God's Photo Album: How We Looked for God and Saved Our School

by Shelly Mecum

Shelly Mecum and her students had a dream -- and enough courage and faith to make their dream soar. Tirelessly optimistic and fiercely determined to save the struggling Ewa Beach elementary school on Oahu, Hawaii, Mecum mobilized a community to realize her vision: a spiritual quest for God and a brave book-writing adventure. Some 168 young children and their families, ranging from five to eighty years old, toted cameras, notebooks, and pencils across...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060654538
• ISBN13: 9780060654535
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

God is everywhere, if only you look for Him

I borrowed this book from my local library expecting nothing more than a light diversion with pretty pictures, but "God's Photo Album" absolutely blew me away. Shelly Mecum's wonderful writing vividly illustrates the heartache, hopes and miracles that came together to create this wonderful story of a small community that pulled together to save its beloved school. I highly recommend this book!

The hand of God is on this book! What a gem!

Not only did God give Shelly Mecum a fantastic idea (of course!), but He blessed her with the writing talent of an angel. The narrative is enthralling: such a page-turner that I literally could not put the book down last night. I got it in the mail yesterday, started reading at 11 p.m., and had to force myself to stop reading at 1 a.m. only because I knew my alarm clock was going to go off in 4 hours. I can't believe this vibrant woman had the faith to call the president of Fuji film in Japan to ask for 300 cameras...and he said yes!! All the corporate executives she called promised to pray for the school, even if they turned down her request for money for the buses. She believed in the power of their prayers, even when it was getting down to the wire and the money for the buses still had not materialized. Finally in desperation one night, she called Sister Nirmala in Calcutta, told her about the idea for the book, the need for money for the buses, and asked her pray for the project. Shelly's faith and belief in the power of prayer has deeply touched me. The pictures are beautiful, and they perfectly capture both the sweet spirit of Hawaii and God's presence in everyday life. In short, miracle of a book. I can't wait to finish it tonight!!

Absolutely Amazing

This is one book that is good for the heart and soul. It is very uplifting. I had the opportunity to live across the street from Shelly and see and hear the stories first hand. She worked very hard getting this book done. It was absolutely amazing. I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of that book. I have since moved but I will always remember talking with Shelly and seeing her excitement and love of God and her school. She is a very inspiring person. This book would make an excellent gift for your family and friends!

God is truly present!

If you want to see God? You truly need to see him through the eyes of the youth and families of Oahu, Hawaii. Shelly and her authors take you on a journey to find God in everything, from a one way sign to a grave site and even the Hard Rock Cafe! God has truly blessed this community and it looks like its only the beginning. Where do you find God? You see him after reading this book!

What an incredible journey!

The book takes the reader along for an unforgettable voyage of discovery. What you think might be just a picture book begins tugging at your heart like a child pulling you by the hand. It was not long before I realized that I was the one looking and that what I was looking for had been there all along. The many stories about the families, the school and the community that are intertwined among the chapters, combine to tell one glorious tale of one sunny day in Oahu when a community found God so that we may learn how to find Him ourselves.