Ministry Monday: Passport to Summer Missions

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 Welcome to Ministry Monday at Hive Resources! This series is for everyday women who minister through the everyday mission fields of life. Posts feature resources and ideas for discipleship, outreach events, women’s ministries, Bible study, hospitality, and more. Subscribe today!

Today’s post is by one of my real-life best friend’s Nive Burris of Handful of Joy. Nive’s guest post – How to teach your kids to be dinner table missionaries – was one of my most shared posts at Hive Resources, so I’m thrilled to have her back! Originally from India, Nive became a Christian after moving to the U.S. It was my joy to wildly cheer her on when she took her oath to become a U.S. citizen. Since that day, it’s been my honor to watch her pass her inspiring faith on to her two children – along with her love for cooking and the Great Commission.

This summer, I’m taking our family of four on a trip around the world, and you can too!

Here’s some of the places on our family’s travel bucket list. Someday, I want to dip my toes in China’s Yangtze River, hike Mount Kilimanjaro, walk the Great Wall of China, visit the Pyramids, watch Aurora borealis, and the list goes on.

You might think I’m chasing the wind, but I’m not! Our adventures will be virtual!

When I was browsing our local library, bargain book shops and pinboards to plan summer activities with my kids, and I came across Around the World in 60 Days by Thriving Family magazine. Published by Focus on the Family, Around the Word in 60 Days guides you through 27 different countries on six continents. Each day of the trip, offers you a Bible lesson and a fun activity that gives your family a glimpse into another culture.

Experiencing the nations through culture

Here’s what I love about Around the World in 60 Days:

• First, it is free printable download!

You can print out the passport pages and stamps for each country you “visit.”

• Each stamp has a unique symbol which acts as a conversation point.

For example, the India stamp has a picture of three-wheel rickshaw – a very popular mode of transportation.

• Each stamp also has Bible verse to go along with the given country that ties to the devotion.

Around the World in 60 Days is fun summer activity to make kids aware of the world around them which is in desperate need of Christ.

Experiencing the nations through food

But because I’m a huge foodie, I extended our adventures with food and crafts. Here’s how I did it:

• I pick out the dish I want to make based on what I think my family would like, my pantry, and ease of prepping it.

It may or may not be a country listed in Thriving Fun. Click to see how I made Chana Masala from India, Peanut Butter candy from Uganda (see pics), and Chicken Moussaka from Greece!

• We use the prayer points as a guideline for the given country before the meal.

Our kids are accustomed to asking, where we are eating this meal from? It makes the conversation easier for us.

• The kids get to stamp the passport.

If that country is not listed, I cut out a circle and let them write the name of the country and glue it in their book. You can staple additional pages if you like.

• During the family devotion time, we include the verse printed on the stamp.

If we don’t have a verse corresponding to the country we cooked the meal from, we pick a verse about the nations.

Experiencing the nations through art

And since my kids like arts and crafts, I thought it would be fun to include world crafts to go with our summer missions passports. That’s when I found Summer Passport to Imagination –  a 7-week crafting adventure through all 7 continents – at Michaels.

But because the Michaels near us does not offer this class, we took advantage of their easy downloads to do it at home. In this pic, we’re making African masks!

Just a word of encouragement to weary moms – we don’t try to do cooking, crafting and Bible reading all at the same time. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says we are to teach our kids the ways of Lord all the time. So if we eat a meal from Africa, we try to do the craft from Africa the next morning or so, as our time allows.

I’ve been surprised to see that if I ask my children a question about a country we’ve studied, it leads to better prayer!

Happy Travels!

Need some more ideas for teaching your kids about the nations this summer? Check out Nive’s post on How to Teach your Kids to be a Dinner Table Missionary! 

Nive Burris is a cook /author/ explorer/ dreamer/ dinner table missionary/ web master of Handful of Joy. She lives in the big beautiful state of Texas with her two children and a very hard working husband. An inquisitive traveler, cooking gives Nive an opportunity to explore the world from her kitchen. As her faith in Christ has grown, Nive’s has tried to combine her passion for cooking with her love for the Great Commission. You can also catch a glimpse of her intentional yet imperfect pursuit to serve her Lord at Playdate with purpose.

You can also connect with Nive on FB or twitter.

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