All Around India: Zamral

This morning, our Sunday School teacher told us this is our last day to explore India. We’re going to be learning about people in lots of other countries in the weeks coming up. So today, we visited the state of Madhya Pradesh. If you look at a map of India, you’ll find Madhya Pradesh right about in the middle of the country.

There are only a few thousand Zamral people living in India, and most of them live in Madhya Pradesh. Most of them do labor for others or move from place to place while they are looking for jobs. Some of them also make bamboo baskets to sell in the market.

Most of them cannot read. I would be sad if I couldn’t read, wouldn’t you? Can you imagine what it would be like to not be able to read your own name or write down a list of groceries? What would it be like to never read a single Bible verse?

I’m going to pray for the Zamral people. Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, one of the ways You show us who You are and teach us how to live is the Bible. But so many people, including the Zamral, can’t read it for themselves. Please help them hear about You and find out how much You love them. Help them understand that Jesus died to pay for the mistakes that every person on earth has ever made. Please help them learn that He is stronger than death and is alive forever and ever. Send them what they need in order to learn about You and to learn to read Your Word, the Bible. Please bless all the people of India and help each of them to trust You as Savior. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

All Around India: Yadav

Do you remember a few months ago when our Sunday School teacher told us all about life in the state of Bihar, India? She told us a little bit about the Yadav people then, because many of them live in Bihar. But today, she told us more about how they live and who they are.

The Yadav live in many of the states in India. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, some are doctors and leaders among the people. But many of the Yadav have never heard of Jesus—not even once! Can you imagine what life would be like in a place where no one knows who Jesus is? When the people are sick, they try to make spirits happy and hope that one of them will help. When they are afraid, they have no one to trust and pray to. When they are sad, they don’t know that God is always in control and will one day make even the sad things fade away and make everything new and alive the way it was always meant to be.

I’m going to pray that every Yadav boy and girl, and all of their parents and families, hear about Jesus and learn to trust in Him. Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, I know that You love the Yadav people of India. I know that You care when they are sick, or sad, or afraid. Help them hear about You. Send people to tell them, and help the Yadav believe in You and trust You forever. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

All Around India: X Marks the Spot

If you found a treasure map with a big X on it, you would know what that X means–buried treasure! Today in Sunday School, our teacher showed us a map of the world with a big X on the land of India. She said that it was like looking at a treasure map. What kind of treasure can we find in India? I made a list of just some of what we can find there:

• More than 2,500 different people groups
• More than one billion people
• More than 400 languages
• Approximately 17,000 types of flowering plants
• More than 1,200 different species of birds
• Thousands of years of history

God loves every single person in India. To Him, each one is like a treasure, something to be worked hard for and found. He doesn’t want the people to try to hide from Him (even though you can never really hide from God–He always knows right where you are). He wants every one of them to search for and find Him. In the Bible, Jesus compared the kingdom of Heaven to a treasure in a field. When someone finds it, they will give up everything they have to get it.

God isn’t hiding from us. He is always here, loving us and wanting us to find Him. But we have to do one thing–we have to be looking for Him. We can’t just sit around and wait. If someone gave you a map to find a treasure, would you sit around and wait for the treasure to come find you? Of course not! You’d follow the map and find the treasure. God’s Word, the Bible, is our map. It tells us everything we need to know about God and His plan for us. But we have to be willing to follow it. I’m going to pray that everyone will follow God’s map and find the treasure He is waiting to give them. Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, thank You for not hiding from us. Thank You for loving us even more than treasure and for giving us the map we need to find the greatest treasure of all–You! Please help me and each person in India and all around the world, to follow the map and want to find You. Help us to trust You and know how much You love us. Help everyone to know that Jesus died for them and that He is alive now and wants everyone to know Him and live with Him forever. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Sources: JoshuaProject.net, Operation World by Jason Mandryk, Encyclopedia Britannica

All Around India: Vaddar, Viswakarma, and Vakkaliga

I could hardly believe what our Sunday School teacher told us this morning. Did you know there are more than 30 different people groups who live in India whose name starts with the letter V? V is a letter you don’t see every day. I mean, there are violins and victories, there are people named Victor or Victoria. But today I learned about three more words to add to that list—the Vaddar, the Viswakarma, and the Vakkaliga.

