what else we've been up to...

During the summer of 1994, I discovered something wonderful.

I was studying at L'Abri in southern Sweden and was introduced to something that I hadn't thought much about before: education...real education...learning to love learning...learning to ponder the world and God and the people that He has so lovingly created.

So,ever since that summer, I've been trying to get a handle on what a real education is really about. I've been exposed to a number of unique educational experiences since that summer (training high school students with learning delays to hold a job, working with students who were transitioning out of juvenile detention, teaching ESL, homeschooling my own kids and tutoring some of the children in our church).  I am by no means an expert, but I have learned some things along the way, some of which include the fact that children need to feel loved, safe and secure in order to thrive in any educational setting, and also that children need to be given many opportunities to explore, ask questions, make mistakes and interact with others.

So, after all of these neat experiences, this school year, I get to do something really fun and wonderful! Last year, our church started a little school. It was the first year that I didn't homeschool our kids, but I was at the school a lot! This year, I get to be there even more because I'm going to be teaching the girl's class (3rd grade and up).  The Lord told me last year that he wanted our little school to be a place of healing...healing of relationships, healing of hearts and healing of minds...helping these beautiful children learn to love the One who loves us with immeasurable love. About half of the kids at our school are adopted and/or come from hard places. What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to help these precious ones grow into all that they were created to be! And what a pirvilege to serve alongside my wonderful brethren, who also have a great heart to see these children grow to be thoughtful, inquisitive, zealous lovers of God!

We start school in less than two weeks. I've been busy making lesson plans, ordering books, filling out paperwork, going to meetings, etc. So, in addition to all of the adoption paperwork and prayer...that's what else we've been up to!