Survivors
Hello, Survivor
This book is special and it is just for you. It is full of thoughts to think and things to do. It will help you heal and grow. What you have been through, only you know. So no two books will look the same. Go ahead and write your name!
Lick your thumb and push it in the ground.
Now in the oval press your thumb down.
You have just signed your book with your own fingerprint!
My oh my, that is just magnificent!
See on page 23 why your thumb print is so important!
How TREE survived
TREE lived in a forest with lots of other trees. There were many different types of trees of all shapes and sizes. The sun and rain helped the trees grow taller and stronger.
Together they made shade for other plants. Many birds, small animals and insects lived there too. It was a wonderful place!
TREE was very happy.
One day, TREE heard strange noises in the forest. They grew louder by the second … Bang-bang! Clang-clang! Soon all the animals and birds started running and flying away. TREE could see other trees and plants being crushed by big metal machines!
There was nothing that TREE could do! TREE had never been so scared before! At last the horrible noises stopped. Only a few trees had survived. But they were now so far away that TREE felt all alone.
Big, grey clouds grew in the sky. Strong, angry winds almost snapped TREE in half! All the trees that had helped TREE stand strong before, were now gone! When would this storm end? TREE held on tightly to the ground with its roots.
Finally the storm passed. The sun came out again. TREE had survived!
But TREE was still very sad.
“Why have so many bad things happened to me?” TREE cried. TREE was so sad, that all its leaves fell to the ground.
Then TREE became angry. It was so unfair! TREE hadn’t done anything wrong! TREE missed its friends and its home. Everything was different now! TREE felt like stomping its roots! And S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G!
But slowly, over time, TREE and the forest began to heal. Young trees started to grow. Birds and animals started coming back. It wasn’t the same as it had been before. But there was hope! TREE’S roots grew deeper into the ground. New branches grew taller out of TREE’s trunk.
TREE looked different and felt different but was much stronger! And most important of all … TREE knew what to do the next time a big storm came. It was okay to be sad and to cry. TREE knew that new leaves and branches would grow again. Everything would be alright.
All about me!
Find TREE in the forest on page 5.
TREE lives with many different friends.
How many of TREE’s friends can you see?
What a wonderful world!
Where do you live?
What is your favourite thing about where you live?
God made the whole world and it is beautiful!
And God made YOU!
Because he made you, God knows you inside and out! He knows exactly how many hairs are growing on your head. He knows even the deepest secrets in your heart. And there is only one you in the whole wide world! WOW!
Made by God
Before the world began, there was nothing. It was dark and empty. But then, God made the heavens and the earth. Just by speaking, God made all living things.
He made light. That is why we have day and night. He made the sky, land and sea. God made all the different kinds of plants, trees, stars, planets, birds, fishes and animals.
God looked at the world he had made and saw that it was good.
God made this beautiful world for a special reason. He wanted people to live in his world. So, God made the first people. He made them extra special. He made them in his likeness. (That means in many ways they were like God.)
God told them to look after his world.
God made me in his image
Do you know that you have always been part of God’s plan?
Even before the world began!
God loves you very much.
Write down any two things you like about yourself.
Maybe you make people laugh?
Maybe you are kind?
Maybe you like your eyes? Or your hair?
Draw yourself in the mirror on the next page.
Remember you are made in God’s likeness!
What makes me, ME!
Look at TREE’s friends on pages 4 and 5.
Are all the trees the same?
No! They all look so different, right?
Do you know that every tree is unique?
This means that no two trees are the same.
Even trees that look the same on the outside, are different on the inside!
Each tree has its own special pattern inside its trunk. 2.
Just like fingerprints!
Have another look at where you made your fingerprint on page 1.
Isn’t that amazing?
Our story today is about a man named Gideon. When God made Gideon, he gave him special gifts. These gifts helped Gideon and others. God has given you special gifts too!
YOU ARE SPECIAL
Once there was a big Empire. Its people were too many to count. The people of the big Empire were the enemies of a small kingdom. They made life very hard for the people of the small kingdom. They stole their food and animals and left nothing for them. Many people ran to the mountains to try to get away from the Empire’s soldiers.
They asked God to help them.
