrows

Today  I am writing about a book I’ve recently read. I was contacted by the author, Julie Ferwerda, and asked if I would review it for the blog tour she is doing this week. I visited the web site she offered, and since it sounded very interesting, I agreed.

I wasn’t prepared for the way it would touch my heart.

The book is called “One Million Arrows”, and to say that this book is inspirational, is putting it mildly. This book challenged me to think about the way we are raising our children. Of course, we’re trying to do things right, as most parents are.  However, this challenge is to raise them to impact their world. To want to make a difference.

Author: Julie Ferwerda

Julie was inspired by Dr. M.A. Thomas, a man she calls “Papa”.

Papa went to India in 1960 to serve as a missionary and church planter, but in 1978 he began rescuing orphaned and abandoned children off the streets of India. He raised them in his “Hope Homes”. In these homes, "they experience family and belonging, and receive a top-rate education, as well as the opportunity and training to become disciples and servants of Christ. Since then, Papa’s “father of the fatherless” ministry has become one of the largest Christian ministries in India, with over 21,000 pastors and missionaries trained and sent to the mission field, a majority of them once abandoned children. His ministry has also expanded to the countries of Malawi and Haiti."

God inspired Papa with the “One Million Arrows” vision. Julie met him, and has written this book sharing his vision.  It isn’t just talk with Julie either. In 2007, she and her husband were led by God to sell their newly built “dream” home, in order to build an orphanage in Haiti.

I want to include an excerpt from the book:

“On his tour called “The Better Questions,” Christian musician Todd Agnew told a story about going to India and seeing all the poverty and how it totally changed him. When he can back from the trip, he asked himself, “Why does God allow this kind of suffering?” After praying and studying the Bible on this topic, he came up with “the better question”:

    “Why do I allow suffering?”

People get all bent out of shape at God, wondering why He isn’t solving world hunger, or giving destitute people homes to live in, or giving people clean water to drink, or keeping people free from curable diseases.  The fact is, God’s children--you and I--are His ambassadors on this earth. We are His hands, His feet, His heart, His food, and His money. You and I are possibly the only chance this world will ever get to actually see Jesus.”

I wish that I could share this book with all of you. It will inspire and challenge you in your thinking. It will inspire you in your desire to raise your children to serve others instead of themselves. I’ve often said that our goal as a home schooling family is very limited. In fact, we really only have two goals. The first one is to teach our children to love God and desire to serve Him, and the other is to “learn how to learn”.  This book takes it farther than we do, showing a parent how to impact their children, and by doing so, impact the world.

There is one more thing I want to share about this book.  In honor or Papa’s vision, all proceeds from this book are designated for international orphan ministry. I think that is really putting “your money where your mouth is”.

Thank you Julie, for allowing me the opportunity to review this wonderful book. I hope all of you will get a copy, and be inspired. Here’s the link for Julie’s website:

“One Million Arrows”,

and also the link to Amazon,

 http://OneMillionArrows.com/amazon

so you can get your own copy.
Prepare to be inspired!

Blessings,

Marcia