I felt like the worst homeschooling mom ever. While other parents were taking their kids on nature walks and art classes, I was dragging my three children along with me to the pregnancy resource center that I just helped to start. Cory, Leslie and Nathan—all in elementary school—helped me to fold baby clothes and sort diapers. As we remodeled the new center, they helped rip up carpet. They held babies while I talked with teen moms. They sat on the porch and read while I met with the other leaders to plan and to pray.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized the impact of this time. During the morning my kids and I read many books in our homeschool, including missionary stories. And in the afternoon my children were walking with me, learning how to serve. I just wish I would have realized one important truth sooner: I was giving my children a heart for the world by teaching them about it and serving others with them by my side.
Now those three kids are all adults and each of them loves God and serves Him in amazing ways. My oldest son is teaching his own kids about Jesus, and he also leads children’s church. My oldest daughter is a missionary and teaches college in Europe, and my third oldest child had his first Christian novel published. They are an amazing example for their seven younger adopted siblings.
So how do you give your children a heart for the world?
- Read missionary stories. Our favorites are the YWAM missionary stories. Ones we’ve read recently (and loved) are: George Muller, Mary Slessor, Nate Saint, Eric Liddell, and Gladys Aylward, to name a few.
- Volunteer together. Currently my kids serve in children’s church, and they help in the teen mom support group that I lead. As they help, they realize that can make a difference in someone else’s life. Even my youngest kids who are seven and eight-years-old love to play with the babies and help set up for our meetings.
- Pray for the nations. We pray for missionaries we know, and we read books about other countries and pray for the people there. I tell my kids that their prayers can make a difference on the other side of the world, even if they can’t see the change for themselves.
- Create care packages for the homeless. We create care packages and keep them in our car. We include water bottles, snacks, and toiletries. Sometimes we include a note or a Bible, and then we pass them out to those in our community. So far everyone we’ve offered our care packages to have been thankful for the gift.
- Sponsor a child. We sponsor two children as a family, and our kids pray for them every day. Knowing the names and needs of other child in a different country helps my kids to connect people with the places we talk about.
All these things are important ways to give your children a heart for the world, but just as important is for your kids to see YOUR passion. When you are excited about learning about the world, and serving others, your kids will be too. What you do is just as important as what you teach, and the best part is seeing your kids grow and step out into the world they’ve grown to love.
Tricia Goyer is a prolific author of more than sixty books. She is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of four, and wife to John. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Center in Kalispell, Montana and now leads a teen mom support group in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can find out more information about Tricia at www.TriciaGoyer.com
