Happy childhood; horrors of war and the miraculous rescue of the only child survivor from ObertynKrystyna Carmi's childhood in Obertyn was full of happy moments. Her childhood was filled with friends; both Polish and Ukrainian; and she attended a Ukrainian school. Krystyna Carmi was gifted with an extraordinary memory; and in this memoir; she vividly recounts the history of her family and her life before; during and after World War II. But her happy childhood did not last long; World War II changed it forever.A girl’s survival in the face of pure evil: loss and persistence against all odds. However; the worst was still ahead for the Jewish community in Obertyn and for Krystyna’s family. After the Germans ordered the Jews to move into the Kołomyja ghetto; Krystyna’s family went to live in the ghetto. People died in the ghetto because of hunger and physical exhaustion; their bodies were collected on a platform placed in the street. These deaths did not escape the attention of the sensitive girl; and she’ll be forever haunted by the faces of those who died. Her parents and her sister did not survive the family’s attempt to escape the ghetto; but despite her loss; Krystyna struggled to stay alive; she was hiding in order to save her life; she faced hunger; thirst; fear for her life. Nevertheless; Providence has chosen for her to live; to be. More than a memoir; The Strange Ways of Providence in my Life; gives the reader a piece of history.The book contains more than 100 photos; taken by Krystyna’s father; a professional photographer; who sent them to his family in Israel before the war. In the book; you will also find amazing photos of the members of the Jewish community; drowned in the Dniester river by Ukrainians few years later.Doctor Markus Willbach; a friend of Krystyna’s family; an adult at that time; depicts an account that emphasizes the authenticity of Krystyna Carmi’s memories as a little girl. His account of the events is part of the book. This powerful memoir will leave you breathless and heartbroken; yet; inspired. A must read! Scroll up and grab a copy of The Strange Ways of Providence in my Life today!
#50119 in Books Abingdon Press 2016-09-06 2016-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.40 x .37 x 5.40l; .45 #File Name: 1501828797160 pages
Review
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful. A timely Journey for all ChristiansBy PastorRonCBeing a moderate United Methodist Elder; I find myself drawn to the writing of Adam Hamilton. He usually writes in a way that challenges me; yet encouages mr to be who I am; and he did it again in "The Journey." This is a good; quick read. The reader is challenged to look closer at some common conceptions regarding the time before Jesus' birth and determine their validity. By taking the main characters and locations and deconstructing them; the reader is forced to reexamine their assumptions about this beautiful story. If you are looking for a great theological battle that examines the nuances of the virgin birth or Theotokos you should keep looking. However if you are looking for a perfect small group study; or an advent read this book is just what you need. This is a book that would resonate with any mainline or nondenominational church here in the midwest. I highly reccomend it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The JourneyBy J. LindnerLike many reviewers here; I read this book as part of a group study. I enjoyed this book very much. Hamilton has a way of taking material that we've all read or heard and putting it in a fresh light. By breaking the journey down into into its component parts; he is able to introduce fresh ideas and input into tradition. For instance he analyzes Mary's encounter with Gabriel and Joseph's encounter with his own messenger. Hamilton details Mary's journey and relationship with her cousin Elizabeth; and the actual journey to Bethlehem.What I found most intriguing was Hamilton's willingness to speculate into the details of Mary and Joseph's lives which the Bible does not detail. Hamilton mixes Jewish tradition in with some Christian theories that date as far back as the second century regarding who each of these characters really were and what their journey means to us in modern times. Hamilton describes how the early Christian church sought to keep Mary a pure virgin throughout her life. He explains how Jewish customs on engagement did not necessarily exclude marital relations. These concepts are very different from our 21st century understanding of Biblical events and thus become a challenge for us to accept. Hamilton does not force us to accept his theories; but rather he places them before us with his evidence not unlike an attorney representing a client before a jury. When this is put before a book study group; many different opinions can be shared.Hamilton has been challenging his congregation and his readers through several various books and The Journey is ready to takes its place amongst his other works. The reader comes away with a deeper understanding of the significance of Christmas and the Christmas season. It helps keep our minds focus on why we celebrate Christmas and gives us an alternative to the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season. Christmases come and go; gifts lose their luster as time goes by; but the journey of Mary and Joseph as related in The Journey are a timeless gift for all of humanity.Hamilton has a crisp; engaging writing style. The book is not overly long; but it is not too brief; either. He critiques the characters and events; offers his interpretation; then moves onto the next part. By doing this he makes his books enjoyable yet meaningful. To me this simplistic complexity is what makes Hamilton an author I will continue to read. The Journey is not my first encounter with Hamilton; but I have not read all of his works. Even though we are moving away from the calendar-designated Christmas season; the real Christmas season is a year-round event that all can appreciate and participate in.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Beautiful GiftBy rwlrclI read this book over the Advent season and it meant a lot to prepare me for Christmas this year. I plan on reading it again during Advent for years to come. Thank you Pastor Hamilton for this gift.
