I can hear you asking now – what in the world do zoo animals have to do with praying for the people of the 10/40 window? Well, let me show you! There is something fascinating, especially to young children, about exotic animals. Camels and elephants, lions and tigers, even monkeys and crocodiles fire the imagination and invite us to explore entirely new worlds. What if we introduced children to far away lands by using something they are already interested in – animals?
For example, you can use the Sumatran rhinoceros to introduce children to the nation of Indonesia. The Asian elephant is a doorway into Thailand. The saltwater crocodile provides a way to visit Burma. The Arabian oryx is a gateway to Oman. And what more natural way to start an exploration of India than with the Bengal tiger? Choose any animal you like and gather some free resources about it such as pictures, notebooking pages, free books, etc… Talk to your children, your Sunday School group, or your co-op class about where these animals live, how they live, and what their habitats are like. Then talk about the people who also live in these places, how they live, and what their needs are. There are many free online resources for finding such information. One of my favorite sites is the Joshua Project.
The needs around us are almost limitless. Thankfully, our Creator has given us the limitless gift of His love, wisdom, and imagination to meet these needs. What can each of us do today to help meet the needs of the 10/40 window?
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