Books in Trailblazers series

This is the true story of one of Scotland's most adventurous preachers.As the son-in-law of another fiery Scot - John Knox - John Welch was bound to cause a stir - and he did! Find out about how he conquered roughians, saved a town from the dreaded plague and even dodged a cannon ball!Extra Features include: Maps, Quiz, Time Line, What was life like then? And Fact Summaries

Jonathan Edwards was just an ordinary American boy but he was different too. The country he lived in wasn't the America of today - but a new world full of adventure and opportunity. Battles and Tomahawks were just some of the thrilling adventures that his family lived through. But Jonathan also loved the small things in life too. In an age of scientific discovery, Edwards saw God's beauty displayed most perfectly through nature. His journals are filled with drawings of plants, animals, and spiders because he knew that each one of them reflected the creativity of its Creator.His mind was full of questions and he grappled for the answers. Intellectually there were few to beat him. However it wasn't just his amazing intelligence that set him apart from other boys his age - he may have had a thirst for knowledge but he also had a strong desire for the things of God. His genius and abilities teamed up well with his faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. One day the country that would become the United States of America would look back at this man of brilliance as a founding influence on their land.

In the years before Andrew van der Bijl took the name Brother Andrew, he was no stranger to adventure and intrigue - in fact, he craved it. As a young lad, he was forever getting into mischief, and even risked his life during the Nazi occupation of Holland by setting off fireworks in the faces of German soldiers! Years later, God used this same thirst for danger and excitement as Andrew smuggled Bibles into Communist countries to help the persecuted, underground church and bring light to darkened hearts. Enemy lines and hostile borders mean nothing to God or to Andrew, who still works to assist the persecuted church across the world through the organization he founded, Open Doors.

Planes are frequent sights in our skies today. In the early years of the 20th century they were new, exciting – dangerous even. Betty Greene was one of the early women to learn to fly these amazing new machines. After World War 2, Betty helped to set up an organisation that used aircraft to support mission work – she was its first pilot. Later that organisation became Mission Aviation Fellowship. In Latin America, Africa and Irian Jaya Betty Greene flew her aircraft with courage and skill, all the while trusting God to keep her and her passengers safe.

Jim Elliot had a loving wife, a beautiful little girl, and a reason for real joy. God had called him to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Auca Indians. The love of Christ not only thrilled him, but gave him peace. Jim would spend the rest of his life bringing Jesus to the lost Aucas … but the rest of Jim’s life was only a matter of months. Persecution and death are a reality for many Christians today. Jim Elliot and four other young men died in the middle of doing God’s work. The very people they had come to rescue came out against them with machetes and clubs. But Jim had realised for quite some time what serving God really meant. There is nothing that is worth more than Jesus – not even your life. ‘He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ This is the story of Jim’s love for a fighting people and of his fight for a loving God. When his life ended, the work went on and many of the Auca Indians today have the same reason that Jim Elliot had for real joy. Includes: Thinking Further Topics Timeline Map

Three words that sum up D. L. Moody's life are Passion, Vision and Devotion - for God! He could easily share the gospel with 20,000 people on a hillside and then do the same thing the next day with just a few people in a church hall. D. L. Moody was fiery and fun! Watch out for how he used a pony to get children to church. One life devoted to God really can change the world.

Joni Eareckson is a well-known Christian speaker and author from America but there was a day when she was a teenage girl in a bathing costume with nothing on her mind but boys, make up and her beloved horse, Tumbleweed.However, all that changed one morning when an innocent dive turned into a tragic accident. Joni's story is a wonderful testimony to God's grace and power in someone's life.Healing may have been an amazing miracle that didn't happen but Joni's ongoing work with thousands of disabled people throughout the world is a miracle in itself.

What made an ordinary monk become a catalyst for the Reformation in Europe in the 1500s? What were the reasons lying behind his nailing of 95 theses against the practice of indulgences to the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg in 1517? Why was Martin Luther's life in danger? How did his apparent kidnapping result in the first ever New Testament translated into the German language? Discover how a fresh understanding of the Scriptures not only transformed his own life but had a huge impact upon Europe.

John and Betty Stam were a young Christian couple working for The Lord in China. The year was 1934, a turbulent time in history and the Stams were right in the thick of it. Early one morning the call went out that communist soldiers were approaching their town. Betty was nursing their young baby girl when John decided that perhaps now was the time to leave … as they began to make their plans the rebel soldiers broke through the walls and soon the sound of rifle buts was being heard as they knocked against the door. Calm in the face of trouble the Stams trusted in their loving heavenly father – and with that faith faced their future whatever that would be. This is a story of tragedy as well as trust. It is heartbreaking but full of strength. It is the story of two young martyrs who believed in God and in his call on their lives. The painful story of John and Betty Stam retains a spark of hope through the power of their testimony and the life of their infant daughter who survived them.

Helen Roseveare qualified as a doctor, packed up her life in England and set off to be a missionary in the belgian congo. Although living through a rebellion and being taken captive for several months, Helen's faith remained strong and she returned to the renamed 'Zaire' to serve the Lord by working with people there. Her experiences in Africa have been an encouragement to many and made her well known and loved throughout the world.

Dirt bike racing, bungee jumping, paragliding, skateboarding. Cheese rolling, extreme ironing and going over Niagra Falls in a barrel (yes, really!). There's all kinds of crazy and not-so-crazy extreme sports.Here's your chance to get the facts.It's OK doing extreme sports when you want to, but what about when you HAVE TO -- to survive?? Read "The Climb" and find out.Finally use the Word Check to make sure you know your kitesurfing from your skysurfing.

Paul Brand grew up in the Kolli Malai hills in India. He was determined never to leave India and never to be a doctor like his father - especially to lepers. Paul came back to India with a medical degree and there were patients waiting for him - leprosy patients. From then on he devoted his life to their care ... even to the point of making them special shoes! Paul's faith in God, his love for mankind and his medical abilities gave those who suffered from leprosy a new life - and hope.