| Title | : | Mama Maggie |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 9173172146 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9789173172141 |
| Language | : | Swedish |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 1 |
| Publication | : | First published March 10, 2015 |
Mama Maggie Reviews
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This was a hard book to finish because it is so inspiring; I would like to keep getting updates - what is happening now? How are Mamma Maggie and her wonderful friends making the world better today? This isn't some hero-in-the-sky type of book where the reader is lost in wonder, but rather a look at the fulfillment of our calling to serve as Jesus serves, to love as God loves. The messages are very powerful and will stay with me forever. Lots of great quotes. I will be passing this book along to others.
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Two and a half stars really, for a wonderful inspiring story told in a way that to struggled to engage with. I definitely prefer a narrative style biography, and this felt like a series of editorials - never quite getting to know individuals well enough. It felt like looking at thumbnails of photos, when I really wanted the full length movie. Nevertheless, I enjoyed getting to know a culture and country that I don’t know well, and of course the inspirational Mama Maggie.
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An inspiring story of a modern day Mother Teresa to Egypt. I would highly recommend the audio version as the reader's British accent is silk for the soul! A must read.
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If only this world had more Mama Maggie's so so giving, loving and unselfish.
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"She doesn't do ministry. She is ministry."
-the writers about Mama Maggie
"Silence your tongue to listen to your thoughts.
Silence your thought to listen to your heart beating. Silence your heart to listen to your spirit. And silence your spirit to listen to His spirit." -Mama Maggie
"I know that God has started something good in every one of us. I ask that God would make his grace bigger in all of us. We can have a new start every day, every hour. He can make all things new as we trust in him."
-Mama Maggie
Mama Maggie believes in "not just helping human bodies but nourishing human souls."
She washes the feet of the children in the garbage slums of Egypt. She helps the children dream and hope. She teaches them about Jesus. She lives a praying life. Maggie Groban gave up her stylish life to serve and the children she serves call her Mama Maggie. I had no idea that some people live this way among the garbage dumps with dogs, cats, and rats. There are many heartbreaking stories in this book, but Mama Maggie seeks to help heal the wounded, the poor in spirit. She truly is ministry. -
I did not know there was such a thing as garbage slums in Cairo Egypt. The people that live in them are so poor that they sort through garbage to make money to live. Mama Maggie is a woman who lived a life of luxury to work in the slums and help the people, especially the children. She is almost a Mother Theresa type person. Very inspirational. I couldn't help but wonder what the world would be like if there were more Mama Maggies in the world. This is a quick read.
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Nej. Men. Denna. Ska. Alla. Läsa! Otroligt inspirerande bok, men också jättejobbig att läsa. Mycket tuffa berättelser samtidigt finns hopp. Gud är god! Lite kul också att kunna visuellt se platser framför sig. För jag har varit där. Jag har åkt igenom. Jag har sett. Känt lukten.
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I appreciated the work that Mama Maggie does in the garbage dumps of Cairo, and I appreciate the fact that she didn't write this book about herself. I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something that holds me back from giving this more than three stars. Maybe it's the generic religious feel of it? Not sure. It's an inspiring story, one which I read aloud to my kids, but not one which I feel compelled to read again or recommend.
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A book that challenges your values and makes you ponder the source of true joy and happiness in this very world. Couldn’t recommend it enough.
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I have mixed feelings about this book. It is supposedly a biography of "Mama" Maggie Gobran, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor of Egypt.
At her insistence, the book also talks quite a bit about her colleagues working with the nonprofit she began, Stephan's Children. These were the parts I liked best.
There isn't really much here about Gobran's early life, and the authors write about her with stars in their eyes. Most biographies will acknowledge that all humans have strengths and weaknesses, and will explore both relating to their chosen subject. This biography conveniently ignores any mention of Gobran's flaws, and goes on and on about how great she is. Even though Jesus is mentioned, and I believe Gobran would have wanted Him to be exalted, the authors seem to value Gobran more than Him.
There are also a couple instances of Gobran "prophesying," aka predicting the future - this was a huge red flag to me. I believe that Jesus was the last Prophet and that He fulfilled all prophecy, so anyone today with the gift of "prophecy," if you will, really just has a gift to boldly speak the Truth about Jesus and His kingdom - not clairvoyance.
There is also repeated mention of "Christians" who have never actually heard of Jesus. I wish the authors had done a better job of distinguishing actual Christians from nonbelievers, who identify with the title "Christian" culturally, but do not actually follow Jesus Christ.
I do appreciate that the Gospel is spelled out in the pages of this book, but I don't feel like it necessarily qualifies as a "biography."
Side note: The formatting of this book left a ton of fully blank pages. What a waste of paper! -
Normally, I never give books 5 stars unless they're great and still selling fifty years after publication. But with 'Mama Maggie', the biography of Maggie Gobran of Egypt, I gladly make an exception. Here's why.
Maggie Gobran began her ministry among the poor Copts living in the garbage slums of Cairo in the 80s. Thirty years later she and her ministry are still going strong, and over thirty thousand people are helped daily through her schools, hospitals, and businesses she's started. I have full confidence in her work and ministry and in God, that this work will continue to grow for another fifty years from now.
