Jambo! Welcome to the fourth and final part of the Summer Travel Club: Ticket to Uganda.
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.)
DANCE TIME
Watch these two short videos of Ugandan kids dancing:
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.)
- 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!
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.
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!