World Awareness Archives - Train Up The Child

Teach Your Children About Columbus

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020 by Sheilah

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
Mark 16:15

History:

‘In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue!’ But why did he set sail?

“Christopher Columbus had a belief that God intended him to sail the Atlantic Ocean in order to spread Christianity. He said his prayers several times daily. Columbus wrote what he called a Book of Prophecies, which is a compilation of passages Columbus selected from the Bible which he believed were pertinent to his mission of discovery. Columbus’s own writings prove that he believed that God revealed His plan for the world in the Bible, the infallible Word of God. Columbus believed that he was obeying the mission God staked out for his life when he set sail west across the Atlantic Ocean.” Phyllis Schlafly Radio Script, October 14, 2002

Washington Irving wrote of Christopher Columbus: “ Whenever he made any great discovery, he celebrated it by solemn thanks to God. The voice of prayer and melody of praise rose from his ships when they first beheld the New World, and his first action on landing was to prostrate himself upon the earth and return thanksgivings.”

Teach your children that each Columbus Day, we celebrate the life of a brave explorer who loved Jesus and obeyed the Bible’s command to spread the gospel. He landed in the Americas on October 12, 1492. It was first celebrated in 1866. October 12th was made a federal holiday in 1934. Since 1970 it has been celebrated yearly on the 2nd Monday of October.

The results of Columbus sailing the ocean blue was the discovery that the Earth was indeed round and also the settlement of new lands. This resulted in the further spreading of the Good News which led eventually to our hearing the Gospel of Jesus.

Activities:

Trace his journey on a globe from Spain to San Salvador Island:

Play with a ball, preferably an inflated globe ball, and talk about the fact that Columbus discovered that the world was round.
Tape off a boat on the floor or make one out of a large box and pretend to be Columbus discovering America. Then get out and lay on the ground and thank God and sing as Columbus did. Pretend the stuffed animals are the natives in the land and tell them about Jesus.
Check out this site for some Columbus Day crafts: http://www.dltk-kids.com/Crafts/columbus/index.htm
Consider getting a map of the world shower curtain

Training Moms in Uganda

July 12, 2012 by Sheilah

I had the privilege of speaking to moms in several villages in Uganda last week. Uganda has the 2nd highest fertility rate in the world – 6.65 children born/woman. What do you say to them about training their children spiritually when the physical needs of clothing, shelter, and food are so overwhelming? Elaine Moody spoke before me and told the ladies about how everyone of us must relate to God with our spirits (John 4:24)
This led right into my speaking to them about training their children’s spirits to be sensitive to God.

I shared with them about Samson’s parents who asked how to order their son and the only instruction given was what the mother was to eat during pregnancy. This led us to examine the fact that there are 9 fruit of the spirit and 9 months of pregnancy. Meditating on one fruit of the spirit each month and praying that fruit for your unborn child can help his spirit grow as his little body grows. (see previous blog post on this subject)

I told them that Deuteronomy 6 instructs us to teach our children as we lie down, as we rise up, and as we go. I showed them pictures of things they might see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. I sang songs they could sing with their children to remind the children that God has given them the senses to enjoy His beautiful world. I told them to involve all their senses in helping their children learn about God.

I don’t know how much the moms took away from the time we had together. I can only pray they caught the passion to train their children’s spirits to relate to Christ . . . for He is our only hope whether we live in a well-built home in America or a mud-brick home in Uganda.

A Young Girl With an Abundant Love for Children

October 7, 2011 by Sheilah

Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

At the age of nineteen, Katie Davis felt God leading her to move to Uganda to teach children. That step of faith led her to start a nonprofit organization, and then to adopt 14 children who now call this 21 year old ‘Mama’. She is bringing the love of Jesus to a whole village where she lives and is a shining example to us all of how to love Jesus by sacrificial love and care for the ‘least of these’. Read her story – Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption

Teaching an Awareness of the World

May 12, 2011May 12, 2011 by Sheilah

Acts 1:8
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Matthew 28:18-20
He told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this–that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Young children naturally think they are the center of their world. It is up to us as parents to begin at an early age to give them a Biblical world awareness of God’s love for the whole world.

Early on give them a map and a globe to look at and handle.

Point out where they live, places they have been, and where people they know live.

Point out where there have been natural disasters, wars, etc. Lead your children to pray for people in these places.

Get a pen pal from another country; support a child in another country; or support a missionary. Talk about and pray for these with your children and let them be active in corresponding with them.

A World Map Shower Curtain is a fun way to always keep that view of the world before us – we love ours!!

An Inflatable Earth Globe Beach Ball 16″ Diameter is a great teaching aide. Sing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” while you play.

Click here to order more resources to help make your children aware of the vastness of the world God created.

Here are some links to help make us more aware of needs of others in the world:

http://www.kidzkonnect4jesus.org (equips kids to know, care, pray, give, love)

http://www.billygraham.org/d2bd_index.asp (a program called ‘Dare to Be a Daniel’ for tweens, ages 9-14)

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.operationworld.org/

http://www.worldvision.org/

http://410bridge.org/

http://www.sweetsleep.org/

http://www.persecution.com/