Mama Maggie has been called 'the Mother Teresa of Cairo' and it fits her and her ministry well. She serves the lowest level of society and lifts them up to human dignity. However, where Mother Teresa began as a nun, Maggie Gobran began as a wealthy, highly educated woman, superb at marketing and married to a wealthy businessman. Then, in her thirties, she chose to give it all away to serve the poor of Cairo.
The book covers Maggie's childhood and how her pious aunt influenced her throughout her life. The book shows her success at school and business, her fun-loving, high-fashion lifestyle--and why it wasn't enough. Only in serving the poorest did she find fulfillment.
I recommend this book for any Christian who wants a Christ-like example to copy and for any non-Christian who wants to imagine what Jesus Christ would do in today's world. -
amazing, beautiful, inspiring story <33 however, the book would have been better with a different writing style. this was sort of ... too factual, too journalistic, too much like a report. a more narrative, story telling, chronological style would have been much more immersive. (that's why the 4 starts.) still, the content was gold.
if the Benges would write this story as a Christian Heroes: Then and Now book I'd much appreciate !!! -
A very good book overall. This is a autobiography about a woman named Mama Maggie. She created a mission organization in Cairo, Egypt to help the slums of her homeland, called Stephen's Children. The people are called Zabaleen: The garbage people. Her ministry went into the garbage slums and cared primarily for the children but also their families. It is a story of love and God's grace upon His people. It shows how one person can change a whole people group. Some of the stories are heartbreaking but God's love shines forth through the stories. The book tells the story of how her ministry in Cairo, Egypt began and what it is still doing to this day to help the Zabaleen.
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The message of "Mama Maggie" is that to love like Christ means going low and slow with the poor and marginalized, seeing Christ in the places we prefer to avoid altogether. Her story of giving up a well-to-do lifestyle to serve the poor in the garbage dumps of Cairo is an inspiring and particularly relevant call to action for affluent Western Christians. While the last two or so chapters detailing the volatile political environment serving as the backdrop of Maggie Gobran's ministry seem, at first blush, extraneous, I could hardly put the book down and highly recommend it.
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A well-written, well-researched book. And at the same time, very inspiring. Mama Maggie is a wonderful lady! Whether she realizes it or not, she has inspired not just people she has met or has influence over, but also many more through this book about her. She is truly, as the book says, Jesus to so many. And her life, daily, as she lives out "be still and know that I am God", is a witness. Oh, that I could be like that!
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Inspiring
An amazing story of Mama Maggie and her commitment to love the least of these. I pray I can love selflessly and draw close to my God in prayer and silence. May I practice presence and intentionality with the people placed in my life. -
Excellent. Phenomenal. Inspiring. Challenging.
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The way this book was written was hard to follow- it read less like a biography and more like random compilations of the history of Egypt, its political and religious undertones, with random half told stories throughout. The religious tone of the book was confusing as well- the author describes people as Coptic Christians or Muslims, but the Coptic Christians oftentimes claimed Christianity while not knowing anything about the God they say they served. The Christianity the author portrays Maggie as having comes across as a works based focus, social justice Jesus who came for the poor and oppressed, rather than sinners who had sinned against a Holy God.
That’s not to say that Maggie’s focus in helping those who live in utter destitution isn’t admirable and selfless of her. I do think she loves them in a very practical way, but overall this book isn’t theologically clear, and it has undertones of charismatic culture (prophesying, visions). -
This woman came from a very successful and wealthy background to start a ministry for the poor of Cairo, Egypt, and her organization is doing a tremendous job. She gives all credit to the Lord and her Christian heritage, and she insists that those who assist the ministry get credit. She shows a humility in her position that is admirable. Having said that - after getting about halfway into the book, I had had about enough, because she is portrayed as being absolutely angelic. While books don't have to point out all the flaws of the missionary heroes, as one I read recently did - this one was far to the other extreme. The woman was portrayed as being suffocatingly perfect. I also did not care for the format in which each chapter was stand-alone. However, I was inspired by the message and felt like my eyes were opened to the plight of the people in those slums.
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Wow, this was an incredible picture of a woman who was transformed by God's grace and sacrificed her life to serve the poor. It was very moving, inspiring me to surrender more fully to God and serve others. The way it was written, the story was told kind of sporadically and with facts more than a continuous narrative. It could have been written better, but the content was nonetheless very impactful.
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This book was published in 2015, so how is it that I’ve not heard of this amazing Ministry before? The “Mother Teresa of Egypt” is a noble comparison, and she’s indeed serving in a similar way, so I wish that she were more a part of the world’s consciousness.
This isn’t her autobiography; it’s the story that needed to be told.
I wish her and her Organization continued success in helping those in need, not just physically, but spiritually. And praying for their safety. -
Mama Maggie is a true inspiration for being compassionate toward others and following the path we feel we are meant to lead in life. I enjoyed reading about her transformation and I learned quite a lot about Coptic Christians in Egypt and the history and unfortunate discrimination they face. Their resilience and community is remarkable!
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3.5 stars. The story of Mama Maggie is inspiring, but the book is hard to follow. I wish the story was more linear. Each chapter felt like its own magazine article rather than a chapter in a biography. The audiobook reader also left a lot to be desired, particularly with the (mis)pronunciation of Arabic words. Definitely worth reading though!