The Vaddar live in many different states of India. They work many different types of job, but all of the jobs are hard. They dig wells, cut stones, and do the jobs no one else wants to do. A lot of people don’t want to talk to the Vaddar or be around them. They treat them as untouchables.

The Viswakarma also live in lots of different states of India, but most of them live very differently from the Vaddar. Many of the Viswakarma are known for building things like temples or creating beautiful artwork by hand.

The Vakkaliga is another group that is spread out over India, but most of them live in Karnataka state. They are known for raising animals and growing things. But one thing that has been slow to grow among the Vakkaliga is the understanding of who Jesus is.

Even though they live in lots of different places and have many different jobs, there is one thing that the Vaddar, the Viswakarma, and the Vakkaliga all have in common. Very few of them know that Jesus loves them and that He died for them. I’m going to pray for all of them right now. Will you join me?

“Dear God, I just learned about many people who don’t know about You. I am glad that You already know every single one of them. You know all their names and where they live; You know what they do and what they need. Help each of them see that what they need most of all is You. Help them hear about Jesus and believe how much You love them. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

If you’d like to read more about the people groups of India, with a parent’s permission, check out Joshua Project.

Click here if you’d like to print this page about the Vaddar, the Viswakarma, and the Vakkaliga.

All Around India: Uttarakhand

Do you remember how last week our Sunday School teacher showed us what life is like in Tamil Nadu? For our next stop in India, we had to travel to the northern part of the country, to the state of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand became a state in 2000 and took the name Uttarakhand in 2007.

The largest people group living there is the Rajput, the brave warriors and soldiers we met a few weeks ago. The next largest people group is the Brahmin. They too are a class of warriors, as well as doctors, teachers, lawyers, scholars, and politicians. There are many colleges and universities in the state. Many of the people hold tightly to the religions of their families and resist hearing about Jesus.

The people fought for freedom from the state of Uttar Pradesh for many years before they won their own state. Very special pilgrimage sites belonging to other religions are there, and many people travel to Uttarakhand because it is important to them to do special things to please their gods. But they can never know if they have done enough, if they are good enough, or if they have kept all the rules well enough to earn peace and make their gods happy.

They need to hear about the only way to truly be free. They need to know that God is real and that He knows that trying to be good won’t erase the mistakes that we make. He knows that without help, we cannot live the way He wants us to or be forgiven so that we can live forever with Him. That’s why He sent Jesus to pay for our mistakes and give us the forgiveness we need so badly. He wants to give us peace; He wants us to know how much He loves us. He doesn’t want us to try to earn it because He knows we never can.

Will you pray with me that all the people of Uttarakhand will hear the truth about God and understand that He has already paid the price for their sins by sending Jesus to die for each of us?

“Dear God, please help the people of Uttarakhand to hear about the true freedom that You offer us. Help them understand that You have made the way for us to be free from fear and worry. You have made the way we can have peace in this life and spend forever after we die with You. Help them know Jesus. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Click here if you’d like to print this page about Uttarakhand.

All Around India: Tamil Nadu

Today in Sunday School, we imagined we got a chance to visit the state of Tamil Nadu. If I had to describe Tamil Nadu in two words, I think I’d use a lot. There were a lot of different things there.

For one thing, there is a lot of water. Tamil Nadu is on the southeastern tip of India.  It touches the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea. There are lots of rivers and waterfalls throughout the country.

For another thing, there are a lot of people living there—over 70 million of them! About 7.5 million people live in the city of Chennai (which used to be called Madras). The people represent more than 500 different people groups.

Tamil Nadu also has a lot of businesses based here. As a matter of fact, it has more businesses found in it than any other state in India.

But one thing Tamil Nadu does not have a lot of is Christians even though there are more Christians living here than in many other states in India. There are missionary classes and Bible schools, churches and businesses that serve God and tell others about Jesus. There is usually less severe persecution against Christians in Tamil Nadu than in other parts of India.

Yet, even with all of that, there are still hundreds of thousands of people who do not know about Jesus and His love. So that is what I am going to pray about today. I’m going to pray that God helps a lot of people of Tamil Nadu hear about Him and trust Him. Will you pray, too?

“Dear God, please help the people of Tamil Nadu to hear about your love for them. Help them believe You and trust You. Help them to become a land where a lot of people know You and tell a lot of other people about Your love. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Click here if you’d like to print this page about Tamil Nadu.

