The title of this book comes from Psalm 113: 7-8, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people." Hence the title Out of the Dust. It has been a privilege and honour for Ros and me to be serving as volunteer missionaries at Iris Global Zimpeto (formally Iris Ministries) in Maputo, Mozambique, since 2001.

The reward of serving long-term is to see valuable fruit produced: hungry children fed, educated, healed, restored, ministered to and loved back to life. This book is a collection of just a few of the stories of those children, now men and women, who are "running the race of life".

The stories have been written by the young men and women themselves. The stories are their own words. They have included details of their own choice - some with quite explicit descriptions of difficult seasons, others with a more general overview. Some stories are brief while others are longer. This book celebrates the tenacity of those who had every reason to give up but who pressed ahead and are reaping a great reward. It celebrates their successes. Above all, it is a testimony to the amazing goodness of God.