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The Sowers
Teresa of Calcutta: Serving the Poorest of the Poor
The Inspiring Story of Mother Teresa’s Life of Faith, Sacrifice, and Service
Long before she became known around the world as Mother Teresa, Agnes Bojaxhiu was a young girl in Macedonia fascinated by the letters of missionaries serving in faraway places―especially India.
Teresa of Serving the Poorest of the Poor follows Agnes from her childhood and early call to missionary work to her years as a teacher in India and the life-changing decision that led her into the streets and slums of Calcutta. Leaving behind the security of convent life, Teresa began with almost nothing, teaching five street children in a public park and caring for people others had forgotten.
Driven by her Christian faith and her conviction that serving the poor meant serving Christ Himself, Teresa devoted her life to the hungry, homeless, sick, abandoned, and dying. Her small work grew into the Missionaries of Charity, with homes for orphaned children, the dying, and those suffering from leprosy―and eventually expanded throughout India and around the world. Readers will discover how Mother
Followed God’s From a young girl dreaming of missionary work to a life devoted to Christian service.
Left Comfort Walked away from a secure teaching position to live and work among Calcutta’s poorest people.
Started Opened her first outdoor school with only five children and no classroom, desks, or supplies.
Served Those Others Cared for abandoned children, the homeless, the dying, and people suffering from disease.
Built a Worldwide Saw the Missionaries of Charity grow from one woman’s calling into an international work of mercy and service.
Put Faith Into Viewed each person she served as someone worthy of dignity, compassion, and the love of Christ.
Written in an engaging narrative style and illustrated throughout, this Christian biography brings history to life while showing young readers the courage, perseverance, compassion, and faith behind Mother Teresa’s extraordinary work.
Part of the Sowers Series, Teresa of Calcutta presents the story of a woman who chose a life of poverty and service and whose simple commitment to care for one person at a time ultimately reached people around the world.
Long before she became known around the world as Mother Teresa, Agnes Bojaxhiu was a young girl in Macedonia fascinated by the letters of missionaries serving in faraway places―especially India.
Teresa of Serving the Poorest of the Poor follows Agnes from her childhood and early call to missionary work to her years as a teacher in India and the life-changing decision that led her into the streets and slums of Calcutta. Leaving behind the security of convent life, Teresa began with almost nothing, teaching five street children in a public park and caring for people others had forgotten.
Driven by her Christian faith and her conviction that serving the poor meant serving Christ Himself, Teresa devoted her life to the hungry, homeless, sick, abandoned, and dying. Her small work grew into the Missionaries of Charity, with homes for orphaned children, the dying, and those suffering from leprosy―and eventually expanded throughout India and around the world. Readers will discover how Mother
Followed God’s From a young girl dreaming of missionary work to a life devoted to Christian service.
Left Comfort Walked away from a secure teaching position to live and work among Calcutta’s poorest people.
Started Opened her first outdoor school with only five children and no classroom, desks, or supplies.
Served Those Others Cared for abandoned children, the homeless, the dying, and people suffering from disease.
Built a Worldwide Saw the Missionaries of Charity grow from one woman’s calling into an international work of mercy and service.
Put Faith Into Viewed each person she served as someone worthy of dignity, compassion, and the love of Christ.
Written in an engaging narrative style and illustrated throughout, this Christian biography brings history to life while showing young readers the courage, perseverance, compassion, and faith behind Mother Teresa’s extraordinary work.
Part of the Sowers Series, Teresa of Calcutta presents the story of a woman who chose a life of poverty and service and whose simple commitment to care for one person at a time ultimately reached people around the world.
172 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 1, 2018
I was so excited to see this book on our list to read aloud because I didn't know much about Mother Teresa's life story. The kids and I enjoyed it so much. They did not want me to stop reading each time we sat down to dive into this story. It starts out talking about her youth and how she ended up in India. Then, you see how her heart for the poor is formed and how God uses her life to reach so many people around the world. She truly lived out loving your neighbor as yourself and her humble life, love for others, and faith in God is incredibly inspiring. I would recommend it!
