We just finished a great day of school. The kiddies continue to astound me with their love of learning.
Iliea just completed a full course of Math-U-See Primer (which should have taken her much longer than one month!) and she's now onto Ave's math level, Alpha. She also just aced her first spelling test this morning (along with Ave) -- at the second grade level. We're quickly learning that she can do just about anything... and pretty well, too.
Ellie loves just about everything school-related -- and craves that one-on-one attention when we work on letters and reading together. But, she also loves the five-minute breaks when she can bust out her barbies, too.
And Avery... he is such an 'art guy'. He has always been so talented in drawing, and with the art curriculum that we're using, he's having so much fun with it. He's also fascinated with history and geography -- and so am I, surprisingly. We're learning about Leif Ericsson, the Vikings, and Columbus together. It's a lot more cool the second time around! :)
We're in full-blown, gung ho missionary mode -- "head down, eyes focused" (as Stephen would say) support-raising. I think it's really easy to forget that these kiddies are in it with us, that we aren't the only two trying to get this Swazi thing off the ground. So, as we wrapped up school today, the three just wanted to keep on going at the table. Iliea finished another lesson on math (imagine that), Ellie used tracing paper to draw a map of the world, and Avery said he was going to work on a project. He said that he just needed "16 prayer cards and prayer magnets."
I questioned why he needed them (after all, they cost money!) and he proceeded to explain that he was getting together a list of families and people that we know that he could mail notes to so that they will support us in Swaziland. And so, he began to ask me... "Mom... do the ______ support us? How about _______? Are they supporters of our family? Do the ______ have our information?"
I felt a little anxiety, worry and doubt fill me... and found myself saying... "Well, they don't, but...", and "Yes, they know that we're missionaries, but..."
-It's about taking a hand. Looking up to someone and trusting them, feeling safe, and certain that they will protect you. Little children have to hold a hand to feel safe, and whenever they take a hand to hold, they look up.
-Bold humility. When you have childlike faith you walk around in boldness, with no shame, no arrogance, but confidence. You don't withhold anything. you give it your all and without a begrudging attitude.
-Know nothing but learn everything. Childlike faith is understanding that you know nothing but can learn everything. It takes faith to be able to learn from others.
-Trust to know and peace to know. Children have no other faith than the faith of trusting in others. It's a faith to trust that all will be right with the world -- if you just say so. As adults we learn to stand upon our own learning and understanding. We trust ourselves to know what will happen, we become predictably predictable. When we grow old we once again have to return to a place of trust, but it's a peace to know that you never had control returning to a childlike faith.
-Joy. Children rarely worry about anything. They're typically easy to please, and even babies find joy and happiness in peek-a-boo. Rather they're joyful and peaceful -- they love and care. They don't worry about tomorrow, they're focused on the here and now, and in their focus they choose joy.
Isn't that awesome?
And, in Avery's childlike faith, he designed his own support packet and left it on the table for me to mail. I smuggled it into our bedroom to take a picture (thus the reason for the wild backdrop -- our comforter!), and I photoshopped the name of the person/family to protect the innocent!
Avery wasn't worried about what The __________ would think in addressing his packet -- how they're doing financially, or whether or not they have a heart for Africa and our Journey. He just knows, in his childlike faith, to take God's hand, have bold humility and be confident, to not lean on his own (but His) understanding, to be focused on ONLY today, and to choose joy.
Ave's good... he's really good. I think he's immediately being promoted to our support-raising director. So, you may just want to keep an eye out for a support packet that looks similar to this. Whom are we to stifle childlike faith? :)
