I want to make sure we take our kids places. Right now due to financial constraints, we can't but I can put them in experiences to meet other people from different places.
As I've mentioned, the ESL ministry I help out with is one of my favorite activities. I was apprehensive at first about having my children in childcare during that time. I'm not even sure why. Maybe I was worried that the other parents wouldn't understand the sick kid rules. Who knows. Now I'm very glad they've gotten a chance to be around kids from all over the world.
It's easy to have a very narrow worldview growing up where we live. There are a lot of international people here but you can pick your activities so that you really don't have to interact with people from different cultures.
I didn't have a grasp on the international students I saw some in campus while at college. I want my kids to understand that ministry opportunity NOW even so that when they get to college they can effectively interact with those students.
It's about being purposeful. Our church has an all nations and a Chinese service. I love it. The church has grown beyond just a lot of white people to a variety of color!
My son has already noticed the difference in skin color so we've gotten to talk about it. Half of his second Sunday school hour is African. One of his friend's parents adopted a child from Africa. His best friend in ESL is Japanese.
I want to continue make my kids interact with all the cultures we have in our area which is a lot. I want to make them live overseas again so their worldview is broadened. I want to take them on mission trips to Haiti so they can see that no matter our incomes we are all the same.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Getting Excited
Since both of us are now actually mentioning to people that we want to do foster care, I'm getting excited. When I'm just talking or thinking about something it doesn't make it very real. When my husband starts talking about it, you know it's more of a reality.
I was going through some half made tiny baby diapers and thinking that I need to finish them up and make more! I've got some big enough for a 2 mo old but not for an itty bitty. Not that we would only get itty bitties but I want to be prepared!
I hope that we don't get denied because of our house size. It's only two beds but we would keep the baby in our room which is allowed until the child is one year. I don't know if they would then take the child or if we would be able to see out the end of their case if we moved one of our kids into our room for a few months to see a child through their time in the system.
I guess this is what it's like for people who try to get pregnant. Both my kids were surprises so I never experienced that anticipation of trying to get pregnant. I really would love a third baby of our own, but I'm happy to be a temporary mommy to a third baby over and over again. I just need to not want to keep all of them!!
I was going through some half made tiny baby diapers and thinking that I need to finish them up and make more! I've got some big enough for a 2 mo old but not for an itty bitty. Not that we would only get itty bitties but I want to be prepared!
I hope that we don't get denied because of our house size. It's only two beds but we would keep the baby in our room which is allowed until the child is one year. I don't know if they would then take the child or if we would be able to see out the end of their case if we moved one of our kids into our room for a few months to see a child through their time in the system.
I guess this is what it's like for people who try to get pregnant. Both my kids were surprises so I never experienced that anticipation of trying to get pregnant. I really would love a third baby of our own, but I'm happy to be a temporary mommy to a third baby over and over again. I just need to not want to keep all of them!!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Longing for Something
In Sunday school today we studied the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. To make a long story short, Jesus pointed out that the woman was search for something and she was going to men to find it. She had already had five husbands and was with a sixth man. There was a longing in her life that she was trying to quench.
My friend's husband was leading the class. He's an excellent teacher. He posed the question if Jesus sat down with you what would he say you're trying to replace the longing inside of you with?
I understand that longing. It was nice to have it verbalized. Granted I'm not filling my longing with man after man but I have been searching for a purpose since coming back to the states.
I think part of my longing won't be satisfied until we are back overseas. But I have found a way I can happily do something missional. We are going to look into fostering babies.
I feel like now we maybe be doing something more than just waiting to leave again.
My friend's husband was leading the class. He's an excellent teacher. He posed the question if Jesus sat down with you what would he say you're trying to replace the longing inside of you with?
I understand that longing. It was nice to have it verbalized. Granted I'm not filling my longing with man after man but I have been searching for a purpose since coming back to the states.
I think part of my longing won't be satisfied until we are back overseas. But I have found a way I can happily do something missional. We are going to look into fostering babies.
I feel like now we maybe be doing something more than just waiting to leave again.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Busy Life
I've been very neglectful over here, but it's not like anyone has been reading my posts anyhow. 2012 is a year God is going to do a lot of good in. I just know it.
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