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Letters from Gaius - Fiction woven around the the truth of the Advent story
25 Letters · One Each Day of Advent
Letters from Gaius
A Roman Centurion explores his new-found faith in Jesus
Hide one of the letters, somewhere around the house or garden,
each day of Advent, for your children to discover.
Have fun finding it then build shared memories as you read it together.
It's a screen-free journey of discovery for explorers young and old.
Recommended for ages 7–14 · Screen-free · UK English
Everything you need for a meaningful Advent
25 Letters, One for Every Day of Advent
For Ages 7–14, Read Together
Biblical & Roman History in Every Letter
Screen-Free Family Reading
Recently
Discovered
Discovered
The Story Behind the Letters
Found in a Cave. Written Two Thousand Years Ago.
Or so the story goes.
Deep in a cave in the Holy Land, an archaeologist made an extraordinary discovery - a set of ancient scrolls, remarkably preserved, written in first-century Latin and Greek. They turned out to be personal letters from a Roman soldier named Gaius to his young son Lucius, penned in the years following the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth — a crucifixion Gaius himself had been on duty to oversee.
In the letters, Gaius recounts how that day changed everything: his slow, wondering journey toward faith, and his growing excitement as he learns more about the miraculous birth of the man he once stood guard over. They are letters full of warmth, curiosity and the kind of love a father saves for the things and people that matter most to him.
"The scrolls are among the most remarkable finds of my career. I have added my own notes, maps and drawings in the margins.
I hope they help bring Gaius's world to life."
- Professor Alexander (Sandy) Trowel, Biblical Archaeologist
The Cast
Meet the People in the Letters
Every letter brings you deeper into the lives of an ordinary Samaritan family, in service to the Romans and living through the most extraordinary period in history.
The Letter Writer
Gaius
A Samaritan, serving as a Roman centurion, Gaius is practical by training and hardened by his military experience. His world is quietly turned upside down by the man he watched die on a cross. He writes to his son with a soldier's honesty and the wonder of a man who has had an encounter with the Saviour of the world.
The Recipient
Lucius
Gaius's young son, serving in the cavalry at Caesarea while his father serves in Jerusalem. The letters are his father's way of sharing the spiritual journey he is on. They are full of history, biblical references and news from home. We slowly get to know Lucius through the words of his loving and proud father
The Wife
Dorothea
Gaius's wife appears in the letters as a warm, steadying presence. She loves her husband deeply, even if she is sometimes bemused by his conversion to Christianity. She has a soft heart for the misfits and the downtrodden in society. She loves knitting but sizing is still something of a mystery to her.
The Cat
Magnus the magnificent
Brave, resourceful and totally undomesticated, Magnus is more important to Gaius than his military training would allow him to admit.
He is badly behaved, completely unrepentant, and surprisingly good at being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Order Letters from Gaius
Order by November 23rd for guaranteed Advent delivery · Recommended Ages 7–14
Inside the Box
Three Layers of Discovery in Every Letter
The letters themselves are just the beginning. Every page carries more than a story.
The Letters of Gaius
Twenty-five letters, one for each day of Advent and one for Christmas Day itself. Written as if by a Roman soldier to his young son, each one carries Gaius's growing wonder as he discovers the story behind the birth of the man who changed his life. Warm, historically grounded, and written for curious minds aged 7 to 14.
Professor's Annotations
Running alongside each letter in the margins, the archaeologist who discovered the scrolls has added his own notes, hand-drawn maps, and detailed illustrations — placing Gaius's world in its full biblical and Roman historical context. A wealth of knowledge to be read alongside the letters.
Bible Reference Symbols
A system of symbols woven into the text of each letter points readers to the specific Bible passages that relate to what Gaius is describing. They connect the story to the Scriptures it's grounded in, making Letters from Gaius a gateway into the Bible as well as a story in its own right.
A Glimpse Inside the Letters
Low-res previews of four of the letters to give you an idea of what to expect.
Letter 3
Letter 5
Letter 10
Letter 12
What's in the Box
- Cardboard storage box for the letters
- 25 Letters from Gaius - one for each day of Advent plus Christmas Day - printed on high quality paper
- Brown string so you can roll up each letter to look just like an ancient scroll [or keep them flat if you prefer]
- A personalised letter from Professor Sandy Trowel to your children, introducing them to Letters from Gaius
- An explanatory letter from Professor Sandy Trowel to parents, grandparents and carers, explaining how to get the most from the letters
- A personalised Christmas Day letter from Professor Sandy Trowel to your children, reflecting on the Advent journey they have been on together
How It Works
A New Family Ritual for Advent
Simple enough to do every day. Special enough that they'll ask if you've hidden it yet.
1
Hide the Letter
Each morning, tuck the day's letter somewhere in the house — behind a cushion, in a kitchen cupboard, inside a wellington boot. The hiding is half the fun, and entirely up to you. The older your kids are, the sneakier your hiding places can be.
2
They Find It
The children search the house until they find it. This part is all about the thrill of discovery and "earning" the next part of the story. Scroll by scroll, they are assembling a fascinating tale, woven around the greatest story ever told.
3
Read It Together
It's story time - comfy chairs, hot chocolate and warm lighting. Screens off, curiosity on.
Read everything - the story, the professor's notes, the Bible passages.
Share out the reading duties.
"Fifteen minutes a day that will make December memories forever."
Why Letters from Gaius?
A Meaningful Alternative to Counting Down with Chocolate
People have been using Advent calendars to count down to Christmas for almost two centuries. The excitement of discovering a piece of chocolat ebehind today's door is a distant echo of the joy of discovering that the baby born in Bethlehem was actually the Saviour of the world. Even though it's expensive to buy one for each child, Advent wouldn't be the same without them, for many families.
Letters from Gaius can serve any number of children and builds anticipation by weaving a compelling story through the Advent season. Each day builds on the last. The characters become familiar. The history becomes real. By the time Christmas morning arrives, the children have followed a Roman soldier's search for meaning all the way to Bethlehem, and they know why it matters - not because they were told, but because they discovered it for themselves, one letter at a time.
Letters from Gaius offers adventure and learning, powered by your children's imagination rather than a tablet or phone. They are a work of fiction woven around the stories of the Bible and the truths it has held for centuries. They are a way to bring meaning to the Advent season, wrapped in a daily ritual that belongs entirely to your family.
The best gifts aren't the ones that bring the most joy in the moment. They're the ones that build memories that last a lifetime.
Give Them a Story This Advent
Twenty-Five Letters. One Each Morning. A Christmas They Won't Forget.
Letters from Gaius is an Advent tradition that asks nothing more than fifteen minutes a day and the willingness to wonder. Order now to make sure it arrives in time to hide the first letter on the 1st of December.
Order Letters from GaiusOrder by November 23rd for guaranteed Advent delivery · Recommended Ages 7–14