A Life of Faith dolls, originally "The Elsie Dinsmore Doll Collection," debuted in 1998 when homeschooling parents Lee and Bill Bereza created the small business Breezy Point Treasures and based their custom doll on the heroine of the Elsie Dinsmore Christian book series by Martha Finley.

Doll artist Sandra Bilotto was hired to design the doll and renown doll maker Lloyd Middleton was secured to produce the collection. Breezy Point Treasures soon offered a second doll based in the Elsie Dinsmore series, Elsie's cousin Mildred Keith.

Both Elsie and Mildred went through several iterations between 1998 and 2009, during which time Mission City Press, who had purchased Breezy Point Treasures in 2003, rebooted and expanded the Elsie Dinsmore series. Doll artist Robin Woods was brought on to give the dolls a new, frillier, flashier style.

Rebooted Elsie went from slightly wavy hair to a head full of ringlets, while Mildred, whose name was modernized to Millie, was given long blonde braids and bangs (she was originally a brunette). Both dolls were given extensive makeovers including darker eye makeup and lashes, meanwhile their dresses and undergarments became much more elaborate and ruffly.


Mission City Press also introduced three additional characters: Violet Travilla who was Elsie's daughter in the series, Laylie Colbert, a young African American Girl born into slavery (and helped set free by Millie Keith) and Kathleen McKenzie, a girl living some decades later during the Great Depression. Both Laylie and Kathleen each introduced a new, closed-mouth face mold which differed from the previous Sandra Bilotto mold. The new mold may have been designed by Robin Woods who was also behind the collection's new style. (Laylie and Kathleen do somewhat resemble some of Woods's other doll designs.)


The company was soon struggling to stay afloat however, and after a final version of the dolls with simpler clothing and packaging, Mission City Press ceased production on A Life of Faith dolls in 2006. The dolls have nonetheless remained popular and are still sought out by fans and collectors today.


A Life of Faith dolls have an undeniable, high quality feel to them with well-structured, balanced, full vinyl bodies, beautifully detailed hands and feet, and cute, tilting heads. They stand a smidgen over 18" tall, and unlike most full vinyl-bodied dolls, they have similar proportions to American Girl dolls.


They are actually a good match, and while still slightly slimmer, they can easily share most clothes with AG dolls. Their feet are a bit longer however, so some ALOF doll shoes may fit loosely on American Girl dolls. Nonetheless most AG shoes still manage to fit ALOF dolls well enough.