Books in Gateway Biography series

I think there is real hope to be found, in the middle of our deepest traumas, in the good news about Jesus Christ. I also think that there is a place for us to find hope and community within the church. Because of these two beliefs, I truly think, distant though it may be, that we may even get to a place of peace within our souls and a place of forgiveness for those who hurt us so much. This is a book that has no easy answers and will offer none. This is a book that tries to get behind the tough questions of why God permits such abuses to occur in this world. Using his own story of childhood abuse, Mez McConnell tells us about a God who is just, sovereign and loving. A good father who knows the pain of rejection and abuse, who hates evil, who can bring hope even in the darkest place. ‘It’s not a pagan rags to Christian riches story. It’s real, raw and radical. I suspect that there will be as many people shocked by the Bible teaching that Mez wrestles with, as there will be those shocked by the abuse he suffered. With chapters like ‘The glorious, wonderful reality of Hell’ and ‘The terrible reality of Heaven’, there is no chance of this book being perceived as comfortable.’ – David Robertson, Christian Today https://christiantoday.com/article/my-favourite-christian-book-of-2019/133774.htm

One of thousands of children who fled strife in southern Sudan, John Bul Dau survived hunger, exhaustion, and violence. His wife, Martha, endured similar hardships. In this memorable book, the two convey the best of African values while relating searing accounts of famine and war. There’s warmth as well, in their humorous tales of adapting to American life. For its importance as a primary source, for its inclusion of the rarely told female perspective of Sudan’s lost children, for its celebration of human resilience, this is the perfect story to inform and inspire young readers.

Jane Goodall, one of the most recognized scientists in the Western world, became internationally famous because of her ability to observe and connect with another species. A girl of humble beginnings and training, she made scientific breakthroughs thought impossible by more experienced field observers when she was only in her twenties. Then these animals shaped Jane's life. She began tirelessly fighting to protect the environment so that chimpanzees and other animals will continue have a place and a future on our planet. Jane Goodall continues to leave the modern world with an extraordinary legacy and has changed the scientific community forever.

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.

John Lewis is known as one of the most courageous leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Inspired as a boy by the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Lewis would go on to spend more than fifty years fighting for equal rights. Lewis used nonviolent protest methods, participated in sit-ins, helped organize the March on Washington, and led a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In 1986 Lewis won a seat in US Congress, and has held the position ever since. Walk with Lewis from a tenant farm in Alabama, across the segregated southern United States, and into Washington, DC, where he continues to work for equality for all Americans.

On October 5, 2011, the news of the death of technology innovator Steve Jobs rocked the world. The failing health of the Apple cofounder and Pixar CEO was no secret. Jobs had given up his role as Apple's CEO just a few months prior because of his struggle with pancreatic cancer. But his death still drew a huge reaction. From Apple employees and fans to political and business leaders, people honored Jobs's passing by reflecting on his prolific life that greatly influenced the way technology is used. In 1976, Jobs founded Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak. As the leaders of Apple, they developed concepts―such as navigating by using a mouse to click screen icons―that shaped the way we use and interact with computers. Jobs's forward-thinking engineering also influenced pop culture, bringing us a music revolution with the iPod, the ultimate communication device with the iPhone, and some of the first computer-animated films through Pixar. Called by some "the da Vinci of our time," Jobs used his innovation and vision to help advance technology like no other. He lived his life following a simple premise: "The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Have you ever wanted to travel the world? Perhaps you'd like to visit far away countries and discover all about the people who live there? What if instead, you'd like to have adventures closer to home? Well this book is for you!Meet some very adventurous missionaries and learn about the countries they worked in. Find out what it's like to be in the middle of the Mau Mau rebellion in Africa or how orphanages in India present difficulties you would never imagine. Find out how difficult it can be talking to people about Jesus in London or how looking after children in China is completely different, and exhausting!Gladys Aylward, Jim Elliot, Amy Carmichael, William Carey, Lottie Moon, and others all knew what it was like to work in a foreign country. Charles Spurgeon and Chief White Feather were missionaries in their native lands - but they had troubles too.Here is danger, adventure and excitement - all through working for God. Here are stories about people from the beginning of modern-day missions up to the present day. It's all part of being in the Christian family - a family that is spreading round the whole world at an amazing rate.At the end of the book are some check-up questions to help you remember the stories.