In the last year, the most common question and/or concern has been- “You are going to take your baby to Africa?!”
By now, I am sure that most of you know that Josh and I welcomed Charlotte Claire (aka Charlie) into our lives on April 14! You can get up to date on all of her cuteness here and here!
Knowing that we were headed for a life of service in Africa, the decision to start a family did not come easy. And if you know my husband, you know that we analyzed, compared, debated, and maybe even made an excel sheet or two. There were some obvious pros and cons about taking a child to Africa.
The Pros-
If you have ever asked me the question of the day about taking my little one to Africa, you have probably heard me give you a list of reasons why it is a good idea. It goes something like this-
• There are billions of children born in Africa! The Unites States is not the only place to raise children.
• Bad things can happen in the US too- a friend of mine who has lived in several third world countries has been mugged one time- in Deerfield- a wealthy suburb of Chicago! Living in America does not guarantee an easy, safe life!
• Children are very important to our ministry. In Africa, having children means many things. For men it means that you will have more help at harvest time, that you are carrying on your family/tribal legacy, that you are virile, etc. For women, it means that you have social significance, that you have a secure future, that you are a worthy bride, etc. Having children means that you are blessed by God or the gods. Not having children means that you have been cursed by God or the gods. When Josh and I went to Kenya, people asked us over and over if we have children. When we said no, they responded: “We will pray for you.” It was like we had cancer! Charlotte represents that we have been blessed by God. If we did not have children, it would be hard for Africans to hear the Good News from us. They would think that we have been cursed and want nothing to do with us!
• Charlie will open many doors for our ministry. Every mom knows that when you meet another mom, you always have something to talk about- developmental milestones, the frustrations of temper tantrums, how to discipline, and so on. Hopefully our conversations about children can lead to more important ones about Christ and His love for us. And I pray that one day, she too will be able to share God’s love with her cross cultural friends. My mother-in-law already calls Charlie the “light in the bush!”
• Lest you think that we only had Charlotte so that we could use her to further our ministry, we think the experience will be amazing for her as well. She will experience the world first hand! She will likely speak multiple languages, see the wonders of the world, and learn to value diversity. She will grow up in an environment where the media is not her main influence. She will probably be less materialistic- being careful with what she has and mindful of what others do not, learning to content with plenty and in want. She will see that Christianity and ministry are daily things, not just reserved for one hour on Sunday. Hopefully, she will learn that God’s truths transcend cultures, denominations, and countries. Most MKs (missionary kids) say that they are thankful for their experience and many grow up to be missionaries themselves!
While I easily and happily rattle off this list of pros, I have a harder time opening up about the real downsides or cons to taking our little girl to a foreign country! In the next blog, I will bear my heart and talk about my fears, worries, and concerns of adding the “And Charlie too!” to our African story! Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment