Kisses From Katie - Katie Davis (2011)

Title: Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption 

Author: Katie Davis with Beth Clark

Genre: Christian memoir

Published: 2011

Number of Pages: 288

Recommended for: 12+ (mostly junior high and up)

Summary: (Official) What would cause an eighteen-year-old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because they think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person and didn’t even speak the language? A passion to follow Jesus.

Katie Davis left over Christmas break of her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people of Uganda and the needs she saw that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting thirteen children in Uganda and has established a ministry, Amazima, that feeds and sends hundreds more to school while teaching them the Word of Jesus Christ.

Content Review

Sexual content: A brief mention of women involved in prostitution to pay for food. 

Profanity: None. 

Violence: There is no violence in the typical since. However, this book is set in a Third World country and some of the stories will make your heart break.

Drug content: Drinking, and cigarettes are mentioned. It is said many people brew alcohol as a means of survival.

My opinion: God's miracles shine very brightly in this book. I really did enjoy this book. Katie truly is an inspirational to a lot of people, including me. Each chapter includes a "One Day" journal entry at the end, which was interesting. Raising 14 girls is enough to drive anyone nuts. What I did not like was how, unless she was comparing herself to Jesus (When I'm weak, He is strong) she pretty much portrayed herself as perfect. I mean, dealing with 14 young girls, who COULDN'T be stressed? Well, Katie never mentions once she is stressed. She seems to be perfect; trusting God all the time 100%, never getting angry, etc. etc. I understand God works miracles, but I don't know anyone (or heard of anyone) who hasn't gone through something life-changing (Louis Zamperini, Corrie ten Boom, etc.) and hasn't felt stressed to the point of breaking down and wanting to quit. I mean God purposely uses people who really aren't much to human eyes. Moses, Jonah, Noah, and David are a few biblical examples. Well anyway I haven't really read any modern memoirs so I don't know if portraying yourself in that manner is common.

One thing I DID like (and I wish more Christians did) was the way Katie ministers. She is not the type of person to force you become a Christian. She SHOWS what the love of Christ is. She doesn't judge, she is not pushy, she trusts the Lord and she LOVES. She realizes she can't end poverty or hunger, and she doesn't try. She LOVES. Whenever possible, she and her team feeds and clothes and cares for those she can. Most of these children who she cares for have never felt loved and she understands it would be impossible to explain Christ's love without loving because the children wouldn't understand. (and neither would I)

You can follow Katie's blog at: http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

In the language of Luganda, "Amazima" means "truth". Here is Katie's nonprofit: http://amazima.org/

I would recommend this book to any Christian out there!