Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. – Matthew 28:19
Susannah has had so many questions as of late regarding the differences between continents, countries, states, and cities. When we travel to visit a family member, her first question will invariably always be “Did we leave the country, mama?” to which we then launch into yet another long conversation about their differences.
Have you ever attempted to do this without a visual? It’s like trying to explain to someone how to tie shoes – darn near impossible without a map or a globe.
The teacher in me knew there was a better way – a way to “kill two birds with one stone” by teaching us all a little bit more about the world beyond our Midwestern town and allowing us to pray for those in need everywhere.
And while I have yet to go on a mission trip, you better believe I know that I have a missionary heart and would love to instill that in our children. Call it brainwashing if you must but I like to think of it as “leading them in the way they should go.” It’s imperative to me that my children see beyond their own borders.
Enter Amazon, where I purchased a new atlas, a coordinating corkboard, and a blow-up globe (I was too cheap to invest in a nice one).
This here little gem now hangs at child’s eye level off of our kitchen so it’s easily accessible.
World Map Political Wall Poster, 24 x 36
Map tacked to “Board Dudes” 24 x 36 cork board
The Replogle Globes Illumiworld Blow-Up Globe now dangles from our kitchen table light fixture
Unbeknownst to me when I placed the order, there is a light in the bottom of the globe but truth be told, it doesn’t work so well – still love it though! (Notice the map from above in the background?)
So now what? You’ve got the map, the corkboard, the globe…What do we do?
You buy map pins and pin away! The ones you see here are in Botswana and Uganda, where our Operation Christmas Child boxes were delivered. Also shown is a pin in Tanzania, where our Compassion International child resides.
Or you can also use your map for a landing pad for Nerf darts but you can learn countries this way, too. If you have boys, may I suggest this method?
Our church recently has begun a prayer campaign to pray for the over-200 religiously-oppressed nations in our world, so we began using white pins for these countries. Last week, we prayed for Albania and this week’s focus is on Algeria.
I will be listing these prayer focuses each week in my sidebar should you feel compelled to join our family in this endeavor.
Before I close, a few things leapt into my heart that I need to share…I first must say that when I write posts like these, I often worry it will come off as “Look at what I’M doing, everyone!”. Please know this is not the intention as I have no desire to ever play the “righteous game”. I’m far too imperfect for that and I know that if I come upon a conversation loaded with this tone, I quietly move to another.
Secondly, I am also fully-aware of the horrid challenges we face in our country RIGHT HERE. Intensely-tragic poverty does not only reside in Africa and Haiti. For that reason, I’ll also be focusing on a “local” prayer concern (local to the U.S.) as well.
My “local” prayer concern this week is for the families of the shooting victims in Tucson, Arizona as well as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who is fighting for her life as we read.
May God “Build Us Back” and teach us the compassion we need to stop the cycle of senseless violence.
And in the midst of it all, He still says…
I will never leave you nor forsake you. – Hebrews 13:5
I’m joining in with “Works for Me Wednesday” at “We Are THAT Family” and “Walking With Him Wednesday” at “A Holy Experience”.
Good stuff, girls. (And the few boys who read would like it, too.)
What a great idea!!! Think I may have to borrow it. We are moving next week from Germany back to the US-CO so it may help my kids (5 and 3) to better understand where we are and where we came from. I also like the pins idea of places to pray for. :) Thanks!!
how wonderful — I can’t help but laugh though – we have the same dart gun!! =)
I didn’t think this post came across as “look what I’m doing” at all. It’s a great idea, and one that is easy to share. I just pulled out our atlas last night to show the kids where Michigan is, although it’s for vacation and not a mission (yet). I would love to take my kids on a mission trip, whether it is here in the US or somewhere out of our country and comfort zone. The timing is just not right, though…I’m hoping in the next five years.
Thanks for sharing your heart for God with us, Natalie! You inspire me with every post you write!
One thing that I adore about the internet and blogs is hearing other people’s ideas. It truly helps my frazzled brain. We have a map at the kids’ eye level as well. It really is helpful for them to visualize where in the would they are. And tying shoes without a visual aid IS impossible. :-) Have a great day, Natalie and thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts and ideas.
This is a wonderful idea, dear daughter! I was studying the world map while I was traveling on the plane recently and it is most interesting. Great learning experience for my darlings (although I don’t know how they could be any smarter than they already are:) Mother will love this as well as you know she actually uses a black magic marker and marks on her real globe wherever anyone is our family is when they travel. Probably not the best idea:) Love you, Mother
Love this, Natalie! I think it can be hard for kids to understand how geography works, but your plan is sure to help.
I love the idea of praying for the nations/praying for a part of the map. You’re accomplishing so much in doing so.
Maybe I should send S a card all the way from where I live. Think she’d like it?
Talk to you soon..
I love your mission minded heart and I think the map is a beautiful idea!
Very cool! :-)
I got a large laminated US map and a world one when my kids were small and they both hung on the wall forever. It is the only way they can ever get perspective on geography.
What a great blog! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
sara
thank you for the inspiration! When I homeschooled my three grown kids we always had maps on the walls. Years later…not so. Tomorrow I am going to find a map and hang it…the globe is also handy .. while you are eating.
xo:)
My 3 year old is so interested in maps. She always wants to look at them to see where we are. (We travel for work a lot, hubby is a minister but provides seminars to churches across the country and sometimes outside the country.) I need to buy a big map like this and start putting pins in where we travel or where other family lives. Thanks for the idea. I appreciate it! And I know she will LOVE it!
I came from Ann’s
The heart of a mom who tries to be a real mom is so amazingly precious. Your heart with your kids and the maps and the pins just shines – and I so respect that.
As one of the “boys” who like to read Ann – I’m glad I did – otherwise I would not have found your words.
Thank you for this
God Bless and keep you and yours.
natalie, great idea. very practical ideas both for giving your kids a view of the world and getting used to where the world is compared to them. also liked your idea for boys:) i never had any but now have 2 grandsons. that may be good info for them:) one of them will probably need it to understand where the US is! his parents are heading to ukraine for 3 yrs. (he is now 1.)
Maps are awesome! You can avoid having to buy one if you keep a good eye on the junk mail: National Geographic, Doctors Without Borders, and the Sierra Club all have sent us free maps without our ever subscribing/contributing to them!