There was a man named Gideon who was afraid of the Empire. But God had a special plan for him. God knew that he was a good leader and a strong fighter. God spoke to Gideon and told him what he needed to do. God promised to help him and his 300 men win the fight against the Empire soldiers.
Gideon didn’t believe he was good enough for the job. He didn’t think he was special.
But he trusted in God and God helped him to win.
My special fruits
Look at the picture of the apple tree. See how it has good fruit? Take some time to think…
What are you good at? What nice things do people say about you? What do you enjoy doing?
Do you like to draw? Maybe you can run really fast! Maybe you are very caring.
These are the gifts God has given you. God uses your gifts to help you through the storms!
You matter to God!
Now write your gifts inside the apples.
Why do I feel like this?
How can you tell when a tree isn’t getting enough water? How do you know when a tree is sick?
You can see it on the outside! Maybe the tree has changed colour. Maybe the tree’s leaves have stopped growing. Or maybe the tree is falling over!
When it comes to feelings, people are like trees.
We show our feelings on the outside too!
Our faces and bodies show how we feel.
People can see if we are happy, or sad, or angry, or scared.
Do you know God created all your feelings? They are all important! Your feelings can help you.
Anger can make you strong.
Fear can make you hide from danger.
Love helps you care for others.
It is important to always know how you feel. Listen to your brain. Listen to your heart. Even listen to your tummy! What are they trying to tell you about your feelings?
WHAT YOU FEEL MATTERS
Jesus was travelling throughout the land. One evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come with me across the lake.” They got into a boat and left the people behind.
Jesus was tired and he fell asleep in the back of the boat.
A very strong wind began blowing on the lake. The waves got so big. They started crashing into the boat. It was almost full of water and about to sink. The disciples were scared. They woke Jesus and said, “Don’t you care if we drown?”
Jesus got up. He ordered the wind to stop blowing. He told the waves to be calm.
Then the disciples knew it was okay to tell Jesus how they were feeling. They knew Jesus cared for people and understood their feelings.
My body
How do you show your feelings?
Think about how you are feeling, today.
Happy? Sad? Angry? Scared?
ɥ What does your face look like to other people?
ɥ How does your head feel?
ɥ How does your heart feel?
ɥ How does your tummy feel?
Draw how you are feeling on the body outline on page 33, as best you can.
God gave you all your feelings!
When I feel angry
What happens to a tree when the sun is too hot? Sometimes its leaves start to burn and fall off! And what happens when strong winds blow? They can snap a tree in two! (Look at pages 8 and 9.)
How can a tree protect itself?
What do people do to protect themselves? 4.
It can’t tell a cloud to cover the sun! And it can’t tell the wind to stop blowing!
But it can grow strong, deep roots. These roots reach the water and help the tree stand firm!
When things go wrong, getting angry is one way we try to cope.
Do you know that even Jesus got angry?
Feeling
angry is important. It is a warning that tells you something is wrong. But does that mean when you are angry it is okay to hurt yourself?
Or someone else? Or that you can break things?
EVERYONE FEELS ANGRY
SOMETIMES
It was springtime in the land and there were lots of people in in the city. People came from all over to celebrate the religious feast at the temple.
A few days before the feast, Jesus went to the temple. The temple had some outside open spaces, called courtyards.
People were buying and selling animals to sacrifice to God in one of the courtyards. Jesus became very angry when he saw this. God’s temple wasn’t for selling things!
Jesus turned over their tables. He chased the people selling things and their animals out of the temple. He told them that the temple must be a place where people from all nations pray to God.
Jesus felt angry. But did it make him hurt himself or anyone else? No, Jesus was careful in how he showed that he was angry.
Star breathing
Have you ever felt as angry as Jesus did at the temple? Have you ever hurt anyone because you were angry? Have you ever hurt yourself?
Remember, you keep your feelings in your body. So when you get angry, you first need to try to calm your body down.
How do you do that?
Stop and take some deep breaths. Then try this star breathing exercise.
• Hold up your left hand and spread your fingers out like a star.
• Pretend the pointing finger of your right hand is a pen. You are going to draw along the outside of your star hand as you breathe.
