More about being a homeschooling missionary mom...

Well, today is another example of my life as a missionary homeschooling mom...

Isabelle woke up this morning with a horrendous cough. (It was mild when she went to bed last night...but way worse this morning). She seems to physically feel ok, but she is extremely tired and has the unintentional "I'm sick" look on her face. So, she asks me what we have to do today and I begin to explain our day of school for two hours, then Mommy leaves for La Carpio and school with Daddy for a fwe hours more...then we all meet back up and head to Tejarcillos for the prayer service. Audrey, who had been quietly eating her fruit loops, looks up at me with her sweet little face and says, "Mommy, can you please just stay home with me today?" OK- OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH HER!!! So, even though I had already lifted to the Lord what I should do today (ministry or family), without knowing that Isabelle was worse this morning, but knowing that we were behind in school this week...I went to the Lord again in prayer. So, I made the choice to stay home today from La Carpio and have spent it homechooling two children, one who is sick, trying to make the most of my day with my youngest little one and getting some other much needed things accomplished. Matt took over for the nature walk with the kids (not really a walk because Iz wasn't feeling that great to go on a real "walk") outside in the area around our house. They gathered some intersting leaves from the plants growing right on our street. During this time I went on a walk with Audrey to an area near our home to get a few things done and to take advantage of the no rain and sunshine. And it was an excuse to take her and get her favorite treat :) and a frozen cappuccino for me...it isn't the REAL thing but it is a close second and it cost about $1.25 for a 20 oz size!!! So, we enjoyed some one on one time and being able to talk- and can that girl ever talk!!!! So, we got back and ate lunch and she laid down for her nap...Matt and I made some decisions about his parents visit and what we are going to do while they are here and also spent some time working on Math (not our formal curriculum but with the Pattern Blocks I ordered) with both Ethan and Isabelle.

So, how do we do this, anyway? How are we as parents of three young children in the prime learning years supposed to balance the draw of ministry with the nurturing of our family? Today, it was obvious for me. Today was a day that our three kids needed me to be their mom. Why or how could I choose anything else? Isn't that what God has gifted me to do as my first and most important ministry. And won't that send a better message to the women I minister to and serve with than anything else I could ever do or say? That is the message the Lord laid upon my heart today and I thank him for the opportunity to be home today.

So today we ask you to pray for our family as we grow more and more as servants of the King and watch God work in the ministry here. Matt and I both are sharing the homjeschooling responsibilities, but really the brunt of the ministry is on his shoulders. And so we ask you to continually petition the Lord on our behalf to keep our God first, our family second (our marriage first and then our children, and our ministry third. Thanks for praying!