Angie Goes West
A true story by Linda Augspurger
Adapted by Sarah Porch and Amanda Brandt
Illustrated by Jeremy Sniatecki
Copyright © 1998, 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
Warrenton, MO 63383-0348 Version 1.0
1►Week 1—
Introduction to Missions
2►Missionaries are people whose full-time job is to tell
others about God’s love and how He showed us His love
through His Son Jesus. If you have believed in Jesus as
your Savior, when you tell your friends, neighbors or people at school
about Jesus, you are being a witness. ►While you and I can be
witnesses right now to our friends and neighbors, some people decide
to be witnesses as their full-time job. They are called missionaries.
They dedicate their lives to telling others about Jesus.
Where are some places missionaries can go to tell people about Jesus?
(Allow response.) Missionaries can go really far away to tell others
about Jesus but they can also stay close to home. Missionaries tell
people about God and show them His love. One way missionaries
show God’s love to people is by learning their language and living like
they do.
3►The missionary we’ll be talking about for the next
few weeks didn’t have to cross oceans to tell others about
Jesus. God sent her to work with the Navajo tribe in the
state of New Mexico. (Show New Mexico on a map.) Her
name was Angie Garber. She started working with the Navajo people
in 1952 when she was 38 years old.
The Navajo are Native Americans who are spread across the
United States. Their land, called a reservation, is located in New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The Navajo tribe is the largest tribe of
American Indians in the United States today. Most Navajos speak
English and live like other Americans do but they still keep their own
language and customs—such as powwows and naming ceremonies.
4►In the 1950s when Angie started to work with the
Navajo, there were fewer Navajo people who understood
English than there are now. Most Navajo only
understood their own language. Even today some of the
Navajo people who live on the reservation do not know English well.
Most of the Navajo still learn and speak the Navajo language—even if
they know English. It is important for missionaries who work with the
Navajo to learn their language.
5►We can learn some
Navajo today! We are going
to learn how to say “Jesus
loves you.” Are you ready?
(Show children a card with
the words Jesus ahóó áshó
ní. Tell them to say, “Jeesus ah-yoh ah-shoh nih.”
Repeat it with the children a
few times.)
Next time we will hear more about Angie and how God used her to
show His love to the Navajo people.
(If your group supports missionaries through prayer and/or giving,
this is a good time to tell a little about them—where they serve, what
they do and how the children can pray for them. If possible have a
picture of the missionaries to show the children. If you do not have a
specific missionary, this would be a good time to pray for God’s Word
to be preached to the Navajo people and for more missionaries to be
called to serve them.)
Angie Goes West
A true story by Linda Augspurger
Adapted by Sarah Porch and Amanda Brandt
Illustrated by Jeremy Sniatecki
Copyright © 1998, 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
Warrenton, MO 63383-0348 Version 1.0
died on the cross to take my punishment for sin,” Angie prayed. That
night Angie believed in Jesus to save her from her sins. She discovered
that God was interested in what she worried about, what hurt her
feelings and what made her happy. She began to talk to God, sharing
all her thoughts.
5►Angie loved to read. It was fun and made her happy.
1►Week 2
2►There was excitement at the Garber farm in Iowa.
A baby was due any day! When baby Alice was born
the doctor smiled and said, “What a pretty, strong and
healthy baby she is!” Then he exclaimed, “Wait!
There’s another baby! Alice has a twin!”
It was May of 1914. Back then twins often came as a big surprise.
The doctor delivered another little girl! Her name was Angie. But the
doctor looked sadly at little Angie. He said softly, “She won’t live.”
Baby Angie’s face was not formed right. Her family feared that what
the doctor said was true and Angie wouldn’t live.
3►But Angie did live! She grew strong though her
face never fully healed. She liked to play outside with
her twin sister, carry wood and feed the chickens. And
Angie loved to sing! Her father, Mr. Garber, was the
pastor at their church and Sunday morning worship time was never
without music. During the week the family gathered on the big front
porch after hard days of farming. They sang hymns accompanied by
Mr. Garber’s violin, tin flute or guitar. Sometimes while their mother
worked at her chores, the twins sat in a swing and sang through the
songbook all by themselves.
