'He's Alive!' Easter activity

This Easter I included a fun activity to do with my twelve 6-graders – a pop-up booklet with the Easter story and flannel graphs by a Christian artist, Martin Didier. My supervisor agreed that this fun activity would be a much better and more meaningful option than painting traditional Easter eggs or making Easter bunny masks.

At class we read the simplified Easter story included in the flannel graph set, and I asked my students if they believed in God and Jesus. They all raised their hands and responded positively when I offered to teach them a simple Salvation prayer. We talked some more about Jesus and the meaning of what He had done for all of us on the cross that day over 2000 years ago. 

We completed the first page of the booklet together at class, and the students took the remainder of the activity as a special homework for the long Easter weekend. 

Christmas at the old folks' home

Christmas at school

I work as an English teacher in one of the respectable schools. My particular class of 11-year olds is considered to be a challenge by the principal and staff. I am their fourth teacher this year, as no one could cope with their behavioral issues. 

We were approaching the closing of the school year and the final concert. The children were not manageable and didn’t seem to care about the concert, or anything else. When thinking about how to bring Christmas to them and motivate them to rehearse, a friend gave me an idea to write each one a scroll and make brownies. 

A box for a brownie

I had to prepare13 scrolls and bake 13 brownies. My own children were helping me in choosing the materials, making boxes, baking brownies, and searching through pictures for the ones that would match with each scroll.   

In the scrolls I wrote how happy I was to be their teacher this year and what I liked about each one of them. I also included a prayer to receive Jesus there. A home-made brownie was meant to be a reward for a good performance at the concert. 

I prayed desperately that children would catch the fun of being on stage. It is incredible to see the difference in my class every time I pray. The transformation is so vivid. I didn’t have to do anything – I just mentioned to a leader of the group, that they might not be as sharp as the rest of the kids due to lack of practice. 

A letter-scroll for a girl

She took it from there. She organized everyone to do their part, they modified the play, worked out the prompts, skipped the recess to practice more, arranged the stage time for rehearsals, negotiated with the principal the changes to the script, etc. etc. I just watched. After all was done, I gave out the scrolls and let each one pick their little box with the present (they didn’t know that there was a brownie inside). They were so touched, and said that I was the only teacher who did something for them, or seemed to care about them at all. 

Shortly, a boy brought me flowers, one mother thanked me for writing a personal letter for her son, and another girl brought me a present, too. It was a beautiful time when we exchanged our mutual appreciation. My principal was very happy with the idea of personalized messages and brownies. 

Kids were coming to me, so I could pray for them to not be nervous and just enjoy themselves. The concert was a success, everyone returned home tired and happy.

Christmas projects 2010

Usually each Christmas season our children would make a variety of Christmas cards to be delivered to friends and contacts, who had faithfully helped us with their services and care during the year. 

This year a coworker took this idea further. Why not take children cards to the printing shop and offer the cards for donations in bigger quantities to our sponsors and supporters, making it a marketable tool? She explained the idea to the children, and it became a project! 

First, the productions team set out to buy the necessary tools – markers, paper, crayons, color pencils, glitter, etc. etc. Then, every day children were creating cards making them look very nice and giving their best. The youngest participant, Nadia, is 4 years old. Then, after the cards were made, Daria (10) and Aggie (14) took pictures of each card and uploaded them all on the computer. Then an adult laid them out on a A4 sheet of paper with the logo, our contact number and other information, making out of all cards three different flyers. 

Next, we went to the friendly printer and negotiated a good price for printing out each card in color on a special paper. There would be 2 sizes: A6 and A5. Then, when our friends went to their weekly spot in one of the best restaurants downtown, they was offering their friends, clients and employees the flyers, so that those could choose the cards they wanted to purchase for a donation towards children’s collective fund for Christmas. 

The very first day several people ordered 125 cards! We are planning to take children singing, and after each show they could offer to the audience the cards they made with the special message inside.

Here are some more cards that went into flyers. 

What do you think about it?

Self-preservation

By Peter
September 14, 2010

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I recently saw a TV show set in Great Britain during the early part of World War II. The Nazis had defeated France, and the British expected imminent invasion. For some, the uncertainty, the fear of the future, and the feeling that they needed to take care of their own led them to act in ways they wouldn’t have in their normal day-to-day lives. They showed less concern for others, many hoarded, others stole, and some even committed murder!

Other people, in contrast, reacted in a completely different manner. They weren’t heroic because they performed great deeds; they were heroic because they performed small deeds selflessly. They faced their difficulties with dignity. They helped one another. They banded together as a community, looking out for the welfare of their neighbors and sharing what they had with those in need.

Seeing the contrast between the two types of responses brought home the challenges we face when we are in uncertain times or difficult situations—as many of us are right now. In times of disorientation, when the status quo changes, when everything seems topsy-turvy, it’s natural for people to feel concerned for themselves. While everyone won’t respond in the same way, the selfish human instinct for self-preservation takes a more prominent role for some people.