• Take a deep breath in (through your nose) to the count of 3. As you do, move your finger up the side of your little finger. Hold for a moment.
• Slowly breathe out (through your mouth) to the count of 5. As you breathe out, move your finger down the other side of your little finger. Hold for a moment.
• Do this for all 5 of your fingers.
• Did you draw your whole star hand? How does your body feel? Are you relaxed?
• Still not calm? Change hands.
• Make a star with your right hand. Draw along the outside of this hand with your left pointing finger.
God understands when you feel angry.
5.
When I feel sad and lonely
Do you remember what happened to TREE in the story at the beginning? How TREE lost all its family and friends? Remember how TREE felt? (Take another look at TREE’s story.) Everyone
gets sad and feels alone sometimes. We feel like we don’t matter. Like no one cares.
But God sees us! He cares!
God comforts you when you are sad. To be comforted means knowing that you are not alone.
God won’t always stop the sad and lonely times.
But when you trust in God, you know the sadness will pass.
You will be happy again.
Even when you feel small, God is with you. Even when you feel you aren’t important, God loves you. You matter to him.
You can trust God with anything and everything!
GOD CARES WHEN YOU ARE SAD
Elijah was God’s prophet. A prophet is someone who gives God’s messages to others. Elijah loved God and always did what God told him.
King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, were bad people. Elijah told them that what they were doing was wrong. Queen Jezebel hated Elijah for saying this.
She wanted to kill him. This made Elijah very scared. He ran away to the desert to save his life. He felt lonely and sad. Elijah lay down under a bush and went to sleep.
God knew what Elijah was feeling. So he sent an angel to feed Elijah. The food and water made him strong. Elijah walked to the mountain of God. It took 40 days and nights. When Elijah got there, God spoke to him. Then Elijah felt better. He knew that God saw him. He knew that God cared when he was sad and lonely.
Let someone know
Have you ever felt like Elijah? Have you ever felt sad and lonely? Do you feel that bad things just keep happening to you?
When you are sad, don’t hide it. Let someone know. Talking about it will make you feel better. Your family and friends can only comfort you if they know!
Write the name of someone you can talk to God would also love to hear from you!
Take some time and write a letter to God or draw him a picture. Tell him what makes you sad and how alone it makes you feel.
Thank you!
How do you know when a tree is strong and healthy? Look at how it grows! Does it have a good, thick trunk? Are the leaves green and fresh?
Trees need sun and water to be healthy. They also need good soil and room to grow. Then when the trees face storms they can still stand strong.
People are a lot like trees. To be healthy and to grow, we also need good things around us. One way God takes care of us, is by putting good people in our lives. Like family and friends who can help us grow.
It isn’t always easy to feel thankful when bad things have happened to you. That is okay.
Saying thank you is about learning to look for what is good in your life. This gives you hope for the future.
Draw TREE looking strong and happy.
BE THANKFUL
Jesus was walking one day when he met ten men who were sick with leprosy. This is a skin sickness. In ancient times there was no medicine for leprosy.
So the sick men had to live outside of the town, away from their families and friends. The men shouted, “Jesus! Please help us!”
There was a law that said a priest must decide when a person with leprosy was better. That is why, when Jesus saw them, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
The men turned and began walking back to the town. Then they looked down and saw that they were healed!
Only one of the ten men stopped and went back to Jesus. He praised God and thanked Jesus. Jesus was pleased with the man. Jesus knew that it is important to always say thank you to God for the good things he does.
Thankfulness tree
Remember to thank God for everything that is good in your life.
Think about what you are thankful for.
Is it your family?
A special toy?
Your favourite clothes? Do this every day.
Think about 3 things that you are thankful for. They can be big or small.
God wants what is good for you!
Write what you are thankful for in the leaves of the tree.
I am a survivor
Think back to TREE’s story. When the machines appeared, everything that TREE knew was lost. Then the storm came, and TREE had to fight to survive. It was a horrible time.
But, what happened to TREE after that? Did TREE stop growing? No! Actually, TREE grew even taller and stronger!
Just like TREE, you have also been through so much. It isn’t fair! Maybe you feel lonely, or scared. But just like TREE you can also grow even stronger than before!
