“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” ~Matthew 28:19

In the Great Commission; Christ’s final charge to His disciples, He doesn’t instruct us to simply proclaim the gospel but to “make disciples” and further more to “teach them to observe all” that He has commanded us.

As parents our first mission field is to our children. We are to shepherd them to Christ both with our words and with our lives. To that end, how can you disciple someone, or teach someone what it is to follow Christ without impressing upon them the need to take His message to the lost. Though I am certain we have not succeeded 100% of the time Anna and I have sought to teach our children all that He has commanded, to observe his commands and to be disciples. We believe serving God through AIM AIR will be an example to them of how we follow His leading to go to the nations. While we as adults understand the rationale behind what we are doing our children still view this transition through 9, 6 and 3 year old lenses. So, what do our children think of this and how are Anna and I preparing them for this upheaval?

-Meet our children-

Jude is 9 and loves science, specifically animals. He is enthralled by God’s creation and is constantly reading non-fiction about animals. He is most excited about seeing all the African animals. He knows his colors in Swahili better than anyone in the family. Jude is a follower of Christ and constantly amazes me by his understanding of scripture and the depth of his thoughts, even at the age of 9. He sees the need for why we go but also is apprehensive about leaving behind his pet rat, Kirby.

Lydia is 6 and lives in a world of rainbows and unicorns. If you ask her what her favorite color is she will tell you “rainbow is my favorite because I can’t pick just one.” She loves that her namesake in scripture was a seller of purple. Lydia is disappointed that we are going to Africa instead of China because there are no pandas in Africa. As a consolation she is looking forward to seeing zebras because they are black and white like pandas. Lydia is tough; our middle child who is a trooper through everything. Anna and I will have to be diligent to check on Lydia’s heart as she will never tell us how she feels. She is sad about leaving her friends.

Gideon is 3 and though he is physically the smallest in the home he may have the largest personality. He will climb anything and everything. We will have to watch him closely so he doesn’t follow a pack of monkeys home. All Gideon understands at this point is that we will be going on a big plane to Africa (wherever that is) and his toys seem to be disappearing. A message to all the grandmothers out there: don’t worry; we are taking “some” of his toys. Gideon calls me a helicopter doctor and enjoys looking at pictures of AIM AIR’s planes.

-Transition-

We have been talking a lot about this transition in our home. Whether it be things that we need to get rid of, friends we will say goodbye to, or cultural norms that won’t be present in our new home; there is a lot a grief in this process. There are also many things to be excited about. It is challenging to balance these things and be mindful not to blanket over grief with excitement. It must be processed, both as adults and as children. As a family we are working through this and making adjustments to be prepared for what God has ahead.

-Education-

Anna and are currently working through how best to facilitate their education while in Kenya. AIM’s policy regarding the education of children is that they be able to return to their home country at the grade level that they should be at. We have traditionally chosen public schooling as it gives our children the opportunity to learn how to live out their faith in a fallen world and gives us a bridge to connect with people in our community. Public schools are not an option in Kenya as they do not meet the same educational standards as Western schools. This leaves two options; a private international school or homeschooling. There is a significant cost difference between the two and though we know that money is not the only factor in our children’s education, we are also aware of the sacrifice of our ministry partners that would give us the ability to choose an international school. The international school would allow us that bridge to connect with people in Nairobi Another factor in laying out an education plan is home assignment. Home schooling offers the flexibility to travel as needed where as an international school would only have summer breaks as a window to take home assignment. Additionally, we need to address each child’s learning style and how to best educate them. This is a multifaceted issue and not easily navigated.

Connect with God on our behalf:

• For wisdom as we shepherd our children through this process.
• For discernment in choosing a schooling option the would best fit our children and our situation.
• For our children as they each go through their own individual griefs.
• Ask for safety as we travel to Arizona this coming week to support and visit our AZ Family.

Spread The word:

• Please share this with anyone who may be interested in following our story.

 Contact us with any questions you may have. We look forward to continuing a dialogue with each of you.
 

 Blessed to bless,
 Daniel & Anna Miller