Faith across the threshold: Adoniram and Ann Judson in the days of captivity
Psalm 46:1 (Refuge). During Adoniram Judson's imprisonment, Ann and their companions made faith tangible through persistent care, without escaping grief.
Stories
When life reaches its limits, the story does not always end there. Documented accounts to read at your own pace, remember, and find hope in Jesus Christ.
Translations are being added. These are the stories currently available in English.
Hope in captivity
Compassion and service
A door for someone without a home: Alberto Hurtado and faith in the street
Psalm 34:18 (Nearness). Poverty was not a distant idea for Alberto Hurtado; in Chile, his faith in Christ took the shape of a home open to people left without shelter.
Dignity in the face of discrimination
A voice of equal worth: Amanda Berry Smith and the freedom to belong
John 8:36 (Freedom). Amid laundry work and discrimination, Amanda Berry Smith found in Christ a dignity that did not depend on who would listen.
Compassion and service amid adversity
Hope in the kitchen: Amy Carmichael and the love that kept caring
Galatians 6:9 (Perseverance). A loss, an invoice, and a letter: Amy Carmichael describes the help that sustained her care for the children of Dohnavur.
Hope amid illness and uncertainty
The night he wanted to remember: Blaise Pascal and peace amid frailty
John 14:27 (Peace). In 1654 Blaise Pascal recorded his trust in Jesus Christ; his sister's letters reveal a hope that did not depend on physical recovery.
Faith under persecution
The hand Corrie could not shake: shelter, loss and forgiveness
Ephesians 4:32 (Forgiveness). From a Haarlem watch shop to an encounter with a former guard: Corrie ten Boom's faith before the impossible.
The letter that could not take him home: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and hope in prison
Psalm 46:1 (Refuge). From prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about fear, companionship, and trust in Christ without knowing what his future would hold.
The race without medals: Eric Liddell behind the wire at Weihsien
Hebrews 12:1 (Perseverance). The Olympic champion who found in serving others a way to live his faith during captivity.
They imprisoned the preacher, not the path: John Bunyan's hope behind bars
2 Timothy 2:9 (Freedom). Prison, family and trust in Christ behind the author of The Pilgrim's Progress.
A hand in the darkness: Perpetua, Felicity and faith in Carthage
Psalm 56:3 (Trust). In a prison in Roman Africa, two mothers faced persecution. The ancient account preserves their faith, their relationships and an outstretched hand amid violence.
The cell did not have the last word: Richard Wurmbrand and faith behind walls
2 Corinthians 4:9 (Perseverance). The story of a Romanian pastor who left prison to speak for those who remained behind bars.
A coat, a lamp and a Bible: William Tyndale's request from prison
2 Timothy 2:9 (Perseverance). In prison, William Tyndale asked for warm clothing and books so he could keep studying. His letter preserves a faith that did not hide its frailty.
Hope amid suffering
When surviving was only the beginning: Brian Birdwell after the fire
2 Corinthians 1:4 (Comfort). Brian Birdwell's testimony after the Pentagon attack: faith in Jesus Christ, recovery and a family that also needed to heal.
Survival and new beginnings
After the flight that nearly ended everything: Dale Black and a life turned toward Christ
John 16:33 (Hope). A 1969 plane crash, a survivor and the testimony of faith that changed his life's direction.
The war that continued at home: Louis Zamperini and the beginning of forgiveness
2 Corinthians 5:17 (Restoration). From ocean and captivity to a Los Angeles tent: Louis Zamperini's testimony.
Faith amid suffering
Faith when strength was gone: Darlene Deibler Rose
2 Corinthians 12:9 (Grace). Darlene Deibler Rose's testimony of captivity, loss and trust in Jesus Christ—a faith that also had tears.
Hope after loss
The house burned, hope remained: Anne Bradstreet among the ashes
Matthew 6:21 (Treasure). The fire of 1666 and the poem in which Anne Bradstreet held the loss of her home together with Christian hope.
Hope came home wounded: Gracia Burnham after 376 days in captivity
Psalm 100:2 (Service). A kidnapping in the Philippines, an irreparable loss and the faith accompanying Gracia Burnham's return.
Faith, justice and reconciliation
Hope that learned to stay: Desmond Tutu
Matthew 5:9 (Peace). From a life-threatening illness in his youth to a life of service: Desmond Tutu's faith in the face of suffering and apartheid.
Love that did not give up on justice: John Perkins
Romans 12:21 (Goodness). After surviving a racist assault, John Perkins found in Christ reasons to keep seeking justice and building community.
Comfort and service amid suffering
The song after the silence: Fanny Crosby and the rest she learned to share
Psalm 34:18 (Comfort). After caring for people during cholera, Fanny Crosby continued seeking peace and found in Christ a hope that became companionship.
Provision and service amid poverty
A home before every answer: George and Mary Müller facing children's needs
Hebrews 13:16 (Provision). Prayer, work and childcare in Bristol: trust that became a home.
Faith that serves and transforms
The closed door was not the end: George Washington Carver learned to serve
1 Peter 4:10 (Service). Between schools that rejected him and people who welcomed him, George Washington Carver turned learning into help for others.
Three calls and a different life: Ida Scudder before suffering she could not remedy
Luke 10:33 (Compassion). The faith that led Ida Scudder to study medicine and open paths of care for women in India.
A school where there seemed no room: Mary McLeod Bethune's hardworking faith
Galatians 6:9 (Perseverance). A missionary vocation finding its way through classrooms, poverty and racial barriers.