4►Another important thing in the Garber home was
prayer. Each night before the twins went to sleep they
knelt together beside their beds and said a prayer. One
day Angie realized how much God loved her. ► “Dear
God, I know you sent your Son Jesus to be born as a little baby boy.
He grew up without ever doing wrong things like I do. I believe Jesus
Angie especially loved stories about the West—the
western part of the United States. She dreamed of going
there someday. Angie loved these stories so much that
when she was in high school, her dad took her to a rodeo. Angie was
so excited that when she got home, she made herself a lasso. She
practiced and practiced until she could throw it just like a cowboy.
But Angie’s high school years were not all reading and rodeos. Those
years were some of the hardest she faced. Come back next time to find
out why.
Angie Goes West
1►
A true story by Linda Augspurger
Adapted by Sarah Porch and Amanda Brandt
Illustrated by Jeremy Sniatecki
Copyright © 1998, 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
Warrenton, MO 63383-0348 Version 1.0
Week 3
2►What are some things you remember about Angie?
(Allow response.) When she was born her face was not
formed correctly.
Video starts here.
3►Angie knew she didn’t look like everyone else and
she couldn’t hear as well as other people either. This
made her feel sad. Nobody is as ugly and different as I
am, Angie thought.
4►But as Angie learned more about God from her
Bible reading, He helped her change how she thought
about herself. The Bible told her that God knew
everything about her—even how many hairs she had on
her head— and she was very valuable to Him. Angie began to
understand that everyone is special to God no matter how they look or
dress. She began to see that others are valuable to God and need to
know about His love. She wanted to share God’s love with others who
had never heard of Him.
When Angie finished high school, she was excited to go to college and
learn more about God so she could tell people about Jesus. However,
one summer day after a long walk Angie’s whole body ached. What is
happening to me? Angie wondered. 5►By the next
morning the pain was even worse. She had no strength
in her left arm and leg. The doctor knew immediately
that she had polio—a sickness that could cause her to
become paralyzed.
Angie thought of her dreams of teaching about Jesus and asked, How
can I teach if I can’t use my arms and legs? But every day for weeks
the doctor returned and rubbed Angie’s aching muscles. Slowly Angie
felt the tightness in her muscles ease and some of her strength
returned. I might fully recover! Angie thought. But even though Angie
got better, her left side never completely healed.
Well, Angie remembered, God does not need me to look beautiful for
Him to love me or for me to serve Him. I guess He must not need me to
have two strong arms and legs either! The strength Angie longed for
could only come from God.
6►After her battle with polio Angie’s mother became
very ill. Angie gave up her plan to go to college and took
care of her mother for ten years. Shortly before her
mother died, Angie’s brother was killed in an accident.
Then the family farm had to be sold.
7►Deformities, polio, the death of her loved ones and
the loss of her home left Angie feeling sad and
defeated. But even though these things were hard for
her, God used them to teach Angie to trust Him no
matter what. She grew to love Him more and love others regardless of
who they were or what they looked like.
8►Finally Angie was able to go to college! After four
years of studying hard and working after class to pay
for school, she was prepared to serve God.
9►Do you remember where Angie dreamed of going?
(Allow response.) She wanted to go to the West. Do you
think God would send her there? (Allow response.)
Angie Goes West
1►
A true story by Linda Augspurger
Adapted by Sarah Porch and Amanda Brandt
Illustrated by Jeremy Sniatecki
Copyright © 1998, 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
Warrenton, MO 63383-0348 Version 1.0
Week 4
2►When Angie finished college, a Navajo mission
offered her a job as a teacher at their boarding school.
Angie was excited to finally be heading to the West.
Though she didn’t know it at the time, God had been
preparing her for this her whole life!
3►The trip was long but Angie finally made it to the
mission on the Navajo reservation. The land was bare.
4►The Navajo houses— called hogans—were made
of logs and mud and had one door and one window.
Angie had much to learn. At first she couldn’t speak
any Navajo and the children couldn’t speak any
English. But Angie worked hard and finally learned to carry on
conversations in Navajo. Finally she could read from the Navajo
translation of the Bible!
5►Medicine men were an important part of Navajo
life. A medicine man was a leader of the village and
people believed he had special power. Angie knew
one of them lived near the mission. Everyone was
afraid to visit him because he was gruff and mysterious. But Angie
knew she must share with him the truth found in the Bible.
