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