When the city needed hands: Richard Allen and the faith that stayed
1 John 3:18 (Service). During Philadelphia's 1793 epidemic, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones organized care and defended caregivers' dignity.
Faith amid war
Faith that learned to cross: Gladys Aylward and the children in the mountains
Psalm 121:2 (Help). Gladys Aylward accompanied around a hundred children away from wartime danger in China: a story of faith, shared help, and human limits.
Dignity, justice and freedom
Freedom could not be hers alone: Harriet Tubman's return journeys
Isaiah 1:17 (Justice). Faith, community and the courage of a woman who returned to help others escape slavery.
After fear: Martin Luther King and the faith that refused to answer with hatred
Psalm 56:3 (Trust). Prayer amid threats and the bombing of his home tested Martin Luther King's faith in Montgomery.
Beyond that seat: Rosa Parks and faith for the next day
Psalm 27:1 (Strength). Rosa Parks’s decision in Montgomery, the cost of standing by it, and the Christian faith that sustained her beyond that night.
She was not seeking compensation: Sojourner Truth wanted her son back
Psalm 46:1 (Refuge). A mother newly free from slavery brought her grief before the courts and found strength in Jesus Christ to keep seeking her son.
Peace and reconciliation
A white handkerchief against fear: Hélder Câmara and the courage of peace
Matthew 5:9 (Peace). In Recife, a colleague's murder tested a faith committed to life. Hélder Câmara responded with prayer, public witness and nonviolence.
The Word in difficult times
There were brothers and sisters beyond the border: Brother Andrew's journey
Hebrews 13:3 (Companionship). Brother Andrew brought Bibles to isolated communities and discovered that companionship could also open doors.
A Bible beyond the road: Mary Jones's journey
Psalm 119:105 (Longing). A Welsh teenager, years of saving and a walk that revealed the need to read the Bible.
Hope in everyday life
When the work could not wait: Brother Lawrence learned to rest in Christ
Matthew 11:28 (Rest). After years of spiritual distress, Brother Lawrence found a way to serve Jesus Christ amid the tasks of a kitchen.
Trust amid uncertainty
The burden he left on the shore: Hudson Taylor and the fear of beginning again
1 Peter 5:7 (Trust). Unwell and far from China, Hudson Taylor feared leading others into hardships he knew well. In Brighton he found a new way to carry responsibility.
Survival, faith and forgiveness
Prayer behind the door: Immaculée Ilibagiza
Psalm 34:18 (Nearness). Immaculée Ilibagiza's survival in Rwanda and her testimony of faith accompanying fear, grief and a difficult journey toward forgiveness.
Repentance and transformation
Surviving the storm was not enough: John Newton and the truth he had to face
Psalm 107:28 (Repentance). The story behind Amazing Grace, without concealing Newton's involvement in the slave trade.
Hope in illness and disability
A brush between her teeth: Joni Eareckson Tada and hope that learned to stay
2 Corinthians 12:9 (Grace). A dive changed her life; faith in Christ and companionship opened a path of creativity and service.
Survival and hope
Praying from the depths: José Henríquez and hope beneath Atacama
Psalm 130:1 (Hope). Trapped with 32 other miners in Chile, José Henríquez found support in Jesus Christ as he waited and accompanied his companions.
Grief, family and hope
The hope he learned at home: Luis Palau after loss
Psalm 68:5 (Shelter). Before the crowds, Luis Palau knew bereavement and poverty in Argentina; faith began sustaining him in a home that still had to go on living.
Hope in illness
Learning to continue: Marina Silva and faith along the way
Matthew 11:28 (Rest). From the Brazilian Amazon comes a story of illness, learning and Christian trust that did not make vulnerability disappear.
Family and hope
Life beyond the scoreboard: Juan Cuadrado and the faith that came home
Psalm 34:18 (Nearness). Loss, a mother's work and a personal relationship with Jesus run through Juan Cuadrado's Colombian story, beyond his sporting achievements.
Between two shores: Monica and the hope that learned to wait
Psalm 62:5 (Hope). A secret departure, a window in Ostia and the pain of farewell: Monica's faith through the testimony of her son Augustine.
Transformation and new beginnings
When violence no longer had the final word: Nicky Cruz
2 Corinthians 5:17 (Beginning). From Puerto Rico to New York, Nicky Cruz's testimony tells of a break with violence and a journey of faith that still included questions.
Faith in illness
The hands that did not turn away: Paul Brand and hope beyond rejection
Psalm 147:3 (Care). Paul and Margaret Brand brought faith, research, and medical care together to accompany people affected by Hansen disease and exclusion.
Trials and perseverance
When the dream had to wait: Falcao and faith beyond the stadium
Psalm 34:18 (Nearness). An injury kept Radamel Falcao out of Brazil 2014. His testimony includes tears, family and trust in Jesus that did not depend on the score.
Faith and work
Returning to the workshop with hope: R. G. LeTourneau and faith for difficult days
Psalm 90:17 (Vocation). Amid debt, bereavement, and new beginnings, R. G. LeTourneau found a way to serve Christ without leaving his work as a mechanic.
Family, care, and hope
A home after the fire: Susanna Wesley and the faith that learned to receive help
Psalm 46:1 (Refuge). The Epworth fire left Susanna Wesley struggling to escape; her letters recount prayer, rescue, and the service that followed.
Faith and perseverance for justice
Returning after defeat: William Wilberforce and the patience of doing good
Micah 6:8 (Justice). Parliamentary defeat did not end William Wilberforce's work against the slave trade. Faith, encouragement, and shared effort helped him continue.