Book · 6 chapters · 11 min read · Accessible

Brave for God

Six who followed Jesus into the wide world

Ochorus Originals

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About this book

Six true stories of faith, told simply for young readers: a boy carried off on a slave ship who gave his people the Bible in their own language; a mill girl who feared nothing; a man who prayed for breakfast and fed ten thousand orphans; a maid who led a hundred children over the mountains; and more. Ordinary people who trusted God and were made brave — from Africa and Asia and the ends of the earth.

When Samuel Crowther was a boy in Africa, he was not called Samuel at all. His name was Ajayi, and he lived in a town called Osogun, in the land of the Yoruba people, in what is now Nigeria. He had a mother and brothers and sisters and a home he loved.
From Samuel Crowther: The Boy from the Slave Ship

Contents

  1. 1 Samuel Crowther: The Boy from the Slave Ship 2 min
  2. 2 Mary Slessor: The Girl Who Feared Nothing 2 min
  3. 3 Hudson Taylor: The Man Who Would Not Be a Stranger 2 min
  4. 4 George Müller: The Man Who Prayed for Breakfast 2 min
  5. 5 Gladys Aylward: The Maid Who Led a Hundred Children 2 min
  6. 6 Amy Carmichael: The Mother of the Rescued 2 min

Questions and Answers

What is Brave for God about?
It is a collection of six true stories of faith, told simply for young readers. Each is about an ordinary person who trusted God and was made brave — a boy carried off on a slave ship who later gave his people the Bible in their own language, a mill girl who feared nothing, a man who prayed for his breakfast and fed ten thousand orphans, a maid who led a hundred children over the mountains, and more, gathered from Africa, Asia, and the ends of the earth.
Who is this book written for?
For young readers. The stories are told simply and briefly so that children can follow them, using real lives of faith to show what trusting God can look like. It is meant to be read to or by children, giving them true heroes of the faith rather than invented ones.
Are the stories in the book true?
Yes — all six are true stories of real people who trusted God and were made brave. The book draws on the lives of actual missionaries, servants, and believers from around the world, presenting their courage and faith in a form young readers can understand and be inspired by.
Who are some of the people in the stories?
Among them are a boy taken away on a slave ship who grew up to give his people the Scriptures in their own tongue, a fearless mill girl, a man who fed ten thousand orphans on answered prayer, and a maid who led a hundred children to safety over the mountains. They are ordinary people, from many lands, whom God made brave.
What is the book's main lesson?
That God takes ordinary people who trust him and makes them brave. The stories are chosen to show children that courage in the Christian life comes not from being special or strong in oneself, but from trusting God — and that he has used all sorts of people, from many places, to do great things for him.
Why are the stories from so many different countries?
Because the book gathers its heroes from Africa, Asia, and the ends of the earth to show children that faith and courage are not tied to one place or people. God has made ordinary believers brave all over the world, and the wide range of stories helps young readers see the global reach of the gospel and the God who works everywhere.
How can this book be used with children?
It can be read aloud to younger children a story at a time, or read by older children on their own. Its short, true stories suit family reading, bedtime, or teaching settings, giving parents and teachers real examples of faith to share, and children brave and memorable heroes to admire and imitate.
Where should a reader begin?
With any of the six stories, since each stands on its own — one a night, or one at a sitting. The book is made to be dipped into, so a child or family can start with whichever life sounds most exciting and let the true stories of ordinary people made brave lead them on to the rest.