When all around us is unstable, it’s natural to become destabilized ourselves. When what felt like solid ground begins to feel like shifting sand, the fear can be gripping.—Fear of the future, fear of the changes being, or about to be, thrust upon us. If we allow fear to overpower faith, our trust in God’s care tends to diminish. Once that happens, then the feeling that we must take control of events and take matters into our own hands becomes more prominent. This isn’t necessarily bad, since the “fight or flight” instinct is built into our nature, and we automatically respond to perceived danger with self-preserving moves. We will protect ourselves and our loved ones, as we should.

The challenge we face, though, is finding the right balance between our human nature and our spiritual nature. As Christians we are “new creatures” who possess more than just human nature.^[1] We have God’s Spirit dwelling within us.^[2] We abide in Jesus and He abides in us.^[3] So, our responses to circumstances and events should be influenced by that indwelling. While we feel naturally driven toward self-preservation, the Spirit can temper that reaction, so that we can find the balanced response—one which is compatible with Christ’s nature.^[4]

This isn’t easy, because our human nature is so … well, human. It’s our default setting. Being concerned for someone else or their need, situation, or struggle isn’t naturally our first priority. Because of this, there is the danger that we will minimize or even completely ignore someone else’s needs in favor of our own. When this happens, we are in danger of damaging others, and ourselves as well.

If we plow forward with our self-serving plans without consideration for those around us, chances are we’ll make decisions that will hurt others. Promises and commitments that we’ve made will take a back seat, and we’ll gravitate toward what is best for us even at the risk of hurting others. This can result in damaged friendships, disappointment, resentment, and bitterness. Those left in the wake of our selfishness will suffer, because our human nature overrode the Spirit of God within us.

When this happens, not only do others suffer, but we suffer too. Not necessarily in ways we see, at least not right away. But nevertheless, it damages us. I’ve read that in business, if someone is displeased with your product, they will generally tell 50 other people about it within their lifetime. In our lives as Christians, we are the product. If we have damaged someone’s trust in us, because our self-preserving acts have harmed them, they may never fully trust us again. And it’s possible, even likely, that they will convey that mistrust to others.
It hurts them, it hurts you.

Taking care of your needs and the needs of your loved ones isn’t wrong. But as disciples of Jesus, filled with the Spirit of Jesus, we should step back from focusing only on our own needs and look also to the needs of others. We should find the balance.

Philippians 2:4–5 says: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

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^[1] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

^[2] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV).

^[3] Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me (John 15:4 KJV).

^[4] The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22–23 KJV).

Copyright © 2010 The Family International.

A moment with the older folks...

Adam thought of dropping by an old folks' home for Easter. Just us and kids, home-made peach jam, a song or two, Easter cards with kids writings inside, some balloons... It wasn't meant to be anything big. Simple, sincere and with lots of hugs and smiles. Well, that's all what was needed there, really.

We arranged the visit, the staff was informed and waiting. We came right on time, as the old ladies and gentlemen were about to start their afternoon snack. They had a slice of bread and milk. So, peach jam came in handy!


Kids sang a song. Poor Olenka was so shy she mixed up the words and just froze there with horror in her eyes, not knowing what to do next. I mimicked to her, "It's ok! Keep on singing! It's fine!' At the end of the song, she finally managed to smile again and get over stage fright.

As Adam was twisting balloons and kids were delivering them one by one to the older people, Hannah and I took time to listen to them, hug them, share a little bit of love. Each person - a whole life story. I felt so intimidated that it wasn't much, but I heard back, "No, please! It's all about emotions. I loved it, it moved me. I am so lonely here, and having a hug and someone to pay personal attention to me was so special'.


Here are some pictures:

Puppets in the Hospital Folcan, Bs.As

Hot summer afternoon. +40. Our team loads in the van (moving oven) and off we go with the puppets. The children's hospital Folcan is 30 min drive away from our center. The reception hall is small, poor, full of patients. To everyone's surprise a team of crazily-dressed, loud, colorful people bursts in, swaying around huge hilarious puppets that 'talk'! Isaias, the guard, kindly lets us pass inside the hospital to entertain and pray with the children there.


You can hear all kind of stories in the hospital. This one is about a miracle. One young mother shared with me that her young girl Shamila (16 months) drowned two days ago. She stayed under water for 6 min, while the mother was busy doing something else. The pool was shallow, yet not shallow enough.... When they pulled her out, she was blue and stiff, didn't breathe and didn't show any signs of life, nor hope of survival. I look in disbelief at the healthy, active toddler trying to grab a donkey-puppet ear. Miraculously the little girl shows no signs of brain damage, or any other side effects of the accident. Well, it's a miracle to me. The mother totally agrees. I gave her a tract, explaining more about a Miracle-Worker.



Another interesting woman I found was a mother of eight healthy wonderful children. One of her little boys was brought to the hospital to stay for a couple of days as he had some intestinal blockage. The situation was promptly corrected, and both mother and son were sharing some special bonding time together. I found out, that this little two-year old was somewhat jealous that Mommy was spending all her time with a three-months old baby sister. Well, now he had Mommy all to himself for a while!


It was wonderful to offer everyone the prayer of spiritual and physical healing, and give out many coloring pages with simple Bible verses and nice drawings for the children to keep. Our clowns left each child with a balloon and lots of giggles! By the way, adults enjoyed the puppets as much as the children!