My time at the Teach Them Diligently conference was a huge blessing in my life. I was blessed time and time again by several wonderful speakers. But, my favorite from the entire weekend was Ann Dunagan from Harvest Ministry.
It is hard for me to describe the emotions that came over me as I listened to Ann speak. But I want to try.
What Ann shared is very different compared to what you hear from a lot of other “homeschool” speakers. Many times, as homeschooling mothers, we are encouraged to be at home, say “no” to myriads of activities, put our family first – to the exclusion of all else. If I can be so bold, there are extreme sects of homeschoolers for which family is an idol. (Now, don’t get me wrong. I have learned a lot over the past few years about saying “no” to many things in order to say “yes” to God’s best. I have learned that my family does have to come before many things…I hope you know, as a reader of this blog, that my family is important to me. grin)
However, at the same time, there has been this pull in my heart all along for missions. I have continued to go on mission trips and am on our missions committee at church. I continue to take my children to serve in various places. All because these things are important to me.
But, somehow, in the world of homeschooling, I felt alone at times.
While I am definitely passionate about homeschooling, where my heart beats the most strongly is for hurting and lost people around the world. I have shared before that there is just something in me that has to share. I am compelled by God to share the grace He has bestowed on me. (This isn’t a new phase in my life, I have gone on mission trips regularly/yearly since I was in junior high school!!)
So, when I heard Ann Dunagan share so enthusiastically about loving homeschooling and still living a life of missions – I was beside myself! I just felt a calm about my spirit…I may have cried a little bit in her talks. 🙂
I wanted to share some of the notes I took from her sessions!!
Practical Ideas for Instilling a Missions Heart
- we should have a “great commission” worldview in our homeschool – not just a Biblical worldview!!
- keep praying fervently for God’s will to be accomplished in the lives of each of my children
- missions and the lost are IMPORTANT – so important that THEY are the FOUNDATION of our homeschool!
- decorate your home with things from other countries
- hang maps all around your home
- keep a globe out and available to your children
- give WITH your children to needs around you – involve them
- read George Mueller’s biography
- being to pray like George Mueller – with FAITH, thanking Him in advance for what He is GOING TO DO
- learn about missions – incorporate other countries and missionaries into your other subject areas
- get passports!
- make hospitality a regular habit in your home
- honor and esteem those who are advancing the kingdom – when a missionary comes locally to speak, GO and go speak with them afterwards, make them feel more like heroes than most ‘heroes’ in our country today (political, sports figures, etc.)
- be an ambassador for missions in your church – if your church isn’t big into missions, don’t use that as a reason to leave, take that as a CALLING that God has placed you there to help spread awareness and start trips!
- if you personally cannot adopt, support orphan care in other ways! child sponsorship, helping other families adopt, being supportive, going on trips.
- develop an interest in your family for unreached people groups (if you are looking for one to support, consider praying for my upcoming trip!!) study these countries, learn about these people, PRAY daily for people around the world and their needs
- use books like Operation World
or Window on the World
to pray with your family
- GO. DO. SERVE. with your children. This is what our homeschools should be made up of.
I am halfway through Ann’s book, The Mission-Minded Child
, and hope to share more with you about that, too!! It is excellent. It is full of practical ideas for helping your kids to become mission minded: poems to memorize, discussion questions, lesson ideas, etc. There is also another session from the convention I would like to share with you…but I thought this post might be getting long enough. 🙂
, and hope to share more with you about that, too!! It is excellent. It is full of practical ideas for helping your kids to become mission minded: poems to memorize, discussion questions, lesson ideas, etc. There is also another session from the convention I would like to share with you…but I thought this post might be getting long enough. 🙂
Wow. Candace, I just found you, via this photo on pinterest. Your sweet words have so totally BLESSED me this morning. Thank you for sharing your heart and how those simple (and perhaps a bit passionate) words at that conference actually impacted you. Oh, praise Jesus!!!! Thank you. so much for writing this, even just for me.