Telling children about the great things God is doing

Susie Poole is the author of brand new children’s book, Sister Lucy’s Great Big Family. The book is published in association with World Emergency Relief and tells the enchanting story of Sister Lucy and her home for orphaned children in Kenya.

Here, Susie shares her heart for telling great stories that glorify God and the way he is changing lives everywhere.

CT: There are no princesses kissing frogs in this storybook. What made you want to write a children’s book about an orphanage in Kenya?

SP: I was looking for a title that would tell of the redemptive stuff God is doing around the world in terms of children’s lives and how people through the church are really making a difference. We need a broad understanding of the world so I am always looking for something that tells the deeper story and communicates the bigger picture.

When I met the guys at WER they told me about Sister Lucy and how she was trying to get this orphanage off the ground. She became a character I could see in the book, as the whole message of everything she is trying to do is about putting all your gifts to work, investing them and doing good.

She really exemplifies that and it’s lovely for kids to be able to get to know another environment and the sights and sounds of other places in the world.

CT: You went out to visit Sister Lucy and the kids. What was it like actually meeting them face to face?

SP: Overwhelming. I felt wretched for the first few days, coming from what we have in Britain, what we provide our children with, our expectations of how we should live and what we need, and then seeing these kids who have nothing. Our kids are noticeably more carefree. I was surprised by how quiet the kids at the orphanage were. You could see that there was a heaviness to them and they’ve seen life on a whole other level. That really shocked me and it took me a while to get to know the children and for them to trust me.

We did a lot of craft things together, which helped me to get closer to them and talk to them. Some of the pictures in the book come from what we did together. It was such a privilege to meet them and they love Jesus so much and depend on him for everything. They’ve got a richness and depth to them that we have no concept of in this country. It’s really humbling.

CT: You raise a number of topical issues in the storybook and you know your book will be read by parents as much as the children. Is your book about educating the parents as much as it is about educating the children?

SP: With every book I do I feel that there’s an opportunity to educate the parents. It’s really important not to hold back from our kids what life is all about and I think our children don’t need protecting from it in the way we think they do.

We have this habit of brushing issues under the carpet. WER has a Be a Good Egg scheme that parents can take part in together with their kids to raise money. In this way, the book raises awareness but also provides a great way for parents to actively pursue justice with their children so that they are not just reading about these issues and then leaving them but saying, actually you can make a difference, like David and Goliath. God can use children and I think parents need to remember that rather than closet them and keep them at a distance. And it’s important to remember that children pray too!

CT: How have your own children taken to the book?

SP: My daughter who is six just loves the book and just loves to find out more about Lucy and her family. We pray around it and it is the whole part for her and us as a family about believing that Jesus can make a difference. My husband’s been made redundant and my contract is about to end so we’re living by faith at the moment cos nothing’s coming in so it’s really real and we’re seeing that actually you can trust God to provide for you.

I think it’s exciting to hear about the miraculous things God does in other parts of the world and to remember that he wants to do it here. It shortens the distance between us and these far off places where it always seems so wretched. We have the same God and he is able to provide in both places. It is exciting to do this at a time when it is affecting the family.

CT :What’s noticeable about this book is that it doesn’t cast a negative light on Africa.

SP: Yes and I was keen not to do that because it is an amazing country with amazing people. When you are there what impacts you is the amazing colours, the terracotta soil and blue sky, and I really wanted to get that over in the book. Kenyans are an incredibly gifted people and we have a lot to learn from them too.

It’s really important for us to see that kind of beauty in Kenya. It’s different from how we live and what we are surrounded by but it’s equally wonderful. And when you pull God down into some of those situations there is real blessing and the kids are doing great.

CT: How much is the book based on reality in terms of Lucy giving up everything to look after these kids?

SP: I got drawn to the story by hearing about her to start with her. I’ve never met anyone like her. When she started to feel called to do this she had had a dramatic life experience and decided that she was going to throw her heart and soul into this. She’s a big blue sky thinker and always thinking ahead to the next project but also really good at handling what’s going on in the here and now as well. She is really dependent on God and takes the kids on that journey with her.

One time the children and Lucy decided they would fast for two days a week so that they could give the money they saved to the poor. That is overwhelming. She has a strong work ethic and she just shows how much you can do.

CT: What’s your next project?

SP: Everything is so uncertain in the publishing industry right now so I need to figure out how I go forward. But I have got such a desire to tell stories about what God is doing around the world and replicate this model with different things going on in different countries. I’m just looking to God to crack the whole thing open.