We were given a copy of Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures by Gwen Toliver from Grace & Truth Books to review, and we’ve enjoyed it as a family read aloud. Gwen and her family work with Wycliffe Associates, a ministry dedicated to Bible translation support, which I believe gave her a unique opportunity to collect and write stories of missionaries, and put them into a book for our families to enjoy.
Seed Sowers is about 165 pages in length, and shares the stories of 21 missionaries involved in Bible translating all over the world. Throughout these pages, you will learn about the dangers they faced such as angry wild cats, white-water rapids, and even fire. You’ll also meet various people they encountered: witch doctors, cannibals, and hostile tribesmen as well as those tribesman who became Christians.
But most of all, you will meet the brave men and women who went into these tense situations with the intent to help spread the gospel. You will also see how God protected them, and worked through them to reach these tribes, plant seeds, and help in the Bible translation process.
Our family has enjoyed learning about these ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They found their stories interesting, exciting, and awesome (my daughter wanted to make sure I included that word in the description). There is adventure, humor, and sometimes sadness in these stories, but all are wonderful to share in families with kids of all ages.
Seed Sowers makes a terrific read aloud, and an opportunity to talk about the importance of missionaries and Bible translators, and how we need to be obedient to the call God has placed on all Christians: to go out and spread the gospel. It might be in a wild jungle somewhere or right in our own neighborhood.
It’s also good to discuss how God works in the lives of those who follow Him, and even though there is provision and protection, sometimes there is also danger, and even tragedy. But the rewards are great, and greatly to be cherished.
Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures is available at Grace & Truth Books for $12.50.
Due to the fragile condition of the aged photos found during the research process, some of them couldn’t be used in the book. You can find these as well as more information on their website. You’ll also find the Toliver family on Facebook.