Click here printable copywork about Tamil Nadu, India.

Click here for a printable notebooking page about Tamil Nadu.

All Around India: Sikkim

This morning our Sunday School teacher told us all about the state of Sikkim, but before I tell you what she said, I want to make sure you don’t get confused like I was. A few weeks ago, she told us about the Sikhs who follow the religion of Sikhism and live in Punjab. The name of our next state is spelled very similarly—Sikkim—but it is not the same thing at all. Most of the people who live in Sikkim believe in Hinduism or Buddhism.

Sikkim is a very small state that has important jobs to do. It is tucked up in the eastern part of India in between Nepal, Bhutan, and the part of China known as Tibet, snug in the Himalayas. All except about one-third of the state is covered by snow-covered mountains. But those mountains are the doorway into three different nations. That is part of what makes Sikkim so important.

Another important job Sikkim has is telling other people about Jesus. Actually, that is the job of every person who knows Jesus, but there is one group of people in Sikkim who has a special opportunity. The Lepcha people, who have lived in the area for more generations than anyone can count, have learned about Jesus, and many of them have believed that He died for them because He loves them and that He rose again and lives forever with everyone who trusts Him. They are one of the few Himalayan people groups who have heard about Jesus and trusted Him. Not all of the Lepcha believe in Jesus, but many do.

If the Lepcha tell their friends and family about Jesus, and those people tell their friends and family about Jesus, before you know it, the Good News about Jesus will be spreading all through the Himalayas!

There is a verse in Nahum that talks about how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of people who bring good news. I’m going to pray that the Himalayas are filled with beautiful feet carrying the Good News to everyone! Will you join me?

“Dear God, thank You for the Lepcha who have heard about You and believed in You. Please give them everything they need to tell people everywhere about Jesus. Please spread Your Word to all the people of India, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and beyond.  Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Click here if you’d like to print this page about Sikkim.

Click here for beautiful feet copywork.

Click here for a printable notebooking page about Sikkim.

All Around India: Rajput

Today we learned about a group of people called the Rajput that live in India. They live in many states of India including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Back in the colonial period in India, when the country was ruled by Great Britain, the Rajput people lived in exotic fortresses high above the villages. They were the warriors, the brave soldiers who took care of the people and defended them from enemies. But in 1947, something changed in India. It became independent of Great Britain. The lands of Pakistan and Bangladesh were separated from India (though Bangladesh wouldn’t become its own country until later). Many people fled their homes, trying to find the safest place to live with so much around them changing.

That was sixty-seven years ago. Many of the Rajput grandparents and great-grandparents living in India today were children when the nation became independent. Since then, they have seen a lot of things change.

One of the things that has changed is that they are no longer the people in charge of taking care of the nation. They don’t live in their tall fortresses above the people any more. Instead, they live right beside everyone else. They run businesses and own land, but they are considered to be just like everyone else. They don’t get special treatment any more simply because they are Rajput. They even have to serve people who belong to lower castes, people who aren’t thought of as being special or worth respect.

This is very hard for many of the Rajput people to get used to. They are proud of their heritage and proud of the way their ancestors fought for and defended India. They hold on to their traditions and rituals however they can. One of the things that they hold on tightly to is the religion of their ancestors—Hinduism.

But Hinduism cannot give them peace. It cannot help them want to be humble and love the people they now serve. Those are things that need to change in the heart, and only God can truly change their hearts.

I’m going to pray that God will help all of the Rajput people to hear about Jesus. They need to hear how He left His home in Heaven to come all the way down to live here on earth with us. They need to hear how He loves them and gave His life for them, the most amazing way to serve someone ever. And they need Jesus to help them see that every person, no matter what caste or people group they belong to, is equal and special to Him. Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, it’s hard when things change in our lives. It’s hard for the Rajput people in India to get used to a new way of living. Please help them hear about Jesus and believe that He came and died for them and all the people of the world. Please help them understand that they can still help protect the people of India today by telling others about You and defeating the lies that attack people’s hearts. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Click here if you’d like to print this page about the Rajput.

Click here for copywork about humility.

Click here for a printable notebooking page about the Rajput.