Know that through all the storms God loves you. We don’t know why horrible things happen. But what you can know is that God wants to be close to you.
He wants you to be with him always!
GOD HELPS YOU BE BRAVE
David was a young shepherd boy who looked after his father’s sheep. Out in the fields, David learnt to be brave. His only weapons were a stick and a sling. When a lion or a bear tried to kill the sheep, David would fight them off with his stick.
During that time, another people made war against the kingdom David lived in. They had a giant soldier named Goliath. Even the biggest men in the king’s army were afraid to fight Goliath.
David went to visit his brothers who were fighting in the king’s army. David couldn’t understand why they were afraid of the giant. David knew that God was greater than Goliath. He wasn’t afraid to fight him. David trusted God and knew that God would help him. That made him brave. So, using only his sling and a small stone David killed the giant. He was a hero!
What helps me to be a survivor?
The world is full of wonderful things.
But it can also be scary at times.
David must have been scared when he had to fight a lion and a bear. And what about when he stood against the giant Goliath! Sometimes, you might also feel scared. That is okay.
But you have learnt so much about standing tall and strong even in the bad times.
You are brave! You are strong! You are a survivor!
The next time you are scared. Or the next time you have lots of feelings happening all at the same time. Remember everything that you have learnt.
Do the activities you have practised. You can do them as often as you need.
Make an emergency plan
It is always helpful to be prepared. So make a plan!
Ask a grownup to help you fill out your Emergency Plan.
Talk about what you will do if something scary happens again.
My name is
If there is an emergency, I will go to
(my safe place)
My emergency contact person is
My contact person’s cell or phone number is
Animal stretches
When our feelings become too big, it can feel like they are going to burst out of our bodies. It can feel like we might lose control.
Stretching can help us use up some of that emotion. It can help us to calm our bodies.
Don’t forget to breathe slowly as you stretch!
Elephant stretch
• Bring your hands together in front of your body and link your fingers together. This is your trunk.
• After all that good fruit you must be getting thirsty. Reach down with your trunk to get some water from the ground.
• Now with your trunk stretch up as high as you can. You want to pick the best fruit at the top of the trees. So, s-t-r-e-t-c-h!
Can your trunk touch the ground?
Monkey swing
What is a monkey’s favourite thing to do?
Swinging from branches in the trees. So, let us pretend we are monkeys.
• Stretch your arms out from side to side as far as you can. You have to s-t-r-e-t-c-h to grab the next branch! Now let us swing through the trees. Move from side to side as you go!
• Oh, no! A lion! Quickly, curl into a ball as tightly as you can. We don’t want the lion to see us!
• Has he gone? He is gone now, we can stretch and swing again from side to side.
Frog jump
This time, we are going to pretend that we are frogs!
• Place your feet wide apart.
• Crouch down as low as you can. How close can you get your bottom to the ground?
• Place your hands in front of you. Can they reach the ground too?
Now push up through your feet and jump as high as you can. Don’t forget to stretch
Come back to a crouching position. Can you jump 3 times in a row?
Feeling wheel
Sometimes, it can be hard to know how we are feeling. This feeling wheel can help you with that.
Look at all the faces below. Which face is showing what your face is doing right now?
Look in a mirror to see your face!
Now match the colour of the face you chose on the feeling wheel.
This is the name for what you are feeling!
Ask an adult you trust to tell you more about that feeling. Talk to them about why you are feeling that way. Remember, talking to others can help!
The Survivors™ Faith Sensitive Version Participants Handbook, English (Anglicised)
Copyright © 2023 by Biblica, Inc.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Quotations from the Bible in this edition are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™ (Anglicised), NIrV™
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.
All rights reserved worldwide.
The “NIrV”, “New International Reader’s Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
No part of this edition may be used or reproduced without the prior written permission of Biblica, Inc. Permission requests must be directed to and approved in writing by Biblica, Inc. through the Contact link at www.Biblica.com, or by mail to Biblica, Inc., Attn: Rights and Permissions, 300 General Palmer Drive, #4, Palmer Lake, CO 80133, USA.
BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God’s Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God’s Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
ISBN: 978-1-64976-546-8
Faith Sensitive Version