Brother's Keeper

Brief overview:

Brother's Keeper invites middle grade readers into the world of North Korean refugees during the 1950s. Join 12-year-old Sora and her Christian family as they flee the war in North Korea and walk hundreds of miles to South Korea.

Recommended age range: 4th grade & up

Strengths:

• Provides a kid-friendly angle to this historical event
• Sora is a main character you want to root for, despite her flaws
• Learning about the culture of North Korea and the difficulty presented during the Korean War for many North Koreans who didn't agree with the communist government
• Brings the reality Christians in North Korea faced during the Korean War to light
• Sora's growth arc is well done and believable, but incredibly hard earned

Additional Notes:

• This book deals with some heavy emotions, including Sora's mixed feelings toward her younger brothers because she must stop attending school to care for them.
• Sora's relationship with her mother is complex, but when viewed from the Korean perspective, one can understand her mother was trying to prepare her for what was expected of women in North Korea. (A reality woven from different women characters throughout the book.)
• The kids experience some weighty events, including bombings, a drowning, a baby dying, an elderly man soiling himself on a long, cramped train ride, lost of a loved one. Again, these are mostly depicted in appropriate ways for young readers (not too over the top), but they are present in this storyline.
• The reality of the communism and the war is depicted from a kid's perspective, but can be heavy at moments. 
• An adult may want to read ahead to determine if a certain scene or description could be skipped without missing out on the overarching narrative of the story.
• Reading the story together might provide a better opportunity to discuss any difficult (but real) moments with a young reader. 
• Spoiler: Why Sora's parents didn't seem to search for her and her brother was unclear. Their route to South Korea was so much easier and the parents didn't seem to really want to hear the difficulties their kids endured to be reunited with them.

Summer Travel Club: Ticket to Uganda (Part 4)

 Jambo! Welcome to the fourth and final part of  the Summer Travel Club: Ticket to Uganda.

Remember to pick what components fit into your family's rhythm and don't stress about the rest!

Now let's finish our trek to Uganda (part 4)!

OPENING QUESTION

Have each family member answer the following question:

What is your favorite way to worship God?

WHAT DO UGANDANS LOVE TO DO?

Let's play a quick game to find out something Ugandans love to do!

1) On a piece of paper, draw five blank lines for the five-letter word mystery word. The mystery word is dance.

2) Have kids take turns guessing letters. If they guess a letter correctly, fill it into the right spot. 

If they get a letter wrong, start drawing one part of a stick figure. (First, a circle for the head. Second, a line for the body. Third, one arm. Fourth, the other arm. Fifth, one leg. Sixth, the other leg. Seventh, one eye. Eighth, the other eye. Ninth, the mouth.)

3) Kids win if they guess the word before parents can draw a full stick figure person.

DANCE TIME

Ugandans love to dance, including kids!

Watch these two short videos of Ugandan kids dancing:

• Dance to celebrate Independence Day on October 9th (about 1 minute).

• Kids dancing to Kumbaya (about 2 minutes).

CHURCH IN UGANDA

Ask your kids the following question: 

What do you think is a key part of worshipping God in Uganda? 

(And of course, the answer is dancing!)

• Church services in Uganda are longer, louder, and less structured than in the United States!

• Ugandans like to sing, dance, clap, and play drums during the time of worship through music.

• Sometimes people walk far to attend church.

• Church services can last hours!

Watch a snippet of a Ugandan church worshipping Jesus (around 30 seconds.). 

What do you notice is different about how the church in Uganda than your church in the U.S.A.? What was the same?

WORSHIP LIKE A UGANDAN CHRISTIAN KID

Now let's take a few minutes to worship a bit like how a Ugandan Christian kid might. 

1) Find a drum or two. (You can use some pots or bowls. Or create makeshift drum by cutting off the bottom of a balloon, stretching it over the open top of a cleaned aluminum can, and holding it in place with a rubber band.)

2) Play the Swahili worship song, Hakuna Mungu (about 2.5 minutes). While the song plays, everyone in your family dances, sings, claps, and plays the drums.

What did you like about worshipping the Lord with this type of energy?

Different cultures bring God praise in unique and beautiful ways! 

PRAYER TIME

• Pray for believers to share their faith with those who practice other religions.

• Pray for Christians who are geographically close to take the gospel to a nearby tribal people.

BONUS ACTIVITIES

1) Good books let us “meet” people we may not encounter in our neighborhood. Try reading one of the following books together as a family:

*Be sure to read my full book review of Orange for the Sunsets on my blog before diving into it.

2) Play a popular Ugandan game together as a family: Mancala (ages 8 & up). In Uganda, it's known as Omweso. (You can even snag a version of Mancala for kids ages 6 and up here.)

Thanks for joining us on this adventure to Uganda! 

Remember prayer is key to God's global plan for everyone to know and worship Him—including Ugandans! Keep praying for the world this summer!