Over the years, God has inspired our hearts more and more to expose our children to the least of these, the desperate places of our world, our global neighbors. We see our school year as an opportunity to teach our children about cultures that differ (some significantly!) from our own and to apply our personal experiences to the equation.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Mark 12:31
We find that when we follow our natural curiosities and God-given interests, we're most likely to enjoy and absorb what we're studying...and so goes our strategy for global prayer, studying God's Word, geography, literature, language, biographies, music, missions, global economics, history...to name merely a few!
It all started in 2011 when our school year began with Brodie and Aida's mission trip to Beijing in September. In excitement and preparation for their trip, we focused our attentions on China the first half of the year. We prayed for the Chinese people by province, watched DVDs, dabbled in the language, prayed for orphans and ministries we discovered through their trip, did reports on the country, read biographies of missionaries who gave their lives to the Chinese people, and grasped an understanding of the underground church movement/persecution of Christians in China that still exists today. My kids know WAY more about the history and modern condition of China than I ever did!
Our experience that year was eye opening and began a new theme for each year since.
In 2012, we focused on the continent of Africa while we were in the adoption process for Noble and India as well as preparing for Brodie's trip to Malawi and South Africa. Specifically, we studied each country in light of our Operation World book. We printed out a blank labeled map of Africa, colored in a different country each day, looked up photos on the internet, and most importantly prayed for each one. I bought this puzzle of Africa which was really helpful (even though Sudan is now divided) and I dreamt of buying this one. We highlighted the Democratic Republic of the Congo since that's where our children were born and we all learned a ton! I know I learned more about Africa that school year than I ever had in my whole life...one of the best blessings of homeschool!
We parents get to learn new things too!!
In 2013, we turned our attentions to Haiti in anticipation of our Kids Around the World mission trip. To allow our older children (and our younger vicariously) to actually smell, feel, live, breath, taste, touch Haiti in addition to our home studies is what homeschooling and all of life really is about for us. We'd like to be doers as well as thinkers. The kids learned about ministries that are doing amazing things in Haiti and got to visit them firsthand. Aida has become particularly inspired to gear her life toward the goal of becoming a medical missionary of some sort as a result of the trip and the clinic she learned about which is currently being built at Respire Haiti. Also, Aida felt very inspired to learn to play guitar before the trip so she could sing with the Haitian kids (a prime example of Delight Directed Learning). :) This led to now all 3 of our oldest picking up the instrument which will be a wonderful addition to our 2013-2014 year and has already blessed our family worship time abundantly! I'm amazed by all that God taught us this past year as a result of our preparation for Haiti! I couldn't possibly capture all of the details just here...and more is yet to be revealed...
This coming school year, 2013-2014, we are anticipating another Kids Around the World trip, this time to Puerto Escondido in southern Mexico. We'll be learning some Spanish, celebrating Mexican culture, studying the country's geography and history, following the ministry where the trip is heading (which is run by my brother-in-law's cousin's family), praying for the people of Mexico as we understand the challenges unique to them, learning some authentic Mexican cooking and baking, singing Spanish worship, and I have a fun plan to lead up to a big fiesta at the end of the year! I'm hoping by the time the trip comes, those who GO will be able to communicate in Spanish on some level with those they interact with as well as have a genuine understanding for and appreciation for the culture. We're excited!
One of our most appreciated blessings from homeschooling has been this experience to use our time learning about the cultures of the world, applying our knowledge to practical experiences, and immersing ourselves spiritually and physically in what God is doing around the globe. We pray these studies and life lessons will open doors our whole lives long as we follow God's lead each step of the way...studying the world...following our hearts...and hopefully making a difference for God's glory!
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations."
Matthew 28:19