I will be exploring how our senses can help us learn about missions. The first sense we will use is sight.
Sometimes seeing really does open our minds and give us a better understanding of unfamiliar circumstances and experiences. So to start things off...
Pictures: Pictures are worth a thousand words, right? A picture can clearly represent the environment a missionary is in. This is true especially for young children with a more limited experience of the world.
Begin by choosing a missionary family in a particular country. Then find as many pictures as you can! Libraries should have reference books specific to individual countries and the internet is loaded with images from around the world. Here are some suggestions of what to look for along with pictures representing Peru:
Terrain/Environment
Local Animal and Plant Life
Homes of Native People
Food of Native People
People the missionaries are trying to reach
Country flag
Location/Map
Location/Map
Use these pictures as a springboard into further discussion and activity. One activity to further your study could be to compare the missionary's surroundings to the surroundings your family is familiar with using a Venn Diagram. Younger children could place the pictures in the appropriate location on the graphic organizer while older children use words and greater description and detail. Seeing all the visuals will give children a better idea of what missionaries experience daily.
Here are two additional resources that are great for learning more about other countries:
Kids and Cultures is a great organization focusing on presenting cultural information to kids in a fun hands-on format. They put out this video a few years ago featuring Turkey.Check it out here: http://www.kidsandcultures.com/really-big-field-trip.html
Here are two additional resources that are great for learning more about other countries:
Totally Tots also has a great resource for young children and parents. Their Tots on a Mission feature presents a different country each month. It briefly covers the topics covered above as well as a few additional ones. One of my favorite features of Tots on a Mission is the focus on praying for the people in these countries. Another favorite is the printable with the country flag, visual location, and prayer concerns for the area. I highly suggest this site!!
http://totallytots.blogspot.com/search/label/Tots%20on%20a%20MissionResearch: Having kids research their interests will provide ownership and motivation.
Have older children research related areas of interest for themselves while younger children can listen to short pieces of information read aloud. Some starters might be: What sports do they play in...? What is school like in ...? What does a typical day look like? What food is the area know for? Are Christians persecuted?
Another great thing to have them research would be the specific work the missionaries are doing.
~ Are the evangelizing?
~ Leading a local church?
~ Equipping church leaders?
~Teaching English?
~Translating the Bible?
What do all these forms of missions look like?
Great Discussion: This is a great way to get a snapshot of what is going on in a child's heart
What would make missions most difficult for you?
How would you feel if you didn't understand the language?
Are you willing to share the gospel with those around you now? How do you do this?
Daily Reminders: Keep what you know and learn fresh with daily reminders! (Based on the philosophy, If you don't use it you'll lose it!!)
Do your missionaries have a prayer card? Think about posting it somewhere every family member will see it on a daily basis. Bathroom mirror? Fridge? Dining room table? The more you are aware of the daily circumstances and challenges these missionaries face the better you will be able to support them through both prayer and finances!
While not all of these ideas are specifically about missions having a broad knowledge about the cultures missionaries are in will give children a better understanding and appreciation for what they are doing to reach others for Christ.
Sorry for the length I have so much more to share but will save all of that for a later post. Let me know what you think of those two particular resource and how you integrate missions into your family!
Sorry for the length I have so much more to share but will save all of that for a later post. Let me know what you think of those two particular resource and how you integrate missions into your family!
