Jantsen's Gift: A Review AND Giveaway!

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review.

Our church kicked off a three-week focus on missions this past Sunday. We heard an amazing Irish man speak of a model we should follow based on Nehemiah 2:1-5. Here's what Nehemiah did...

1. He saw a need.
2. He accepted responsibility for it.
3. He worked with all his might.
4. He guarded himself against the enemy.
5. And he rebuilt the walls.

Why do I mention this at the beginning of this book review?

Because the author of this book is a living example of this model.

Jantsen's Gift is Pam Cope's story of loss, extreme grief and ultimately fulfillment. She was a typical Midwestern mom searching for purpose in her busy kid-driven life when her 15-year-old son Jantsen unexpectedly passed away.

What follows his death is a heart-wrenching journey. Grief I cannot even comprehend. The deepest depths of depression. And then a chance to do something different. A glimpse at hope. A purpose.

Cope tells the amazing story of visiting an orphanage in Vietnam with friends and seeing the tortured lives of the street children. In only one year, Cope helped to rescue thirty children from lives of poverty, hunger, drugs, human trafficking and worse. And the story only gets more incredible from there.

Multiple trips to Southeast Asia and eventually to Africa continually show Cope seeing the need and taking responsibility for it. In five years, she is responsible for the rescue of over 200 children.

I could go on and on about the amazing things in this book, but let me tell you what reading it did to me.

It broke my heart. It opened my eyes. I even laughed a little. I couldn't put it down. And it's the story of her life. Not some work of fiction.

This book isn't a book about missions. But I know that God put this book in my hands in the weeks leading up to our missions focus at church for a reason. He is bringing those "far-off" places a lot closer to my mind and heart.

Pam Cope started the foundation Touch a Life to help children around the world. You can visit the website to learn more about the amazing work they continue to do.

Jantsen's Gift is a life-changing book written by a woman taking responsibility for the needs she sees and replacing her grief with hope and purpose. I feel blessed to have read this book and hope you get a chance to as well.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for providing this book for me to review!

If you'd like to look through it, take a glance below!

And if you do read the book, which I obviously highly recommend, there is a reading guide available here.

And to make it easier for one of you to read it, the publisher provided me with an extra copy to give to one of you!

And here's all you have to do to enter...

1. Comment on this post letting me know you'd like to win! That's easy!

2. Become a follower of this blog (look in the right column) and leave a comment letting me know - or if you're already a follower, let me know that instead!

3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook - another comment to inform me!

4. Tweet about this and get one more chance to enter by telling me in the comments!

That's right, up to four entries! Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry - don't want you to miss out on those extra chances to win!

This giveaway will only be open until 8:00 pm CDT this Thursday (November 12th) so don't miss out!

Jantsen's Gift by Pam Cope is published by Hachette Book Group and the hardcover retails at $24.99.