Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption
Sammy Ikua Gachagua had lost his father to illness, his mother
to abandonment, and his home to poverty. By age ten, he was living
in a shack with seven other children and very little food. He
entered an orphanage seeing it as a miracle with three meals a day,
a bed to sleep in, and clothes on his back.
When Claire Diaz-Ortiz arrived in Kenya at the end of an
around-the-world journey, she decided to stay the night, climb Mt.
Kenya, then head back home. She entered an orphanage seeing it as
little more than a free place to spend the night before her
mountain trek.
God had other plans.
Hope Runs is the emotional story of an American tourist, a
Kenyan orphan, and the day that would change the course of both of
their lives forever. It's about what it means to live in the now
when the world is falling down around you. It's about what it means
to hope for the things you cannot see. Most of all, it's about how
God can change your life in the blink of an eye.
From the Back Cover
"One restless woman from America seeking--something . . .
and one homeless boy from Africa seeking--someone . . .
write a story that has your heart colliding with what you're
looking for--right where you are."--Ann Voskamp, author of
the New York Times bestseller One Thousand
Gifts
"Hope Runs is more than a book, it's a monument to
empathy."--from the foreword by Donald Miller, bestselling
author of Blue Like Jazz
"This book isn't just a story, it's an invitation to love
extravagantly. It's about relentless hope and tremendous love.
Buckle up, you're about to be changed."--Bob Goff, Honorary
Consul for the Republic of Uganda; New York Times
bestselling author of Love Does
"Claire knows firsthand what it means to really give of her time
and talent, and in this book she challenged me to do the same. My
heart sings that there are people in the world like her."--Tsh
Oxenreider, author of Notes from a Blue Bike
"Claire and Sammy invite us into their story with the comfortable
familiarity of old friends, challenging us to see beyond the
borders of what we thought life was supposed to hold and how
detours are often the best storylines of all."--Lisa-Jo
Baker, author of Surprised by Motherhood; community
manager for (in)courage
"A beautiful story, beautifully told. This book is a timely
reminder that love and hope can bridge continents and create family
anywhere."--Shauna Niequist, author of Bread &
Wine
Product Details
- Title : Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption
- Authors:
- Diaz-Ortiz, Claire
- Gachagua, Samuel Ikua
- Miller, Donald
- Publisher: Revell
- Publication Date: 2014
- ISBN: 9781441245311
Claire Diaz-Ortiz leads social innovation at Twitter,
Inc., and is the author of several books, including Twitter for
Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time. Named one of the
100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, she is
a frequent international speaker on social media, business, and
innovation and writes a popular business blog at
www.clairediazortiz.com. She holds an MBA from Oxford University
and an MA and BA in anthropology from Stanford University. She is
cofounder of Hope Runs, a non-profit organization operating in AIDS
orphanages in Kenya. Claire has been called a "mover and shaker" by
Mashable, "the woman who got the pope on Twitter" by The
Washington Post, a "force for good" by Forbes, and "one
of the most generous in social media" by Fast Company. She
has been widely written about in such publications as the New
York Times, Business Week, The Washington Post,
and Forbes. Find her on Twitter @claire.
Sammy Ikua Gachagua was born in rural Kenya in 1992. After
losing his family at a young age, he struggled to survive until he
was placed in an orphanage in Nyeri, Kenya. In 2009 he received a
full-ride scholarship to Maine Central Institute, granting him a
rare US visa and the chance to begin his sophomore year of high
school under the guardianship of Claire Diaz-Ortiz. He is an
up-and-coming motivational speaker. Find him on Twitter
@sammyikua.