Christina’s Early Schooling Interior
“...Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Deut.4: 3
Good-morning, Mom’s! I have two princesses who have lived to tell the story of their educational process as tribal missionary daughters. From Home Schooling to graduating from college, they have been in every type of school and curriculum available at one time or another! Furloughs from the field and sickness made academic flexibility an imperative and a household word for us.
Both girls have their Bachelors and our youngest daughter her Master’s. I say this to encourage you, young homeschooling mothers that God is faithful beyond our circumstances and He has trusted us and is faithful to do what He calls us to do.
I was told that a good teacher causes learning and to accomplish this there are two pre-requisites:
1) A teacher must know the child’s need …spiritual first and then academic…for the child to learn.
2) The girls would need to be under my authority to receive from me.
I did not always feel like a “good teacher”.
My sense of failure was forever present.
Would it be enough…is it going to allow them the opportunity
to find their way in life? Would they be prepared?
I was teaching school in the jungle before the term “home-school” became popular!” I was given the choice of sending my little ones three days journey to live at our Mission boarding school for the school year or being a home school pioneer. It was not a hard decision, but it was a tremendous step of faith and a huge commitment.
We lived in very primitive conditions where my job description included many already time-consuming activities. There was no running water or electricity. Cooking was an experience in itself, as many of the animals I was preparing were unknown to me! There were no computers, Google, Youtube, phones, radios or T.V. There was no written alphabet in the Kuna language so linguistics occupied hours each day (oh, for an I pad).
In time, literacy became a necessity. Sue, my partner, and I ran a medical clinic in the mornings for treating malaria, T.B., parasites, bat bites, open wounds, even setting broken bones, delivering babies, colds and flu… etc. We joined the women weekly to sweep the village with palm leaf brooms (yes… imagine!). There were remarkable teaching times, prayer meetings and lots of needs and visitors all day long… every day. My girls were small; one was still nursing when we moved into Pucuro, our village on the Colombian border. Time was a precious commodity…days were short… darkness came early.
Teaching the girls was a blessing I loved. These two girls, my heritage…are the only thing that will go on into eternity and carry on—our beliefs, our character, our philosophies, etc. into the next generation. They are a commanding responsibility and the most important investment I wiould ever make. You, mom’s, face the same imperative today in this asphalt jungle, as I once did as a tribal missionary mom tucked away in the tropical jungles of Panama.
As a parent we have an unequaled opportunity with each child. We want our child to be wise, truthful, grateful, honest, mighty in spirit… etc. It is important that our heritage has the godly character necessary to produce success in life.
My question this morning is threefold:
1) Are you satisfied that you know how to take advantage of that
opportunity for the benefit of your child?
2. What is the cost to your children and to yourself if you fail to properly complete the task?
3. Is there a system that we can know for sure is going to work and we can utilize to obtain the right results?
Scary, I know!!
If there was ever a time in history when today’s youth must become God’s men and women for the world tomorrow…. THIS IS THE TIME!
Isn’t it true, Moms, that our success comes from making our children successful?!
I believe Scripture gives us a system we can use with confidence. It focuses on building Godly character and uses very simple tools to accomplish that purpose. Many parents spend hours teaching the “do’s and don’ts” that instruct the soul…but building character trains the spirit of the child. Our involvement in actively and aggressively developing character meets a desperate need in our child and our society.
Character is developing right attitudes that produce right actions habitually!
Do you know how to do this?
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
