Meet My New Book ~ First Steps in Missions!

First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers

 by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I'm honored to announce the release of First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22.

What? You already have a copy?

True. It was available in late summer. I was barely available. Thank you for going on without me and getting your copy!

My honey and I were eyebrow deep in cleaning, packing, sorting, storing, and donating our belongings. Why? We sold our home. I should say, God sold our home. In 3 days.

That was a quick sale and left us with no free time to do anything. Except move.

Never fear, we are not homeless. Many of you have already seen the pictures. We are full-time RV'ers living in a solid (though you can feel it move when walking inside), warm (we hope), and quite spacious RV with our 2 crazy kitties. The excitement and adventure is fantastic! Let's just not mention the period of adjustment, shall we?

In the midst of this transition, First Steps in Missions was released. I'm very excited to see this work in print.

In honor of this project, I am going to take a monthly walk through each chapter and area of the world, choose my favorite activity, and flesh out additional ways to use the activity with preschoolers. So much fun!

Coming soon: September fun in the Philippines.

If you would like your own copy, I'm thrilled to direct you on the right paths. First Steps in Missions, Volume 22

Thanks for stopping by!

Meet My Baby - The Stack (of Paper)

The completed manuscript with sources, sketches, and documents

This is what I've been up to. Instead of blogging.

There is not much time left in my days (weeks, months) after planning, writing, editing, printing, sourcing, compiling, emailing, packaging, and mailing this baby.

Oh, yes. This is my baby. The first half of a 12-month activity book for preschoolers and missions has been delivered (emailed and mailed) to my faithful preschool resource team at Woman's Missionary Union.

The completed manuscript package and its twin - the emergency copy that can be mailed if the PO loses the original

Now they get to do their huge part.

And I will continue on with the above steps for the second half of the book.

The writing life is grand.   

A glimpse of the chaos that is my office, including desk, side table, and floor

The Lottie and Annie Upside-Down Book ~ Terrific Tuesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Lottie and Annie Upside Down Book
By Cara Lynn Vogel
Illustrated by Loretta B. Adkins
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2003)

Today's Terrific Tuesday book is a wonderful book about two inspiring women. Similar to those dolls that you flip over and turn the skirts to see a different doll (one on each end, two total), The Lottie and Annie Upside Down Book features Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon in the same book. Without the skirt flipping.

Readers do need to flip the book over after they finish reading about Annie's life of caring and telling about Jesus. After the book is flipped, one can then learn about Lottie Moon, a missionary who gave her life to tell about Jesus in China.

A Christian biography, The Lottie and Annie Upside Down Book, inspires readers and offers ways they can care about and help others and tell about Jesus. This book would be great for anyone who loves to read and learn about the lives of different people.

KID KANDY:

Help Someone

Both Annie and Lottie found creative ways to help others in need.

Look around you. Who do you see that has a need for special help or supplies? Brainstorm and find a way to help.

Neighbors? Family? Friends? Someone at school or church? Someone in your community? Maybe there is someone who needs help that you read about in the newspaper or heard about on TV. Let the Lord guide you to choose the one who needs your help right now.

Always ask a parent or adult to help you find the right person or situation to help. I know they would love to help you!

Some ideas (though the situation you are thinking about may have special needs and you will have to be wise to figure the best way to offer help):

bake cookies
gather diapers and baby supplies
give money
deliver food
help with yard work
collect books
ask neighbors for baby and kids clothes
sit and visit
invite to church
take out the trash
give flowers
send a card
make a phone call and chat


Happy Helping!

Molly's Adventures in Missions - Terrific Tuesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

Molly's Adventures in Missions
Written by Joye Smith
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2009)

Molly's Adventures in Missions is a wonderful book that tells the story of Molly as she goes on her first missions trip. Molly learns about passports, trip preparation, and many of the things mission teams do when they go on missions trips in America and overseas. Molly is super excited to help others.

Molly's Adventures in Missions is the perfect book to read when you want to prepare your child to go on a missions trip. It can also be read to help your child understand what volunteer missionaries do on trips. I love how Joye Smith described the different ways we can help others - by going on trips ourselves or by supplying prayer, resources, and finances for others to go.

A missions lifestyle is embraced by Molly in this book. Just reading it makes me want to pack up and go!


KID KANDY:

Help a Missions Team

1. Find out who in your church is going on a missions trip.

2. Volunteer to help prepare for the trip. With your family, you can: gather supplies needed during the trip, collect items that will be given to help others (health items, baby things, etc.), give money to help pay for expenses, or help put together kits and materials.

