Learning Together

September 4 dawned bright and clear, and the sunshine was warm and cheery to our anxious hearts.  Four children stood outside, carrying backpacks filled with anything they could possibly need for the first day of school.  Their faces were washed and clean, their hair was combed, and they wore little smiles of nervous excitement. 

It was a difficult day for all of us.  So many questioning thoughts running through their minds:  What will the teachers be like?  Will there be lots of homework?  What if the kids don't like us?  Did we wear the right clothes? What if I really need help and don't know how to ask for it?  What if someone laughs at us?  And through our minds ran thoughts like: What if this is too hard for them?  What if they absolutely hate this experience?  What kind of bizarre things will they learn? What if they don't make any friends?  What if the other kids tease them? They've never gone to public school before, how can we do this to them??

We read Joshua Chapter 1 and clung to the promise that God would be with us wherever we go.  We prayed.  We dried our tears.  And we began the longest 3-minute walk we had ever taken.

I am a homeschooling mom.  For the past ten years of my life I have been scouring books, guiding science experiments, reading poetry, modifying curriculum, making notebooks, and planning lessons--all with the goal of discovering life through learning alongside my children.

But this year is different.  This year we are in France, trusting God as He leads us along the path to West Africa.  This year I have set aside all of my planning and have entrusted the education of my children to the teachers of  l’école du Haut Maché.  

It has not been easy.  It was hard to see panic in our daughter's eyes, to know that our son walked around at recess with hands in his pockets because he had no one to play with, to see their tears of frustration when they didn't understand the situation around them.  No, it has not been easy.  But this is the road God has placed before us, and He never promised us it would be smooth--only that He would be with us.  "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

Life looks a little different for us this year.  My time is spent reading, writing, and listening to French; helping four children with homework each evening; listening to children recount stories and events from the days at school; watching them gain confidence in their ability to speak French to other children; rejoicing with them when they succeed and encouraging them when they don't--but still with the goal of discovering life through learning alongside my children.