Book
They Were Young – Book 4: Sent
Six who did something for God while they were young
- 7 chapters
- 1 hr 39 min read
- Accessible Reading difficulty
- Ages 13–17
Free to read·No account needed
Introduction: Too Young to Be Sent?
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About this book
They Were Young is an original Ochorus series of true stories for readers aged 13 to 17 about people whose faith began, or was tested, while they were young. Book 4, “Sent”, gathers six who heard God’s call while they were still young and did something about it.
David Brainerd came to faith at twenty-one and gave his short life to the Native American peoples of the colonial frontier. William Carey was a poor shoemaker’s apprentice who came to faith as a teenager and went on to India. Mary Jones, a Welsh weaver’s daughter, saved for years and walked a long way to buy a Bible, and helped give the Bible to the world. Amy Carmichael was a Belfast teenager when a verse about what will last changed her life. Eric Liddell would not run on a Sunday at the 1924 Olympics, won gold anyway, and went to China. Jim Elliot wrote as a young man about giving what you cannot keep, and went to Ecuador.
The stories are true and honest about the cost, the mistakes and the people these six went to. Where a famous story has grown in the telling, or a film changed the facts, they say so. Each ends with the person’s own words, four questions to think through, and a pointer to read on in the library. The earlier books are not required.
On a Sunday evening in July 1739, a young man was walking alone among the trees near his home in Connecticut, trying to pray and failing. His name was David Brainerd. He was twenty-one. For months he had been in a kind of war with God, and he had lost.
Contents
- 1 Introduction: Too Young to Be Sent? 4 min
- 2 David Brainerd: Light in a Dark Thick Grove 17 min
- 3 William Carey: The Apprentice Who Lost an Argument 15 min
- 4 Mary Jones: The Long Road to Bala 17 min
- 5 Amy Carmichael: What Will Last 14 min
- 6 Eric Liddell: The Race He Would Not Run 17 min
- 7 Jim Elliot: The Man Who Would Not Keep His Life 14 min
Questions and Answers
What is Book 4 of They Were Young about?
Six true stories of people who did something for God while they were young: a missionary to Native American peoples, a shoemaker who went to India, a Welsh girl who walked for a Bible, a Belfast teenager who went to India, an Olympic champion who went to China, and a student who went to Ecuador.
Who is in Book 4?
David Brainerd, William Carey, Mary Jones, Amy Carmichael, Eric Liddell and Jim Elliot: people from America, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland whose callings took them across the world.
Is it honest about the cost of mission?
Yes. It does not make mission sound like an adventure. It tells of illness, depression, early death and a family that paid a heavy price, and it treats the peoples these six went to with respect rather than as a backdrop.
Are the stories true?
Yes. They are drawn from the people’s own writings, such as Brainerd’s diary and Amy Carmichael’s Things as They Are, and from the earliest accounts. Where a story has grown in the telling, such as details of Mary Jones’s walk or the film version of Eric Liddell’s Olympics, it says so.
Do I need to read the earlier books first?
No. Each book stands on its own. Book 1 is Called, Book 2 is Tested and Book 3 is Questions.
Can it be used in a youth group?
Yes. Each chapter can be read in one sitting and ends with four questions written for discussion.
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Cite this book
Copy a citation in the style you need.
- MLA
- Ochorus Originals. They Were Young – Book 4: Sent. 2026. Ochorus, https://ochorus.com/books/they-were-young-4/.
- Chicago
- Ochorus Originals. They Were Young – Book 4: Sent. 2026. Reprint, Ochorus. https://ochorus.com/books/they-were-young-4/.
- Chicago footnote
- Ochorus Originals, They Were Young – Book 4: Sent (2026; repr., Ochorus), https://ochorus.com/books/they-were-young-4/.
- BibTeX
- @book{ochorusoriginals2026they, author = {{Ochorus Originals}}, title = {{They Were Young – Book 4: Sent}}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Ochorus}, url = {https://ochorus.com/books/they-were-young-4/} }