Lately we've been ordering via our Netflix account biographies of people whose lives we want to emulate. Because Americans are so celebrity-obsessed, this is our way of counteracting that mentality--especially with our teenaged daughter. This week we've seen three stories which I highly recommend, particularly because they send such strong messages about valuing the world's women and the ability of women to change the world:

The Story of Amy Carmichael. This documentary profiles the life of Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), who left her home in Northern Ireland to travel to India, where she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, an organization still devoted to the rescue, care and education of hundreds of impoverished children. (Most have been orphaned girls destined for temple prostitution.) Carmichael was single, yet hundreds called her "Amma" (mother).

Mama Heidi. In 1994 just after Mozambique's civil war, Heidi Baker and her husband, Rolland, arrived to help mend the country and care for its beleaguered. This documentary details the Bakers' saga as they turn a broken-down orphanage into a safe, clean place where children receive medical attention and education. The Bakers went on to establish three more havens for Mozambique's children.*

While the first two flicks were documentaries, the last is a dramatization of the life of William Carey called Candle in the Dark. During Carey's forty years in India, he took part in abolishing the practice of sati (burning widows alive). In 1818, he co-founded Serampore College to, among other things, provide an education in Arts and Sciences to students of every "caste, colour or country." Cary was an advocate of providing education for all children--including females--in India.

*Our girl's favorite pick.