My Kids are Going to Reach the World This Summer!!

The time is nearing for these 2 amazing missions trips to take place.

Keri's trip to Peru is from July 9-July23

Devin's trip to Romania is from July 16-July 30

Keri (13 years old) has earned about half of her trip so far but still has a ways to go ($1500 more). Thanks to all who have supported her efforts so far. If you would like to support her in this endeavour, you can make a tax deductible donation here:

http://www.teenmania.ca/index.php?target=donate

She is a Global Expeditions Missionary

Name: Keri Patton

ID #: 2631416

Devin (15 years old) has earned most of the money for his trip already. He has worked hard at his job and has saved almost all of his pays to be able to afford this trip on his own. He would like to have some extra money to be an extra blessing to the kids and families he will meet along the way. You can make a tax deductible donation through New Song Church, contact me for more information (we have a paypal account set up, or can find another way to do it).

We are so proud of our kids and the compassion and desire to help others that they have in their hearts. Please help us make this a reality for them!!

Thanks in advance for your help:-)

A Proud Mom!!

Parenting - Raising Them To Send Them

Keri and Devin, the 2 oldest...they grow too fast!!

Parenting can be really trying and tiring.  Learning how to go through each stage, with different kids is difficult, to say the least.

When you see your kids making choices that make you proud, you deserve to enjoy the fact that maybe you didn't screw them up too bad:-)

My parenting philosophy has always been the same.  I am not sure where I read about this "concept" but it is something that I have held onto while raising my kids.  It is the idea that I am not raising toddlers, or preteens or even teens, I am raising adults.  They do get to enjoy being kids and teens, but I have an expectation of maturity and of good choices. 

My kids have learned early on that the choices they make will impact their lives.  Not just today, but for years to come.  The choices they make will mold them into who they will become.  So, the better the choice, the better the outcome. 

I have always been quite open with my children about my past and their fathers past.  We have made many mistakes and have regretted many things.  We have shared these with our kids (to a point) and we hope that they can learn from our past and not make the same choices.  We have also tried to expose our kids to the whole world.  Not just who we are and what we believe, but who else is out there and what beliefs do they have? 

My goal in raising my children is not to keep them with me for as long as I can, my ultimate goal is to see them leave their home and make an impact on the world.  It doesn't have to be a big impact, just to leave their mark for the positive.  I want my kids to have a heart for the nations.  I want them to be compassionate to others.  I want my kids to believe, 150% what they choose to believe.  That doesn't mean I want them to believe everything I believe just because we told them to.  I want their worldview to be shaped by themselves.  How else can they stand up and fight for what they believe if they have no idea why?

My kids have been exposed to many cultures, religions, beliefs and foods.  We have celebrated non-Christian holidays.  We have read books and stories from other religions and belief systems.  We have involved them in many multi-cultural events.  We have, ultimately, instilled a love for others by doing this.

We have done something right!! 

This summer these 2 kids (the "pre-adults") in the picture above, Keri, who is 12 and Devin, who is 15, will both be going to different countries this summer.  They are both going on a missions trip and are looking forward to it. 

Devin has been to Guyana and Romania so far and is planning on returning to Romania.  He has been working in a nice restaurant as a dishwasher/prep cook.  He has been saving his money since he started and is almost to the goal for his trip. 

Keri is going on her first missions trip.  She is heading to Peru this summer with TeenMania.  She is excited and nervous all at the same time.  She took over Devins paper route to start saving money and just made her first deposit of $400.00.  All her own money!

These are "teenagers", the group that the world says are "disrespectful", "selfish", "self-centred".  These are my young adults who are choosing to save their money to make an impact, instead of buying the newest iPod out there.  These are my young adults who are going to show the world that not all teenagers fit into the box that is there for them.  These are my young adults who have shown me that we have done something right in raising our kids.  This is the next generation! 

I am so proud of my kids.  I am so glad that we have been given this opportunity to train them and see them fill a need.  To see them desire to help others.  I can already see Grace, our 9 year old, wanting to go soon.  It will only be a few more years and we will be sending her!  I have also been asked if I am nervous for my kids to go.  I am not.  At all.  I am so glad that they will get to be a part of the bigger picture!

We have succeeded in parenting...we have done what we are supposed to do.  We have trained our kids to go.  And they are going!!