 

All Around India: Qaiser Bagh Palace, Uttar Pradesh

Guess what our next stop in India was? A palace! Our Sunday School teacher led us southeast from Punjab this morning on our imaginary trip around India to the state of Uttar Pradesh. She wanted to show us the Qaiser Bagh Palace in the city of Lucknow.

The Qaiser Bagh Palace (some people spell it Kaiserbagh) was built in the middle of the 1800s by a man named Wajid Ali Shah. The palace and its grounds had pieces that were built in a style of architecture called Mughal. Mughal architecture was popular from the middle of the 1500s to the late 1600s. Even though the palace was built much later than that, it used elements of Mughal design. As a matter of fact, the palace combined more than one style. It has elements in it from Muslim architecture, Hindu architecture, and other styles.

The palace is a good picture of Lucknow and the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. Did you know that some people call Uttar Pradesh “The Rainbow Land”¹ because of how many different groups of people live there? Reports say that there are more than 202 million people from over 600 different people groups living in Uttar Pradesh! If Uttar Pradesh were its own country, it would be the fifth largest in the entire world!

Many of the people who live there are very poor. There are very few places to go for help when you get sick. Many homes in Uttar Pradesh don’t even have electricity. But there are some places in Uttar Pradesh that have lots of nice things. Even the Taj Mahal is in Uttar Pradesh in a town called Agra. People travel there from all over the world to see it.

There is something else that most of the people of Uttar Pradesh don’t have, and it’s even more important than doctors or electricity. Out of more than 202 million people, only a tiny number believe in Jesus. Most of the people groups do not have a single person living among them who knows Jesus.

“Dear God, You created all the colors of the rainbow and every one of the beautiful people groups who live in Uttar Pradesh. Please help every person living there or visiting there to hear about Your love. Help them to trust You to forgive their sins and make their hearts right with You. And then please help them to tell everyone they can about how much You love them. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Click here if you’d like to print this page about Uttar Pradesh and the Qaiser Bagh Palace.

Click here for printable copyork  of a few of the states and capitals of India plus a bonus matching activity.

Click here for a printable notebooking page about Uttar Pradesh, India.

1. http://www.gfa.org/regions/state/uttar-pradesh/  

All Around India: Punjab

This morning our Sunday School teacher told us all about the state of Punjab. Punjab is in the northwestern part of India that sits right above Rajasthan. Pakistan borders it to the west. The land in Punjab is some of the best land for growing things anywhere in the world. Seeds love to grow there! The land is well-watered and special varieties of rice and wheat are planted there. These varieties produce a larger crop than others.

Punjab is home to much more than good soil, though. It is home to more than 28 million people from more than 400 different people groups. It is also the ancient home of the Sikh religion. Sikhism began in the late 1400s and still today, more than half of the people who call Punjab home are Sikhs. As a matter of fact, Punjab is the only state in all of India where the majority of the people follow Sikhism.

Sikhs don’t believe in Jesus. They believe in a god who is like a strong force but who doesn’t love them or care about them. That is so sad. They grow their crops and they harvest the fields but they don’t know about the God who created the soil to plant in and the seeds to grow. They don’t know that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. And they don’t know that they can live forever with Him in Heaven.

Years ago there was a Sikh who found out about Jesus. His family didn’t want him to believe in Jesus. Lots of people didn’t want him to believe in Jesus. But he was convinced that God was real and that Jesus really did love him. The man’s name was Sundar Singh, and he became a missionary who told people everywhere that God really does love each one of us.

Christians in Punjab are trying to tell others about Jesus, too. Just like seeds that are planted in the soil, the message of God’s love is going out and being planted in people’s hearts. I’m going to pray that it takes root and grows. Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, please help the people of Punjab, whether they are Sikhs or any other faith. Please help them hear that God is real and believe that Jesus loves them. Help them trust You and let Your Word grow in their hearts. Just like You make the rice and wheat grow to feed the people’s stomachs, please help them believe that You are the only One who can feed their souls. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

If you’d like to learn more about Punjab and the country of India, you can download Bold Believers in India, a free Kids of Courage book with stories and activities.

Another book you might enjoy borrowing from your library is Sundar Singh: Footprints Over the Mountains by Janet and Geoff Benge.

Click here if you’d like to print this page about Punjab.

Click here for printable copyork from the Gospel of Matthew.

Click here for a printable notebooking page about Punjab.