Return of the White Book: True Stories of God at Work in Southeast Asia (Hidden Heroes)

My kids loved this book.

This book is a fascinating story of the early days of missionary witness in Burma in the Karen tribe in the 1800s. The Karens had a tradition of Yuwah who had left them and would send someone to bring them the "white book." It is amazing how God had already prepared their hearts to hear and accept the message of God's love and salvation, freeing them from their fearful lives of demon control. Then they moved on to their neighbors to share the good news. This is excellent to read to elementary age children and will open their eyes to God's power and love in a new way. It would be good for older children and parents as well, to gain a new understanding of the spiritual battles in this world. I would have loved having it to read to my students in a Christian school before I retired, and it will be great addition to homeschooling families.

I’d like to thank Christian Focus Publications for giving me a copy of Return of the White Book: True Stories of God at Work in Southeast Asia by Rebecca Davis in return for my honest review, and also for providing a copy for this giveaway! Rebecca Davis has a gift for telling the stories of missionaries ministering to tribal people groups. Even more impressive, she is gifted at telling these stories for elementary-aged children in a way that honors the people being ministered to and celebrates the obedience of the missionaries. Rebecca Davis’ Hidden Heroes series from Christian Focus 4 Kids has a new addition this year (2014): Return of the White Book: True Stories of God at Work in Southeast Asia.Return of the White Book tells the stories of tribal people groups in the hill country of Burma during the 1800s. Oppressed by the Burmans and living in constant fear of the nats — evil spirits who served the head evil spirit Mukawli, the hill people of Burma waited for the return of the lost White Book from the true God Yuwah. They believed Yuwah had departed from them after the first man and woman had eaten of fruit forbidden by Yuwah. Mukawli tempted the first couple until they finally ate of the forbidden fruit, falling from Yuwah’s grace and becoming slaves to the nats.Early missionaries to Southeast Asia found people living in abject fear — yet open to the truth of the one, true God Yahweh, living with the knowledge of God written on their hearts. Presented with fair skinned men and women carrying books about a true God written on white pages, the tribes of Burma came to Christ one by one. Through 17 chapters (143 pages), children will hear the stories of lives radically changed by the gospel of God. These are true stories of real people freed from the bondage of sin and spiritual slavery.Rebecca Davis does not focus on the lives of the men and women who traveled into the hill country of Burma to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Rather, she focuses on the lives and communities changed by the gospel. We see the fruit of salvation in the lives of native peoples who take up their crosses for Jesus and share the Lord with the tribes around them, often at great personal and physical risk. The results of conversion are touching and radical.Return of the White Book is another moving and worthwhile work of significance added to the Hidden Heroes series. I highly recommend both the book and the series. This is a great book to add to your homeschool read-alouds, your evening devotions, or your bedtime readings. The Hidden Heroes series is appropriate to be read aloud to ages 6-8 and for independent reading for 9-12 year olds. The sentence structure and voice are very appropriate for elementary students, and there are pen and ink drawings by Jeff Anderson throughout each chapter to add interest.Other books in Rebecca Davis’ Hidden Heroes series include:•With Two Hands: True Stories of God at Work in Ethiopia•The Good News Must Go Out: True Stories of God at Work in the Central African Republic•Witness Men: True Stories of God at Work in Papua, IndonesiaReturn of the White Book would coordinate well with studies involving:•Southeast Asia•The 19th Century•Adoniram Judson•Tribal Religions

Rebecca Davis is a caring and compassionate person with a heart for the gospel and a gift for telling the amazing true stories of missionaries. She has chosen to use her talents to communicate these stories in a compelling way to capture the attention of elementary-aged children.Return of the White Book: True Stories of God at Work in Southeast Asia is book #4 in the Hidden Heroes series. Return of the White Book tells the stories of tribal people groups in the hill country of Burma during the 1800s. Oppressed by the Burmans and living in constant fear of the nats — evil spirits who served the head evil spirit Mukawli, the hill people of Burma waited for the return of the lost White Book from the true God Yuwah. They believed Yuwah had departed from them after the first man and woman had eaten of fruit forbidden by Yuwah. Mukawli tempted the first couple until they finally ate of the forbidden fruit, falling from Yuwah’s grace and becoming slaves to the nats.Early missionaries to Burma found people living in fear, darkness and spiritual bondage, yet open to the truth of the one, true God, because a supernatural awareness of God was written on their hearts. Children will be mesmerized by the true stories of lives radically changed by the powerful gospel of Christ.God's timing is amazing, and I received this book while my daughter, Ashlyn, was on a mission trip to Myanmar (formerly Burma)! I immediately started reading it aloud to my youngest children, ages 9 and 11, and was pleased to discover that this well-written book kept their attention. I think this book is perfect for family read-alouds or devotions for children of all ages, and is well suited to be read independently by 9-12 year olds. Maps and coloring sheets are available by clicking here.Return of the White Book is a compelling and inspiring addition to the Hidden Heroes series. It provides an amazing window into the lives of a people group that are not well known by the modern western world. I highly recommend this book and the entire Hidden Heroes series to introduce children to the mighty works of God in the uttermost parts of the world.

The Hidden Heroes series by Rebecca Davis has been consistently excellent. Her books have delighted each member of our family (four children aged 8-18). Each chapter contains a wonderful story, which can be easily read during Family Devotions. In Return of the White Book, readers are inspired to learn of the salvation of many of the Karen people group in Burma. While the more famous missionary Adoniram Judson does make a cameo, these amazing accounts, although beginning at the same time as Judson's ministry, are about missionaries and converted Karens much less known. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Hidden Heroes Missionary Stories for giving me a copy of this wonderful book! It is perfect for my kids and I, and is full of wonderful examples of Christian character and trust in God. I will definitely be getting more books from them soon.