Africa Studies - A Salvation Safari

We are studying Africa in our Wednesday Night Mpact Girls group. Laura and the girls are really enjoying this study. I worried that they would be bored, but actually quite the opposite has happened. Here's one of the maps we have taped to the wall to help us find countries.
I added some stories of African missionaries like David Livingstone. We spent a whole evening finding different countries in Africa. This evening we learned about some of the different cultures in Africa in some of the different countries. We have only touched on some of these topics, and so far are having so much fun. Below is part of one of our activity pages we are using with our studies.
In a couple weeks a young woman is supposed to come in and talk to the girls about a missions trip she took to Nigeria. Also, my two oldest daughters are planning to sing a song they learned in choir in Swahili. The Mpact girls learned a little basic Swahili this evening. (I'm not guaranteeing their pronunciation.)
Nearly all the girls have already told me their memory verse. This is one of only the first areas we are going to be studying. We plan to go around the world over the next few months so the girls really get a taste of some mission studies.

I think this is a great way to introduce not only other cultures to the girls but maybe spark someone for missions work. I also am hoping that the girls will develop an appreciation for their lives and freedoms when they see how some in other countries don't have things as easy and aren't as blessed.

I am also using the book Hero Tales for some of our missionary stories. I have Hero Tales for our homeschooling, but figured that the worse that could happen was Laura would hear the stories twice. Most of my girls in my group go to public school. When will they hear about some of the amazing missionaries that have lived such awesome lives for Jesus in public school? I almost feel blessed that I have been granted the opportunity to share with them some of this part of history that they might not ever hear about. I firmly believe these stories will stick with them as they grow. I am praying for God to use what we are learning about to touch some of these girls lives, not only for missions but for Jesus.