Genovieva

A True Story of Inspiring Faith

by Genovieva Sfatcu Beattie

 

Read the true and powerful story of Genovieva growing up in Romania.  It was illegal to be a Christian.  Her family was persecuted and Genovieva was treated badly in school even though she was the best student in the class. When Genovieva grew up she attended the University, but was later released when they found out she was a Christian. 

 

Because she was “blacklisted” for being a Christian she could not find a full time job and ended up getting a job cleaning her church.  Every night when she walked home the secret police tried to arrest her.  To avoid arrest she began to sleep in the church every night.  She couldn’t keep any blankets there because the police would discover them in a raid.  She slept on the cold church bench each night for seven years. 

 

After a time she began a children’s choir at the church.  The choir became so popular that it toured all over Romania and performed at churches.  But this had great risks.  Again and again the secret police tried to capture and arrest Genovieva, but each time the Lord protected Genovieva.  Eventually though, the government tired of her Christian activity and issued a passport and a plane ticket out of Romania. 

 

Genovieva married Stephen Beattie, a Bible smuggler she met in Romania.  They now minister to the Romanians through an orphanage and several canteens that feed hungry children and teach them about the Lord.

 

My children love this story and ask for it again and again. 

 

Britta McColl

Morning Star Learning

 

 

The Children’s Choir written by Genovieva Sfatcu Beattie (with Stephen Beattie) contains additional stories of the choir Genovieva started in her homeland of Romania during the cruel dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu.  For those of you who have already read Genovieva, you will not be disappointed!  She tells all new stories in the same engaging writing style.  She starts out with some new stories of life when she was a young schoolgirl and then moves into the period when she lived at the church and directed the children’s choir. There was severe persecution of Christians in Romania for over 40 years and children were often targeted. All of Genovieva’s books make great read alouds and my children never tire of hearing of her courageous life and God’s provision!  162 pages,  $12.00

 

Britta McColl 

Morning Star Learning

 

 

My Jewish Heritage is Genovieva’s own account of growing up in a Messianic Jewish family in Romania. Genovieva’s father who was Jewish became a Christian in his late teens.  The Nazis killed his entire family. He himself was headed for a concentration camp but managed to escape from the train car by digging out a hole in the bottom. There is a great deal of the history of Genovieva’s family as well as the Jewish people in Romania.  You will find out how the Romanian language came to Romania with the Jewish slaves that were deported from Rome in the first century. As Romania grew and prospered word spread to other Jewish communities in Eastern Europe and an additional 600,000 Jewish people emigrated and settled in Romania.  My Jewish Heritage reads in the same engaging style as her first book, Genovieva.  This sobering book will also serve as a warning against anti-Semitism.  136 pages, $10.00

 

Britta McColl

Morning Star Learning

 

To purchase any of these faith-building books go to www.morningstarlearning.com