6►When Angie arrived at the medicine man’s hogan,
she found only his wife. Angie offered to read to her
from the Bible in the Navajo language. The woman
was surprised since usually only Navajo could read
and speak their language, 7►so she agreed. Angie was
encouraged as she saw the old woman nod in
agreement with what she was hearing from God’s
Word.
8►Suddenly the old medicine man appeared in the
doorway! Angie felt scared but she knew God was
with her and wanted her to share the truth with the
medicine man. Though Angie hadn’t met him before,
she knew God loved him.
The medicine man came slowly into the hogan and stood behind her.
Angie kept on reading. He seemed to be listening! Suddenly the old
man burst into loud laughter. He held his stomach, threw back his head
and laughed at Angie! He had been waiting for a chance to make fun
of “the white missionary who thought she could speak Navajo.” He
had his chance when Angie mispronounced a Navajo word. His
laughter reminded Angie of being made fun of as child.
How do you feel when people laugh at you and make fun of you?
(Allow response.) Angie didn’t like it but she knew God valued and
loved her no matter what other people thought. She had come to New
Mexico to share God’s love with the Navajo. Angie knew God loved
the medicine man too. What do you think Angie did? (Allow
response.) We’ll find out next time.
Angie Goes West
1►
A true story by Linda Augspurger
Adapted by Sarah Porch and Amanda Brandt
Illustrated by Jeremy Sniatecki
Copyright © 1998, 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
Warrenton, MO 63383-0348 Version 1.0
Then Angie noticed that the Navajo families who owned a radio had it
turned to the same Navajo-speaking station. That station could be just
the help we need to spread the news of God’s love and power, Angie
thought as she bounced down the dirt road in her truck.
But the station manager did not agree. “We have a policy here, ma’am
—no religious broadcasting. Sorry.”
Week 5
2►Last week I told you that when Angie went to tell the
medicine man about Jesus, he laughed at her. What do
you think she did? (Allow response.) Let’s find out.
Video starts here
Even though the medicine man was laughing at her, Angie went right
on reading! That was the first of many visits to the medicine man’s
hogan. Each time he saw Angie coming to read, he would leave his
work and follow her inside.
3►One day she read John 14:6. (Read John 14:6 from
your Bible.) Angie noticed that the medicine man was
nodding his head in agreement just as his wife had
done. The Word of God had touched his heart! Instead
of laughing at her, he began to agree with her about the loving Creator.
It took a long time but at last the old man trusted Jesus Christ as His
Savior! ►He could say with confidence, “Jesus ahóó áshó ní”(Jee-sus
ah-yoh ah-shoh nih)— “Jesus loves me!”
4►As other missionaries arrived to help with the school,
Angie spent more time visiting the hogans in the back
country and teaching the Navajo women how to read.
People would often see her driving around in her blue
pickup truck. Sometimes she traveled 50 miles or more a day.
As time passed Angie’s love for the Navajo grew even more. If the
Word of God is to have more influence in the lives of the Navajo
people, more of God’s Word has to be heard. How can so few
missionaries spend enough time with so many people? Angie puzzled
over this as she continued her visits.
Angie barely made it out of his office before hot tears stung her eyes.
Disappointment filled her heart. She was so sure the radio would be a
great way to reach more people with God’s Word. But she knew what
to do—she would talk with her all-powerful Heavenly Father about it!
Not long after Angie visited the station manager’s office, she got a call
from him. “I don’t understand it, ma’am,” he said. “It’s never been
done before, but the station’s board has just changed the policy. Your
mission can begin its radio program immediately!” God answered her
prayer! 5►Soon God’s Word could be heard in every
hogan with a radio.
Angie was a missionary with the Navajos for 47 years.
She dedicated her life to showing God’s love to everyone around her.
She saw people as valuable to God and was determined to make a
difference in their lives.
Maybe one day you will love and serve others as a missionary, but you
can also do this right now as part of being a witness. A witness is
someone who tells other people about Jesus. One way to be a witness
is to practice showing love to the people around you—no matter what
they look like or how they might be different from you.
Angie learned to see all people as valuable to God. She was able to
look past their differences and see them with God’s love. Will you
learn to see people the way God does and show His love to them?
Footnote: Angie Garber arrived in New Mexico in 1951 and remained
there until 1997. She died in 2006.