Sometimes people say they open their Bible and wham, there is the scripture they were looking for! Not me. I usually have to search and search and use my concordance. Last night though, as I was reading my Bible, this verse jumped out at me...
"We can make our own plans, but the Lord knows the right answer." Proverbs 16:1 NLT
While moving to Haiti in the first place was never my plan, I knew it was God's and was ready to move forward with it...with some conditions...
1. I would not homeschool
2. If I were to home school , we wouldn't move til after Brooke was finished with first grade, I didn't want the responsibility of teaching her to read...too much to ask
3. If I were to home school, it would be for one year til we knew what was what and found what school would be best
I guess God doesn't like conditions...
after praying the last few months of homeschooling in my one year, with Brooke in FIRST GRADE, learning how to read, for God to reveal to me where they would be best in school for 2011/2012, I find that all doors have closed except, you guessed it, homeschooling for a second year. I think, no I know God laughed at my conditions and now I'm eating my words.
But, thank goodness God knows what is right and closed all other doors. I do believe now this is the best thing for our family and for the ministry. Cost for private school...unimagineable + Travel to private school...we could spend 3-4 hours/day in the car + homework & studying in the evening = not realistic, not an option, CRAZY!!!
Breaking the news to our girls was less than ideal, they were dead set on going to a "REAL" school with a "REAL" teacher with a "REAL" desk, library, and cafeteria. I believe God did a work in them as well. Yesterday we set up our school room, after setting up their own desk space they asked for an assignment and can't wait to start on Tuesday!
Colton has been on board with the idea all along. He loves getting the work done and being done. He loves working with Jeff and projects the teams are doing. For him the dreaded was all of what the girls wanted.
I don't expect me or them to have patience every day. I don't expect me or them to want to follow such a strict routine after last year being so crazy. I don't expect them to become geniuses with their mom being their teacher. But I can rest in God's answer. I can rest in the fact that this option will allow our children to walk this ministry with us, not behind us. I can rest in the fact that because our kids will walk this ministry with us, they will know far more and understand far more about the world in which they live and about loving others.
Thank goodness God knows the right answer.
Deb,
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of stress in our day on knowledge, and I agree with you that our children may not be the smartest children on the planet because they are taught by mom. However, I feel the most important thing you can teach your children is to listen and obey God (without conditions) just like you have done and are doing! May God continue to bless you and Jeff's ministry there in Haiti. I love reading your post.
Joyce Yoder (jeff's cousin)
I thought I was having an out-of-body experience reading something that COULD have been my very own thoughts, yet knowing that I, in fact, didn't write it. :)
ReplyDeleteYou will all do fine. I think you'll do better than fine. And don't underestimate yourself. The knowledge they attain in school with you plus the real-world godly lessons they are learning by living life with you will make them "geniuses" for His kingdom. That matters a ton!
Happy beginning of the school year! If there's ever anything I can help with, I'm only an email or a skype away.
Love,
Heather (another grudgingly-obedient-homeschooling mom) Ha!