Exploring Homeschooling - Part 3

The Maxwell Family were not the only family we know who home-school their kids. Later on, we met the Ostby Family, who used to be missionaries in Indonesia before they moved back to the States due to Sue's illness. Sue used to home-school the three kids before she became very weak physically. Every time we are around this family; we feel like breathing a fresh breath of air. When most kids don't like to have conversation with adults and would rather play with their cell phones or video games; the Ostby kids love to engage in conversation with anyone. They like to play outside, surf (real surfing not the web or TV surfing), plant different kind of trees, take care of their goats, chickens, dogs, cat, etc. They are not only kind and polite kids who love the Lord; they are super smart and knowledgeable too.

Their love for people and God's wonderful creations is shown through their words and actions. For instance we were walking by the beach as we talk and enjoy the beautiful scenery with Alicia (the 14-year-old teen). Chris notice that as we walk, Alicia would pick up any trash along the way then threw it in the garbage can. As for us we didn't even notice/ care about it. Sure we can say it's not our job or make excuse that we came from Indonesia where trash is everywhere so we used to it, but they had lived in Indonesia too. Watching them help me to better understand Paul's words in Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. "

When Chris and I visited the Ostby one time, we also got chance to meet another wonderful family, who has three amazing boys. The mother also home-school the three kids. I was still pregnant then and at that time we just found out that we're having a boy. We were excited but Chris was anxious at the same time. He is used to lead small group/ bible study with college boys but most of them (even the one who come from a devoted Christian families) are not passionate about their faith but into cars or games instead. When we meet this family, the three boys (age 17, 14, and 8) immediately introduced themselves and shake our hands without being told by their parents. We sit behind them at church the next day and we observed each one of them (including the youngest one) attentively listened to the message and passionately worship during the praise and worship time. Meeting them is like God's affirmation to us that it's possible to raise boy to be a man after God's own heart.

We asked each family the reason of them home-schooling their kids. And we keep getting the same answer: they want to raise up children who would love and serve the Lord Jesus.

In our mommies' small group, we just learned from Psalm 127:3-5, that our children are compared to an arrow of a warrior. We heard a lot of the phrase: children are blessing from the Lord but not much of this so some of us were confused. Thank God my favorite missionary blogger happened to write about this topic earlier so I just forward the post to the moms:

Psalm 127:5, " Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." We are raising mighty arrows for the Kingdom....arrows that will go from our house and shoot out to the world and for generations to come!
We want to raise our children so that they will go out into the world and be salt and light. We need to raise them to not be ashamed, "when they speak with the enemies at the gate." (Psalm 127:5)

We can raise our children intentionally to live their life on purpose and for a purpose, before a watching world. We have the opportunity to show the world what a godly, functioning family can look like and what children raised with purpose and vision can truly accomplish for the Kingdom.

You can read the full post here

So those are the reasons why we want to find out more about homeschooling and went to the Christian homeschooling conference last time. We learned a lot from it and it answered a lot of my fear and questions. As for now we decided to give it a try 'till kindergarten at least and see how it goes. Thank God, we have one family at church who already home-school their kid so we can just go to them if we have any questions. It doesn't mean that Max doesn't get to learn from outside. We knows our limitation too; so for things like Chinese and music we will look for classes for him. Wait Fonda has offered to teach piano so we only need to find Chinese class then. :))

Anyway, after the conference, I knew that homeschooling is what God put in our heart. Yet, I still have a lot of fear. Mostly fear of "What would our family/ friend think about it; how would they judge us...." My loving God addressed it right away. I was reading Max his Bible and we were reading on the part when the Angel told Mary that she was about to conceive although she was still a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). And I cried as I read how Mary response because I felt that that's how God wants me to response:

Mary said, " I love God. I will do what He has chosen me to do."

Amen

Related Posts:
Exploring Homeschooling - Part 1
Exploring Homeschooling - Part 2