My Favorite Homeschool Field Trip

This year has been anything but usual as far as homeschooling goes.  Although, I'm not sure there really is a "usual" in homeschooling, thus the beauty in it. :)  We started year round homeschooling this year and year round it will be....

I want to share about my very favorite field trip we took this year.  It was to the Wycliffe Discover Center.   If you don't know about Wycliffe Bible Translators  - click on their link to read more.  We took this trip with our homeschool group the Tampa Bay Heat.  They do this trip annually and I HIGHLY recommend it to all my local friends.

One of the first things in the morning - a play!  Those who know me, know I LOVE plays... and another example of how perfectly God weaves us together... Meisi was selected to be IN the play! They asked, "Will she stand in front of a crowd?" I said, "Umm... I'm not sure."  Then they took her off and told her what to do.   No need to worry - she is a natural!  Perfectly.Weaved.In...

She'd stop and wave every once in a while smiling, saying, "Hi Mommy, I right here."

Through the curriculum we are using (MFW), we read the YWAM books on missionaries for each country we study.  The first of these books we read was about Cameron Townsend.  He started Wycliffe (which is why we were so excited to go see all the work done through them since then).  Well... guess who the play was about?  Of course, it was Cameron Townsend!  Meisi was a security guard preventing "Uncle Cam"  from entering.   I'd say she must be the cutest security guard EVER!  Thankfully she let him enter. :)

Next stop - Music!
A tidbit about us - every country we visit, we try to pick up three items - 1) A Christmas ornament, 2) A bowl (not sure how that started but we have some very cool bowls), and 3) a musical instrument.

Our kids were fascinated at the variety of instruments and enjoyed sharing that we actually own some of these with the folks serving at Wycliffe.

Dress up anyone? My three sweet amigos!  Muy buenita, Si?  (Ok...don't judge my Spanish...it has been about 20+ years since taking it.)

This picture melts my heart as I think of the gift our sweet Meisi has in drawing others to her and the love that somehow overflows to and through others around her (this man was our tour guide). I pray that God draws her to Him early and that she uses that gift, living a life that radiates His love to all she encounters.

Near the end of the day, they used a visual of how many people were needed to support one missionary family. I think we were all amazed putting it into perspective.  Aili was a "literacy specialist" and Ian was a "non print media specialist".  There were other jobs from teachers, finance folks,  financial supporters, mechanics, medical staff...but more than any other "job" needed to be filled was that of the prayer partners.  I was one of those; however, Meisi quickly stepped up to take over.  :)

This brought to mind how thankful I am for our dear sweet friends who cover us in prayer.  Blessing upon blessing to have you in our life.  Thank you.  This journey we are on is so breathtakingly beautiful, exciting, freeing; yet, overwhelming.  Thank you for continually lifting us up. :)

At the end of our visit, some of the kids in our group said they wanted to be missionaries to the unreached when they grow up.  Our Wycliffe guide said the biggest reason that wouldn't happen was all the adults sitting behind them - their parents.  He said that many, many feel called to serve Him, but decline because their family is so adamant about them not going.  That their parents are all for missions but not their child or grandchildren going to those places...  My first thought - but how can they hear?

Broke.my.heart.    

This also brought to mind a story about Hudson Taylor.  He had been teaching and preaching amongst a group of Chinese people for some time with having none who believed.  Then a respected man at the end of the service stood up and shared, "I have been searching for the truth for a long time.  My father and my grandfathers before me searched for the truth, but they never found it. I have traveled far and wide looking for it.  I have tried Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, but have found no rest.  But tonight, tonight I have found rest.  I have heard the truth, and from now on I am a believer in Jesus."  

A few nights later, the man asked Hudson Taylor a very hard question, "How long have the people in your land known about Jesus?" When Hudson Taylor told him hundreds of years, the man said, "What? You knew the truth for hundreds of years and didn't come to tell us?  My father searched for the truth all his life and died without finding it.  Why didn't you come sooner?"

He died without finding it (truth). 

Why didn't you come sooner?

If that doesn't break your heart, it should.  

"God does not wish any would perish." 2 Peter 3:9 (nor should we)...

but.. 

"How then can they call upon the one they have not believed in? And How can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?" Romans 10:14

"The harvest is plentiful but workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field."  Luke 10:2  

My alarm goes off daily at 10:02 to remind me to pray for the Lord to send out workers.  

Will you join me in praying this, even if it is your child or grandchild He is going to send out? 

If looking for something a little more powerful than magical to do in Orlando -  I recommend the Wycliffe Discovery Center.  :)