"Kisses From Katie" Book Review

Shortly after I returned from Haiti and began to share my vision to build an orphanage, four different people—in four separate conversations—recommended that I read “Kisses From Katie” by Katie Davis. I ordered it from our library, and as soon as I finished reading “Radical” I dug right in and started reading.

 

Katie’s story starts out with her as a fairly normal teenager. She wore cute clothes, had a cute little car, a sweet boyfriend, bore the title of homecoming queen and class president at her Tennessee high school, and was an excellent student with bright college options.

 

She went on her first missions trip to Uganda during her senior year of high school. That trip rocked her world. There was no doubt that God was calling her to serve the children of Uganda.

 

So she did just that! After lots of prayer and promising her parents to return to the States to start college a year later, Katie left for Uganda where she had committed to teach kindergarten for one year.

 

Four years later, Katie is still in Uganda ministering to the precious children of Jinja and Masese. At the age of 23 she is in the process of adopting 13 Ugandan girls who all call her “Mommy.” She has started her own ministry, Amazima, to sponsor children to go to school, provide food for them, and provide an outlet of sustainable income for the women of Masese.

 

The book read more like Katie’s journal, with vignettes of her life in Uganda. While I personally would have liked a book that read more like a story with some of her personal background, I definitely enjoyed the book! So many times, I was reading words that described the exact feelings of my heart. I am struggling with a lot of the same emotions and questions with my own journey to help children in Haiti as Katie did in her journey to help the children of Uganda.

 

Katie’s story was very inspiring to me. She has not allowed her age to hinder her from living a life that some would call radical or reckless. She was willing to surrender everything to obey God’s call on her life. Her story challenges me to ask myself if I am willing to make those same sacrifices?

 

I would recommend “Kisses From Katie” for ages 13 and up. You can also check her blog at www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com to read her story and how it continues today.