ChristianChildren’sBook“NoShoesPetra”:AtoolforreflectionOVERVIEWThisChristianchildren’sBook,NoShoesPetra,isaboutalittlegirlwhodoesnothaveanyshoes.Thebookkeenlyillustratesaninstanceofsomeonemeetingtheneedofthelittlegirl(Petra)byprovidingapairofnewshoes.Thissimpleexamplewillleadustothequestion“WhatcanIdo?”onOrphanSundaysince,asChristians,wearecalledtobethehandsandfeetofJesusChrist.Ourstartingpointisbeingawareofhowgreatlyweareblessed.Theexercisebelowisdesignedtocultivatethatawareness.Inthebook,Petracomestothisawarenesswiththehelpofhergrandmother.PREPARATION1. GetthebookNoShoesPetrathroughBarnes&NobleorAmazon(seedetailsbelow).2. Pleasephotocopythecoverpageandthelasttwopagesofthebook.Thelasttwopageshave
designatedareasforchildrentodraworwrite.Makeatleastonephotocopyforeachstudentintheclass.Stapletogetherallthreepages.
3. Ensureanadequatenumberofpencilsandcoloringpencils/crayonsareavailabletoaccommodatethegroup.
EXERCISEandDISCUSSION1. Readthebooktotheclass.Toaddvisuals,thebook’spagesshouldbeputonalargerscreenwhile
thereadingoccurs.Iftheclassissmallandallthechildrencaneasilyseethereader,thentheimagesinsidethebookcanbeshowndirectlytothechildren.
2. Afterthebookhasbeenread,theleaderwillaskforavolunteertosummarizethestory.
3. Theleaderwillthenaskfortwoothervolunteerstogivetheirimpressionastowhatisthekeymessageofthestory.
Theanswercouldbewide-ranging;therefore,manythoughtsshouldbeaccommodated.Forexample,onechildsuccinctlysaidthatthestorytellsusthatnomatterwhatyourcircumstancesare,Jesusiswithyou.Othersmaytellyouabouttheirowncircumstanceatschoolwhentheydidnothavealltheyneededorwhentheywerebullied.Onegirlexplainedhowhergrandmothertoldher(justasinthebook)shehadonlyoneuniformtowearwhenshewasgoingtoschool.
4. Allthreepageswillbedistributedtoeachchild.Thechildrenwillbeaskedtoeitherdraworwriteoneormoreblessingsonthesepages.
5. Aftertwentyminutesorso,eachchildwillbeaskedtoshowitsdrawingortosharewiththeclasswhattheyarethankfulfor.
Usuallythemajorityoftheclassiswillingtodothis.Forthosewhoareshy,justaskiftheywantsomeoneelsetopresenttheirworktotheclass.
6. Aftereachpresentation,theleaderwillapplaudforthechildandprovideashortprayerof
thanksgivingforwhatwasspoken.Forexample,ifaJanesaysIamthankfulforthefoodthatIhave,theleaderechoesthatinaprayerthatoffersathankyouforprovidingJanewithfoodeveryday.
7. Aftereveryonehasspoken,theleadercanremindthechildrenhowgoodGodis.Petra(maincharacterinthebook)didnothaveshoes,butshehadmanyotherthings.Somethingswereobviousandsomewerelessso.Orphansdonothaveparents,buttheLordisstillwiththem.ThatiswhywecelebrateOrphanSunday.WetakethistimetotouchthesechildreninonewayoranotherinorderforthemtoalsoseehowgoodGodis.WECANBETHEMIRACLETHATSOMEONEISPRAYINGFOR.
ACTIONWhatwecanalldoisprayfororphansinourneighborhood,inourcountryandaroundtheworld.Theleadermayopttoinformtheclassofwhattheirchurchwilldotosupportorphans.Theleadercandecidetopurchaseacopyofthebookforchildrennearbygrowingupinfostercareorothersthatfacelifewithouttheirfathersand/ormothers;forsocialworkersandofficialsservingfosteryouth;orforchurchesandnon-profitswithadoption/foster/globalorphanministries.
Purchasethebookhere:
https://www.amazon.com/No-Shoes-Petra-Donna-Clarke/dp/1770698000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505436884&sr=8-1&keywords=no+shoes+petra
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-shoes-petra-donna-clarke/1117442575?ean=9781770698000