(To be translated)

• Understand that Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and thrown into a pit and separated from his father. Genesis 37: 17-24 • Grasp that when bad things happen we have to take care of our hearts • Realize that we can talk about our pain • Know that God won’t leave us however bad it is, trust in Him and He will direct our paths. DOWNLOAD Chichewa Lesson #2 (To be translated)

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON (10 minutes) ACTIVITY

Make a friend with a string: Put half the group on one side and half on the other. Have half the number of strings as people. Hold the strings and hand an end to each person, criss crossing them so they are tangled up, once the children have untangled their strin they will follow the string to find their new friend.

Supplies needed:

• Paper crayons and paints to create a storm painting.
• Strings one for each couple of children
• Photocopy happy and sad faces for the team game.
• Print off JEALOUS HEART, THANKFUL HEART Visual Aid get two of the children to colour the hearts prior to class.
• Print small hearts for children.
• Print out musical lyrics.
• Print the 'Bible Verse Visual Aid' and get a child to colour it prior to the class.
• Print the English 'Activity Book'
• Print the 'Take Home Bible Memory Verse'
• Print Chapter #2 'And Puppy' one for each child.
• Print English Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters' Adult Educational Handout (To be translated)
• Print English 'How to Prepare Kids for Emergencies' Adult Educational Handout (To be translated)
• Print English 'Support for Grief and Loss Through Christian Counseling' Adult Educational Handout (To be translated)
• Continue to use the ‘Heaven Corner'

1. GAMES: (10 minutes)
Before class begins hide the happy and sad faces around the room, get the children to hunt them out once a child has found a face they must sit down continue the game until all the children are sitting then you can begin the Team Game.

DOWNLOAD Chichewa Lesson #2 Visual Aids

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes) JEALOUS AND THANKFUL HEARTS: Provide each team member with a happy or a sad face. Then each child will run when it is their turn on the team to the two labels at the far end of the room one JEALOUS HEART and one THANKFUL HEART. The child will quickly tape their happy or sad face on the correct "heart" and run back to their team for the next player to place his happy or sad face on the appropriate heart!

5. TEACHING:
a. Review (5 minutes)
Remember last week we introduced you to Joseph.

Why did Israel love Joseph more than any of his other sons? (Because he had been born to him in his old age) What gift did his dad give him? (A coat of many colours, use visual aid) How did Joseph’s brothers treat him? (They hated him and were unkind to him.)

DOWNLOAD Chichewa Lesson #2 Visual Aids

b. Learn a Bible Verse (5minutes)
Ndipo iwo anamuona iye ali patali, ndipo asanayandikire pafupi ndi iwo, anampangira iye chiwembu kuti amuphe.
Genesis 37: 18

DOWNLOAD Chichewa Bible Verse Visual Aid

Encourage the children to color it and use it to teach the Bible Verse

c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes)
Introduction:
Joseph’s father said to him, "Your brothers are out tending my sheep. I want you to go check and make sure that they are ok."

Teaching:

Optional: Download ‘Nkhani ya Yosefe' PowerPoint Slide #9-#11 Read: Genesis 37: 17-24 Joseph reminds us that it is possible to patiently endure, continuing to put our trust in God’s plan. He spent 13 years in God’s waiting room. That’s how long it took for God to prepare Joseph for what was about to happen next.

And as he waited, Joseph served others with genuine concern and he refused to allow God’s dream to die. He trusted God’s plan and knew that God was with him.

How do we deal with challenges? Oh, I wish it could be a one-time decision. I wish we could just do the right thing and be done with it, but we have learned from Joseph that trusting God is an ongoing challenge. It is a lifetime commitment. There will be ups and downs. There will be times when it will seem much easier to just give in. But Joseph reminds us that it is possible to be faithful over a long period of time in very difficult circumstances

What kind of attitude do we have when life doesn’t go as we think it should? What do we do when it seems like God has forgotten about us?
Like Joseph, we might be tempted to give up, but hopefully we also hang on and continue doing what we need to do.

We think of some of what the apostle Paul went through – beatings, and shipwrecks, and all kinds of abuse – and this is what Paul told the Church in Corinth.

2 AKORINTO 4:7-9

“7 Koma tili nacho chuma ichi m'zotengera zadothi, kuti ukulu woposa wamphamvu ukhale wa Mulungu, wosachokera kwa ife; 8ndife osautsika monsemo, koma osapsinjika; osinkhasinkha, koma osakhala kakasi; 9olondoleka, koma osatayika; ogwetsedwa, koma osaonongeka;”

Paul had a rough life, but he also refused to let the dream die. Paul continued living the Christian life.

Paul, like Joseph, in the waiting room of disappointment, continued to hang on to God’s plan for his life. Both men continued putting their trust in God.

http://www.fourlakescoc.org/Sermons/websermonupdates/1188_web.pdf

Before we close, I must tell you that this is not the end of the story of Joseph and his brothers. The story does have a happy ending and Joseph is reunited with his father and brothers. But for today, we learn the lesson of the terrible things that happen because of the sin of jealousy.

ENGLISH FLOOD INFORMATION:

ENGLISH CYCLONE INFORMATION:

Discussion:

6. APPLICATION / ENCOUNTERING GOD:
When you get hurt you need to take care of your injuries. When you fall down and graze your knee you need a plaster. When someone hurts you or you are in a shocking or scary situation, you need to take care of your heart. You need to make sure that you don't end up hating or being troubled by fear. You put a plaster on your heart by talking about your troubles and not keep any bad feelings inside. God wants to remind you that He will always be there to listen to you. He says he will never leave you or forsake you.

Have the children write about times when they have felt afraid, betrayed and separated from loved ones. Create a ‘Heaven Corner’ with a gold cloth on a chair with Jesus’ crown and a wooden cross covered with a red cross to represent His blood. Get them to come and place the papers at the foot of the cross and leave those experiences there.

CLOSING PRAYER:

TAKE HOME PAGE/ACTIVITY:

ENGLISH ADULT EDUCATIONAL HANDOUTS:

Optional: Download 'Support for Grief and Loss Through Christian Counseling' Adult Educational handouts

Optional: Download 'How to Prepare Kids for Emergencies' Adult Educational handouts

Optional: Download'Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters' Adult Educational handouts

NEXT WEEK: Joseph is betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery

DOWNLOAD:

(Sourced from Healing Hearts Club but adapted for a flood in Africa)

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