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Back to Eastern Europe

The team of Sandra and Katherine once again headed out on a trip to assist families in Europe. From March 31 to April 16 they were in Hungary and Bosnia. They were carrying educational supplies to families as well as testing the children in several families, both national and expatriate. They met with school officials in Budapest and with families in both countries offering assistance where needed.

This trip is a direct result of last year's Balkan Homeschool Conference (BHC 2007)and part of Lifework Forum's program to offer educational oversight to families studying in English and needing to satisfy the requirements of skeptical governments.

Madrid in March –

Sandra in Spain

When the Lord lays a plan it’s best to follow His direction. The way ahead may not be clear, but the blessings will be rich and varied. My recent trip to Spain confirmed these truths in ways I will do my best to describe.

At the outset, my assistant Katherine Loop and I light-heartedly named our adventure the “I don’t really know” trip. That seemed to be the answer we gave to whatever question we were asked about our upcoming time in Europe. We weren’t sure where we would stay. We didn’t know the details of our schedule. We had virtually no information about the conference where we would be ministering to homeschoolers. The one thing we knew was that God had opened the door and we were determined to follow Him through it.

	Through the most amazing set of circumstances the Lord brought precious and courageous brothers and sisters to us to receive His loving touch. One couple came to the conference to learn how to follow their Savior’s call to homeschool their two sons. They shared how the Lord had brought them through a four year separation to a tender marriage totally committed to Him. Bringing their sons home for full-time discipleship would surely be the Lord’s icing on the cake of reconciliation. A mom arrived who had heard about the conference only the day before. She was struggling with the oldest of her six children who didn’t seem to fit the government school mold.A Bible verse I shared with her turned out to be one she had been given earlier in the week and confirmed for her the Lord’s direction to pursue home education. An expatriate family from the north came to pursue their need for a satellite situation to circumvent government interference with their desire to homeschool. We discussed possible solutions with them as we enjoyed their six children. Katherine and I received positive feedback for the testimonies we offered to the Lord’s faithfulness in the individual homeschool experience and the larger cultural context. The faces and needs we encountered throughout our time in Toledo were many and varied. The Lord granted opportunities to offer information, support and encouragement in this familiar setting as expected. Little did I know that the truly major outreach of our journey was yet to come.

The last few days were set aside to enjoy a bit of Madrid. They began with a dinner invitation from Cesar Vidal, a famous Spanish author and brother in Christ. The lavish meal and engaging conversation were merely the staging for my next divine appointment. Cesar asked when we would be departing from Spain and asked if I would care to be a guest on his radio program. I chuckled to myself as I thought of the aptness of the trip’s nickname and gladly made myself available. I was confident in my casual but misapplied thought that I’d successfully taped radio programs in the past. The following evening we made our way to the COPE radio station. God in His mercy did not reveal the true adventure ahead, so I calmly enjoyed the night lights of downtown Madrid.
As we were brought into the studio I was told that César’s program interview would be broadcast live. There was no time to hesitate. As I literally stepped through the door, I felt bathed in the confidence fed by Ephesians 6:19. The hour-long program was dedicated to homeschooling and the topics went from a definition through socialization and legislation to results. It’s a little tricky to hold an interview with translation, but the Lord was faithful. I found the words I needed to encourage our brothers and sisters and César was pleased with the results. Families all over Spain got to hear the message that homeschooling is a viable, vibrant and God-honoring educational option. The door was open, the way was never clear, but the direction was set. It would be unfair to say that every day went smoothly. There were unpleasant situations that aren’t worth the time to retell. God showed Himself in miraculous ways and this report is merely the beginning of the account of His blessings. Please join Katherine and me in asking the Lord to build a firm foundation for the amazing future He has planned for Spain.

February 2006

Dear Faithful Friends,

I was gone for 17 days and flew more than 21,000 miles across the US, over the Pacific Ocean and back again. The Lord did much more than use up time and distance in the journey you enabled me to take. He taught me about Himself and His loving care for His people.

As your gifts began to arrive and I realized I would be able to make the trip to Thailand I went before the Lord with a special earnestness. The main thing I needed to know was why He would choose to send me to such a far off place. What message did He want me to bring in His Name? He answered me after I got there. He wanted me to share my heart with the people He placed in my path.