If you would like to donate to Keri, who will also be fundraising, feel free to go to the TeenMania website and click the link for Global Expeditions.  You will need to add her first and last name: Keri Patton and her ID# 2631416 . This site takes Mastercard and Visa.  Thank you for any and all support, financial or otherwise:-)

How do you feel when your kids leave?

Random thoughts from today...

We headed out to the museum today with a friend of Cutie Pies, from church. We hada great time and the walk there was even fun...

Friend: Is the museum close to your house?
Me: Yup, it is not too far
Friend: (after 1 block) How much farther is it?
Me: 3 more big streets
Friend: (a couple minutes later) How much longer?
Me: 5 minutes
Friend: (after 1 minute) Now how much longer?
Me: Still 5 more minutes
Friend: (after a few more minutes) Is this building it? (pointing to a house on the street)
Me: What do you think? It looks like a house!!
Friend: Are we almost there yet?
Me: It is at those lights up there

That was our conversation on the way to the museum. The conversation was a bit better on the way home...

We were walking along on the sidewalk and the tractor had gone over on the lawn, so you could see the grass under all the snow.

Cutie Pie: I wish it was spring already
Friend: Me too, did you know the sun is fire?
Me: Yeah, it is a big ball of fire
Cutie Pie: (seeing the grass) Oh my goodness, the snow is melting, spring is coming!!
Cutie Pie: 'friend' do you know how the snow melts? It is because of the sun
Friend: No, it is because of the fire

We had fun today, usually on Fridays we got to the museum and to the bank and to the store and the kids each get $2 to buy whatever they want, which is usually candy. So, we did that today too.

Mission Sunday is a fun class to teach at church. Our church relates to a group of churches around the world, through NCMI. Every month there is a Leadership Training Time going on somewhere around the world and we like to pick one of those countries each month and learn about it and pray for the leaders there and for the country. The kids have grown so much in class and many of them are praying for the countries on their own. It has been great to watch the growth in so many of them.

So, last month we learned about the Netherlands, and this month Australia and New Zealand and next month is either Congo or Tanzania (we already did Ethiopia last year, though I love Doro Wat and Injera and would gladly do that again!!).

So, I will put together a fact sheet, where I have a picture of the flag (and a description if I can find one) and a map of the country, some phrases in the language and counting (if it is different). I try to find the anthem and the population and some different facts or unique things that you may find there.

Then on Sunday morning we find the country on a world map and we find our city and we discuss how far it is and how we would travel there. I attempt to cook different recipes from the country and all the kids have to try it out. Usually our conversations are 'if God sent you to another country to do work for Him, what would you eat? They may not have peanut butter and jam sandwiches, or kraft dinner...'. I also try to find some kind of traditional music that is appropriate for Sunday school and we talk about the instruments and the words, and if there is a craft idea that really stands out for the country, we try that as well.

I just want to make sure that our kids know there is more out there then Canada and the USA. Not everyone is the same, and that is ok. I want my kids to be willing to try different things and foods and experiences and I want them to be respectful. This is my attempt at teaching them all those things so they are not growing up as self-centered people where everything revolves around them...

Ok, of my soapbox now, time to get some cleaning done, after I get a drink of water, and get ready for ladies group too...

Awesome Links

For Princess' AWANA tonight, she was supposed to have read a book about a missionary. We had Jungle Pilot, which is the story of Nate Saint. There was a movie, End of the Spear, that we just recently watched at our church, about his life, and the book just paints an awesome picture of how his faith in Christ led him to Ecuador. The movie didn't go into that much detail, leading up to where the movie started. If you can get your hands on this book, I highly recommend it and the movie!!

While reading the book today, with the kids (we almost finished the whole thing!!), it said how Nate's sister used to read him stories, as a boy, called 50 missionaries every child should know about. It listed a few of the names, and John Paton was one. Princess asked if we wer related in any way!! So, I thought it would be neat if we could find the book.

Me and my intenet prowess, I was able to find on e-book of it!! The first link below is the book they were talking about and I also found this other book (the second link) with some other stories. I will be printing these out and put them into a binder to keep on hand. How inspiring to be able to read these stories of people that allowed God to have their lives, wholly!!

50 missionary heroes every boy and girl should know.

40 Missionary stories