The Impact of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories January 17, 2025

In a small village in Thailand, a little boy opens the bright yellow cover of his brand new book, the first he’s ever owned. A kind woman named Esther had told him it was all about Jesus. Raised as a Buddhist with his parents putting him in training to one day be a monk, the boy had never heard of Jesus before. But Esther had said Jesus is God, that He loves him, and that by believing in Him, the boy could go to Heaven forever!

As he read, the boy asked, “Is it really enough just to trust in Jesus?” Esther Temsakun, a distributor of LHF books in Thailand, was awed as she watched the Holy Spirit work in that boy’s heart.

“This child confessed his sins and placed his trust in Jesus Christ, understanding for the first time that no amount of good deeds could guarantee his eternal life, that only Jesus’ sacrifice could give him the assurance of salvation and a peace that he had never known before,” she recalled.

Though most Americans couldn’t read the strange language themselves, chances are many would recognize the cover on sight: A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories by Arthur Gross. LHF has translated and published this book of 5 dozen Old and New Testament lessons in more than 60 languages for new believers around the world.

Seventy-seven years after Gross penned A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, “I am sure that this book has been a blessing in spreading the Gospel message beyond anything Uncle Art would have imagined,” reflected Carol Schmidt, Gross’s niece. “Arthur was a Christian gentleman in the true sense of the word, and he was interested in serving the church and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as opportunities presented themselves.”

As a Lutheran school teacher, Gross was intent on writing the Bible stories in a way that would be best for teaching, which makes it a popular title in countries like Thailand, where people are learning the faith for the first time.

“A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories’ concise and easy-to-understand content, along with the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, help students reflect on their understanding,” explained Esther. “It also fosters meaningful discussions between teachers and students, offering opportunities to address their curiosity and share the Gospel with non-Christian students, while also strengthening the faith of Christian children.”

Carol believes her uncle would be thrilled to see the impact his little book has had on Lutheran missions around the world.

“It is always our prayer that we would stay strong in our own faith and that we would bring others, in this case the children and families receiving this book, to this same faith with the goal of inheriting eternal life with Him in Heaven,” said Carol. To request this book or others LHF provides at no cost in more than 170 languages, click here to find the publication you would like. To purchase this book in English, go to www.CPH.org.