I presented three workshops at the Family Education Conference in Chiang Mai where 77 expat families came in from 17 different countries. They were well received and many people sought me out for follow up conversations and consultations. Understanding a God-centered view of education is something Christian families around the world are anxious to know more about as they pursue a life of holiness. Of course Story Hour was as much of a hit as it was in Eastern Europe. The children’s smiles lit up the room. I was blessed to see the hand of the Lord move over and over again

.I also had numerous opportunities to interact with nationals, most especially with children. I visited a school where I was blessed by the sweet, open spirit of the students. Our group provided lunch for the school for the day and offered games and activities in English. We also visited five hill tribe villages where we handed out treats to the children. I became Marmee to everyone and reveled in the godly image reflected in each face. It was a blessing to be His ambassador to these young ones.

Thai child

Story hour with Marmee

April 2006 - Back from Bosnia *Dear Faithful Supporters,* We're back from our most recent adventure. This one took us 9034 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern side of Europe and back again. Although the setting was not as exotic as that of Thailand the difference in the scenery was dramatic. The war ended 10 years ago, but bombed out buildings and active minefields are part of the every day landscape - very sobering. The amazing part of this trip was the variety of opportunities that we experienced. Story Hour with Doc and Marmee may be the highlight for us, but we enjoyed our time with the other groups as well. There were special times arranged for young men, young ladies and their moms, men, women, parents, homeschool families, a missionary team, and a fledgling church. We consider it an honor that we were busy day and night being poured out as our Lord's ambassadors. Throughout our visit we were constantly reminded of the conflict between light and dark, good and evil. For example, the home where we stayed with a Christian couple was right next door to a house used as a dormitory for young Muslim men brought to the area to further their religious studies. We learned of and visited a number of Christian outreach efforts in Sarajevo, but we were never far from a Muslim mosque with many new ones being constructed. As the west is increasing its efforts to bring the Gospel to Bosnia, Muslims are working to stir up the faith of their moderate "cousins." In many ways the post-war atmosphere is a search for restoration and security that is echoed in the searching hearts of the Bosnian people. The lives of the expats living there is hard and demanding, on every level and in every way. They are clearly being sustained by God Himself and it was pure joy to serve Him there. We are thankful that He caused the invitation to come to us and the means for us to be able to go. Watching Him oversee these trips is to see a miracle unfold.
		Bringing story hour to Sarajevo.
		The messages we're receiving from the families in Bosnia tell a bit of the story of His work. Thank you again for your wonderful visit. Thank you for taking such an interest in the families here in Bosnia. You are a great blessing to us! We have so much to ponder, pray over, and apply as a result of your time here. We have been so challenged. . . . Our lives are changed through the wonderful teaching, explaining and practical wisdom you shared. We are asking the Lord to give you a fuller understanding of the integral part you play in His work of caring for His people around the world. We are also asking Him to bless you for the marvelous encouragement you are to us in this stretching work. Thank you.

November 2005 *Dear Friends,* We want to let you know the impact of your involvement with us first-hand. Beyond making trips to various regions of the world to bring information and encouragement to both expatriates and nationals, we are involved in the lives of these people in many ways. here are just a few of them - and some responses. We send out periodic emails with educational information and spiritual encouragement. Thanks for this kind of info. . . Thanks for "looking out for us!!" Serbia I really enjoy getting your emails. Thank you for your commitment to us homeschoolers. Albania Thank you so much for your encouragement on this Thanksgiving! We are truly thankful for all the Lord is doing, especially for the encouragement of people like you and Curtis. Austria We carry and send educational materials to expatriates and nationals. You make great camels! Hungary Thank you on [sic] working to get me educated through wonderful biblical supplies. I am reading your book that you sent. It is so encouraging and practical. Lithuania We respond to individual requests for assistance by e-mail, telephone and personal contact. Don and I so appreciate your help with documentation for the government school. Slovenia Thank you so much for spending the time talking with me. I feel like the Lord used you to help clarify my rambling thoughts . . . and I am at peace once again. Thank you. Macedonia You don't know just how much I gleaned and am helped on a daily basis from our time together. It has helped drastically improve our marriage. Bosnia			Blessings from "home" sent from you.