October 3, 2017
This children's biography of Mother Teresa is excellent. It's a fantastic introduction to her life and work, and a great book for teaching kids about mission.
September 28, 2022
Mother Teresa ministered to the poor and downtrodden because she believed and then acted on what Jesus said, “Whatever you do to the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” She knew that when she cared for a dying person, she was showing love to Jesus.
This was a great book to read with the kids as an example of faith in action. First Teresa was a teacher in India behind the convent walls, but some of her students were ministering to the poor in the slums and asked her to accompany them. To walk beyond those walls was difficult at first, but her heart was soon aflame for the needs she saw around her. What a reminder of the impact that youth can have on their elders in spurring them on to charity.
This was a great book to read with the kids as an example of faith in action. First Teresa was a teacher in India behind the convent walls, but some of her students were ministering to the poor in the slums and asked her to accompany them. To walk beyond those walls was difficult at first, but her heart was soon aflame for the needs she saw around her. What a reminder of the impact that youth can have on their elders in spurring them on to charity.
November 30, 2016
What a wonderful book. To be sure, it's simple and very comprehendible for a young reader, but on account of the subject, the book was very inspiring and emotionally moving.
February 13, 2022
As with many of the books I read with my children while homeschooling them, I was amazed at the depth of this biography and how interesting it was to read. It was a long time since I read this book (I have no idea why this wasn't reviewed a millenia ago) but I do remember being so impressed with this story. I really didn't know much about Mother Theresa before picking this up, other than in the most general of terms. Wow, what an impressive lady. What an impressive life. I'm glad I read this.
February 25, 2023
"We will never be able to care for all orphans, cure all diseases, feed all the hungry, or treat all the lepers," she admitted. "Our purpose is not to cure the world's problems, but to demonstrate Christian love."
An amazing biography of an amazing woman!
Mother Teresa's life was full of hardship, and yet she lived with such a giving heart, with so much grace and grit. She gave freely as she knew her Lord Jesus would, she lived her faith. She was a true emoident of peace, she loved with her whole being, providing care for the poorest of the poor in Calcutta's slums.
This book brought me to tears a few times, what an incredible person she was who brought so much change to a hurting, sick, and dying world. She was a true inspiration, and it's not a wonder that she received the Nobel Peace prize for her great humanitarian work in 1979.
January 6, 2022
There are some annoying typos, but this is a nice bio of her life.
January 6, 2023
I loved this book. She truly showed the love of Christ through her work and was selfless.
April 7, 2023
Incredibly inspiring look into her life and missionary work.
February 27, 2012
My favorite part was when she was delivering her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. One of her coworkers began smiling as she recognized the speech. It was the same speech that Teresa had given so many other times to so many other kinds of people. Teresa did not feel the need to change the way she spoke just because she was in front of a crowd of nobles. It just didn't matter who Teresa was talking to, they were all the same to her: image-bearers of God.
But we mustn't think she gave that same speech out of spite. The authors are careful to point out that Teresa shattered another set of expectations. Some thought, that because she loved the poor so much, she would despise the rich (the "1%"). Not so. They are all image-bearers of God.
Yet again, she just won't fit in a political category. "At a time when most people believed poverty could only be overcome by spending huge amounts of money and starting vast social programs, Teresa took a different approach. She aimed her energies at specific goals, working with people on a one-to-one basis." Quoting Teresa, the authors record, "I believe in person-to-person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the only person in the world for me at that time."
But we mustn't think she gave that same speech out of spite. The authors are careful to point out that Teresa shattered another set of expectations. Some thought, that because she loved the poor so much, she would despise the rich (the "1%"). Not so. They are all image-bearers of God.
Yet again, she just won't fit in a political category. "At a time when most people believed poverty could only be overcome by spending huge amounts of money and starting vast social programs, Teresa took a different approach. She aimed her energies at specific goals, working with people on a one-to-one basis." Quoting Teresa, the authors record, "I believe in person-to-person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the only person in the world for me at that time."
December 24, 2008
*Serving the Poorest of the Poor*, This is a well written bio of Mother Theresa, formerly known as Agnes Gorxha Bojaxhiu. When she was just 18, she joined the Loreto sisters. Just a few months later, she was working in India. And there she was until her death in 1997 at the age of 87. God called her to care for the people who had no-one to love them. She patterned her life after poverty and became poor by choice.
She became known world-wide and received many awards and medals for her work and yet she remained extremely humble. This story really goes in depth so you can truly discover who she was. Recommended for everyone- young and old :)
She became known world-wide and received many awards and medals for her work and yet she remained extremely humble. This story really goes in depth so you can truly discover who she was. Recommended for everyone- young and old :)
March 12, 2008
This is a great book for adults and youth! This book tells us about the joy and struggle of Mother Theresa. This a quote from the book:
" Let kindness be in your face, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Never think in terms of a crowd, only of one person. Finally, treat the poor alike whether they be Hindu, Christian, or Moslem. Yes, treat them all the same. We are not neutral concerning our religion; let your lives preach Christ."
" Let kindness be in your face, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Never think in terms of a crowd, only of one person. Finally, treat the poor alike whether they be Hindu, Christian, or Moslem. Yes, treat them all the same. We are not neutral concerning our religion; let your lives preach Christ."
December 2, 2017
I’m so glad my son and I could read this together. Mother Teresa is a great example to us all of the amazing things you can do for others when your heart is full of love for others. I️ hadn’t realized what she had done for the dying, the lepers, children, etc. I️ am grateful to have read this book.
Did Not Finish
February 2, 2018Boring, tedious, and Catholic. Mother Teresa was so sugar sweet she gave me cavities (and from the looks of her teeth on the cover, she might have some, too). Recommended by someone who was trying to help me write a paper about her. It didn't help, but probably because I couldn't get past the first few pages.
February 5, 2008
A simple introduction to the life of Mother Teresa. I really didn't know much about her at all before I read this so it was interesting just to get some insight on her life and work. This is a book for young adults so I'd be interested to read something about her life that was written for adults.
August 18, 2012
What an inspirational woman! This book, though written simply for children & early teens, conveyed the truth of Mother Teresa's life. She worked for God alone and trusted in Him with all her heart. Her humor and tenacity came through so clearly. This book was a delight to read.
January 22, 2014
Mother Teresa is a fascinating woman! I thought I knew about her, but there is so much I didn't know! She was such an example of faith, peace, kindness and love to the poor and unwanted of Calcutta, that the whole world can learn a lot from her. One person at a time, spread the love of Christ.
March 27, 2015
This is a beautifully thorough biography of Mother Teresa. It was easy to read and kept me engaged. I learned quite a bit about her life and those that influenced her and who she influenced. I would highly recommend it for all ages.
July 19, 2008
Interesting!
February 25, 2009
It was so cool learning about this woman who gave up everything for God! :)
June 4, 2009
Inspiring!
September 12, 2011
This book really makes you thankful for all you have. Some scenes were slightly disturbing, but they are worth it.
March 31, 2012
I find the woman absolutely fascinating.
October 11, 2012
Terrific book about a remarkable example of being Jesus' hands and feet.
January 14, 2013
Interesting. I learned much about an amazing woman!
January 23, 2013
Richard and I enjoyed reading this one together. It was amazing to see how God worked through this very humble woman who, in my eyes at least, exemplified God's love.
May 10, 2013
Such an amazing woman. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
March 31, 2014
Just finished this book as a read aloud with the kids. Makes me want to know more about her - esp. her thoughts on ministry to the poor.
May 16, 2014
A wonderful, short biography. For a world-famous figure, I knew very little of the details of her life and ministry. What an incredible story!
April 8, 2016
Loved this. So did Hayden. So very impressed with this woman. She was truly amazing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews