Time to Home School

I've got a super exciting opportunity coming up.

At least, I think it is.

I'm a bit terrified about it, too...

...'cause it involves me getting on a small plane and flying away for 5 days.

I've NEVER done that before... Well, not since I started having kids nearly 17 years ago.

I've always at least had someone with me.



Home schooling activity (Doesn't that include just about everything, including making pancakes?)
with Elsie Mae and Mary Michelle.



Are you curious?

Let me explain.

Last January I was invited to join a team... a pool of presenters... and be willing to travel and share, based on availability, experience and knowledge about various topics related to the education of these kids of ours living this amazing life as expats... or TCKs (third culture kids).

There are many advantages - our children have opportunities that some parents could only dream of for their children - travel to far off and exotic places, exposure to varying cultures, fluency in two or more languages, freedom from much of the materialistic post-modern thought prevalent in the West, and learning to rely on and relate to each other better as a family because sometimes - lots of the time - we're all we have.

But there are also huge hurdles to overcome and challenges to address, particularly when it comes to providing a quality education for our children, discipling them to integrate and also appreciate the best of their two (or more) very different homes, and still preparing them for re-entry to life in the West when that time comes. Remember that's on top of all the normal stresses and pressures of just growing up our kids. (Please don't think I'm saying it is harder for us than for those of you God has not sent out to foreign places... both are demanding! But it is different.) After all, they are only loaned to us for a short time. It doesn't seem like that in those early weeks of pacing floors with cholicky babies, frantic flurries to the doctor when a high fever spikes and endless mornings home with little to no adult conversation. But those days seem just like yesterday and yet in less than a year, our first will be graduated and moving into that next stage.

For whatever reason, this organization felt I might have something to offer and, as I said above, unexpectedly-for-me invited me on board. Tim and I took several days to pray about it, but he's been overwhelmingly encouraging and positive... and so I said, "Yes!"

And so, this October, I'll be traveling to another W. African city for my first education conference... as a presenter. I've been given two topics: "Issues for Third Culture Kids," and "Time to Home School."

If you think about it, I'd appreciate prayer:

1. Pray that I am diligent and use well the time I have to prepare for these two presentations.
2. I've committed to go - and am now praying that the Lord will provide the necessary funds to cover the plane travel as well as my visa.
3. Pray for Tim and the kids. - This will be the first time I've left him for more than a day with the whole kit and kaboodle. He's a great daddy, and he'll have some amazing biggers to help, so I know he'll do fine... Maybe what I'm really asking is that you pray for my mama heart that will find it hard to be away from my gang.
4. Pray for God to prepare my heart for the actual flight - I'm still terrified of aviation travel. Nothing new under the sun in that respect!