Helen Roseveare: Mama Luka

Christian Heroes: Then & Now

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Helen Roseveare served as a medical missionary in the Congo during one of the most chaotic periods in the nation's history. Arriving in 1953, Helen felt God lay on her heart the task of training future nurses to provide desperately needed medical care in the Congo.

Helen worked tirelessly as a doctor in the villages and jungles, training medical workers and overseeing the building of hospitals. Gifted with an incredible amount of strength and energy, Helen yearned to see the Congo flourish. Even in the face of violence during the struggle for independence from Belgian colonial rule, Helen refused to give up (1925-2016).

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Christian, Childrens, Faith

199 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2019

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great series, but this story wasn’t all that interesting for me. A generous 3 stars for me.

[Kirsty Otten · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly encouraging book and testimony of God faithfulness throughout Helen's life and ministry in the Congo. With the such an appropriate and important message to end with... how all of life is to be lived for Jesus without regard to fame or glory for ourselves... but because we genuinely love Him for Who He is.

[CAREN M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that shares a story of a woman who obediently served the people in the Congo jungle. I am planning to read her book which tells more of her personal journey.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these missionary biographies that are for those who are 10-100 years old. I have a couple of books by Helen Roseveare, so now that I’ve met her, I’m looking forward to reading them.

[Lauren Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like time moves slower for some people. She was able to do so much, so quickly! Fast paced book to squeeze in her whole life.

[Ebookwormy1]

Helen Roseveare died in Dec of 2016. The Gospel Coalition posted a tribute to her work that includes video of Dr. Roseveare…
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...

[Narita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen was raised in family of financial means. Her father placed great importance on her receiving a good education. She worked hard and acquired a medical degree, not to make money but to use the skills as a missionary. She was a rarity in her time, not only as a female physician but also as a doctor on the mission field. I loved how the Lord guided her through sermons, scriptures, and the guidance of other Christians. He led her to the Congo. Here women were not respected by the nationals. She had many hurdles to overcome in addition to the dangerous political upheaval of the country and how impoverished the area was. Upon her arrival she was put the work the very next day. The clinic had 500 – 1000 people waiting for medical help. Many had traveled long distances on foot. There were diseases and injuries she had never seen or been trained for in medical school.
Her energy and motivation amazed me. She didn’t just serve as a doctor but also trained medical workers, established nursing schools, and built hospitals in her career. This is quite astounding considering how little there was to work with regarding supplies, materials and workers. Her strong willed attitude which aided in success also caused on going struggles and conflicts with her colleagues. This distressed her greatly. When a civil war broke out and other missionaries were leaving, Helen stayed. At one point rebels destroyed her clinic, and was held hostage. She was violently physically, emotionally and sexually abused for 5 months before she was rescued. In spite of this after recovering at home in England she returned to the Congo. She was broken hearted at the destruction of all she had built and condition of the people. Memories and fear of what she endured were always with her. She continued there 7more years trying to rebuild even making further improvements.
I was shocked at all the suffering Helen faced during her time of service. Her courage, faith and strength left me in awe. What incredible situations she went through and still desired to serve God. She left after 20 years of service, returning once to see how her work still flourished. God truly created a legacy through her.
Helen Roseveare is a missionary I had not heard of. This one thing I like about the Benge’s Christian biographies. They write about incredible people that many do not know of.
Thank you to YWAM Publishing for a providing this book for me to review. The opinions stated are my own.

[Kerry Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was educational and went along with our history unit for homeschool. I think it was a bit graphic for younger children which surprised me from YWAM. I do not suggest for children under 12-14 depending on maturity level due to violence and sexual assault content. The chapters were also a bit lengthy and could've been shorter and still relayed the information in a more interesting fashion. Otherwise, it was a great addition to our library.

[Amelia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book so much adventure. It has a lot of twists and turns.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Audio

[Colleen Ishee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Very encouraging.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses the life of medical missionary Helen Roseveare, who served in the DRC (Congo). She served for 20 years and was in the Congo during its political instability, especially when becoming a nation. She also created a medical school and medical hospital.

The audiobook narrator was Rebecca Gallagher.

[Christy Chermak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is written for a younger audience so the writing itself is nothing special. But the content of Helen’s like story is maybe the best thing you could I take this year besides scripture itself. I think this should be a must read for Christian healthcare workers and anyone who wants to go on long term mission assignments. Also a great inspirational read for any Christian needing a reminder there’s more to life than what planet earth has to offer.