			Thank you! Every time I contact you I am overly embraced with a bright light of encouragement along with a pouring out of yourself of 300%. Massachusetts These are brief glimpses of the results of your heartfelt prayers and financial generosity. Thank you for joining us. The Lord continues to bless our mutual commitment to care for His people. One of the ways God is blessing us is by opening new areas of service - Thailand in January and Bosnia in March. Sandra has been invited to attend the Asia Education Resource Consortium (AERC) conference for families living in the region. She is making plans to fly to Bangkok and then Chiang Mai where she will present several workshops to support expatriate parents in the education of their children. The invitation is in and confirmed. The next step is to seek the Lord's provision. In this season of giving we look to God to move hearts. We've seen Him do it again and again through you, our faithful band of supporters. Will you continue to be a vital part of the Lifework Forum adventure? May God bless you during the advent season as we prepare to celebrate the birth of His Son.

September, 2005 - Lifework Holds Conferences in Lithuania Between September 12 and 22, we spent some full days in Lithuania, and I do mean full days. We spoke 11 times and traveled to all four major cities. The Lord was very gracious to us all along the way. One major blessing was His repeat performance in allowing us to connect with nationals and expatriates in each area. We consider this a mark of His economy where every air and land mile is put to ultimate use. The most moving result of this trip was getting to know Gintas and Ina Juoniai. Ina came to the evening tea put on for nationals to learn more about homeschooling. This was a prime example of the interplay between nationals and expatriates. You see, these families have watched the missionaries homeschool and, after an initial critical spirit, are drawn in by what they witness in their families. After our presentation, Ina leaned forward and said that she and her husband were already committed to homeschooling and that she was convinced that God had brought us to them. Need I tell you that we were bowled over? We answered lots of practical questions on a variety of topics building in Biblical principles. The meeting ended quite late and only because bus schedules had to be met. God arranged for a non-believer who is meeting regularly with one of the missionaries to be there. He received much more to think about in terms of God's sovereignty, etc. It was truly an evening of divine appointments to be remembered, but God wanted to extend it. So, He arranged our travels in such a way that we went right through Kaunas, the city where the Juoniais live. Our plans were adjusted so that we could stop by their apartment and enjoy dinner together. Besides getting a taste (excuse the pun) of Lithuanian hospitality, we learned more about the depth of Gintas' and Ina's commitment to homeschool. At the tea we had suggested that it would be helpful if the laws pertaining to education were translated into English and Gintas had already started the process. They are gearing up to accomplish all they can over the next three years as they approach the time when compulsory attendance takes affect for their five year old, Gouda. They're fully prepared, and we believe divinely qualified, to start a Lithuanian
		Curt and Sandra Join Lithuanian nationals at a "Homeschool Tea" in Druskininkai
	Home School Association. We also witnessed the sweetness of their marriage and family relationships. Clearly the Lord has called this couple to homeschooling for such a time as this. In the city of Klaipeda, we were privileged to speak on "Christian Recovery," at a drug and alcohol recovery group home. What a wonderful, Christian ministry! Men and women are being cleaned up, dried out, and put to work for the sake of the Gospel. Most of the residents of this home also came to Silute on the weekend, where Sandra and I were the only speakers at a two-day "Christian Life Conference." On top of all of that excitement, we were also spread pretty thin as we reached out to two homeschooling missionary families. Walking and talking about mission issues, family issues, homeschooling issues, etc. filled up many hours. All in all, we figure we had one half day without any direct responsibilities, and we praise God for that. Last but not least, the Lord blessed our trip through the efforts of Carrie Orth. She joined us as our official ministry go-fer. Besides childcare at the conferences and meetings, Carrie graciously babysat at other times to allow us the uninterrupted personal time we needed with parents. Of course she added a lot of flavor to our journey as young people are wont to do. We are grateful to our faithful Lord for providing her energy, eagerness and enthusiasm to the mix. We trust that He provided her with some eye-opening and heart-changing experiences in Him along the way.

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