3. Pray for the team member(s). Get specific prayer needs and post them at home. Let your child help you pray.

4. Get ready to hear all about the trip when they get back!


Maybe you and your family can go on a missions trip! You might have to wait for a few years, but that's ok. You can adopt a ministry in your city and do your own missions trips until everyone is old enough to go.

Or check out Familyfest, a missions experience geared towards families and children. Go to www.wmu.com/ and look under ministries to find out more.

And when you go, be sure to take Molly with you! She loves missions trips.

Molly traveled to France with us.

Terrific Tuesday - Let's Learn About . . . - Picture Book & KID KANDY

Let's Learn About . . .
Written by Angie Quantrell
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2012)

In the world of Christian education, there are 9 concept areas that encompass all of the things that preschoolers need to explore and learn about. Those areas, while mainly guidance for teachers, leaders, parents, and grandparents, are also good for preschoolers and young children to start labeling as they experience activities in each concept area.

Let's Learn About . . . is a book about concept areas for preschoolers. God, Jesus, Bible, Church, Self, Family, God's Creation, World, and Community are the nine areas.

Molly and Mikey, preschoolers who love learning about missions and going to church, go on a journey to learn about each of the concept areas. Miss Goodwin, their teacher, engages them in discussions and activities that are perfect for exploring in a hands' on way. Which, by the way, is the most perfect way for young children to learn. (Personally, this old child - myself - best learns through actually doing activities as well!)

Miss Goodwin also shares a note to parents, Bible thoughts for preschoolers, and one activity for each concept area.

The 9 concept areas are the building blocks of Christian education for preschoolers. Mission Friends, an age level organization for preschoolers, is the perfect place to use Let's Learn About . . . But any gathering of preschoolers would benefit from the focus on these foundational concept areas.

If ever you need to know which things to focus on when you are teaching your child, or a group of littles, Let's Learn About . . . will show you the way and give you ideas.


KID KANDY:

Make Your Own Let's Learn About . . . Chart

1. Draw a chart with nine columns on poster board.

2. Print the name of one concept area at the top of each column. Let your child decorate the chart with markers and stickers.

3. Plan an activity for each area (not all at once, of course, but spread out through a month or six months or a year).

4. Each time you do an activity that ties in with one area, put a sticky note or star in the corresponding column.

5. Make a goal to do something in each area.

6. Start again!


Read Let's Learn About . . . for more ideas and explanations of Christian concept areas.

To order:

Call: 1-800-968-7301
Online: www.wmustore.com; Go to Age Levels: Go to Preschool: Go to Books

Thank you! I offer my most humble thanks and blessings to you.


Angie Quantrell loves working with preschoolers and young children. They say the most interesting things and have a zest for life. With children, anything can be fun if you are willing to be a little crazy!

Terrific Tuesday - I Can Do It! - Picture Book + KID KANDY

I Can Do It!
Written by Angie Quantrell
Illustrated by Cathy Lollar
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2003)

I Can Do It! is the partner book I wrote as I was writing I Can Give (featured last week on Terrific Tuesday). Both books turned out beautiful, but I seem to remember some mental chaos along the line.

I Can Do It! is a story about Meiying and her family. Meiying is Chinese American. Illustrations and language features reflect Chinese heritage and language. I love the Chinese characters running down the sides of the pages. They are amazing.

I Can Do It! is a story about the many things Meiying can do to learn about and do missions. Missions include things like helping, loving, sharing, telling about Jesus, and more. Meiying loves interacting with her family, church, and community. She shows how even preschoolers can be on mission with Jesus.

Missions activities, a note to parents, Bible thoughts for preschoolers, and suggested Bible readings for adults are included in I Can Do It!

I'm very proud of I Can Do It! and think it is a wonderful book for preschoolers. Cathy Lollar did a fabulous job illustrating I Can Do It! I hope you think so, too.

KID KANDY:

One activity Meiying helps with is collecting food for the hungry. Here are some ways to gather and give food with your child.

~ Go shopping together. Let your child choose several items to give.

~ Go shopping in your cupboard. Help pick out healthy food items to give.

~ Coupon together. Let your child be in charge of handing coupons to the cashier. Use the money you save to buy food or donate to a program that feeds the hungry.

~ If you participate in a specific program, make up a flyer and go door-to-door with your child to ask neighbors for help in feeding the hungry.

Be sure and say thank you!

Where can we give the food we collect?

~ Homeless shelter

~ Women and children's shelter

~ Church hunger ministry

~ Community collection site

~ School outreach programs (like weekend backpacks of food)

Angie Quantrell loves picture books with great illustrations, lots of color, and fun features like language phrases. She enjoys teaching boys and girls about missions.

I Can Do It! is available through Woman's Missionary Union:

Phone: 1-800-968-7301
Online: www.wmustore.com (Go to age levels, preschoolers, and then books)