Category: Missions

When I was single, I lived in neighborhoods which were beginning to gentrify. My jobs were in more upscale areas, and I often went to the grocery store in the upscale area near my office. Other times, I shopped in a grocery store of the same chain, but in my neighborhood – which was still primarily a poor area of town.

Over time I began to notice something interesting. Although both stores had the advertised specials and many of the same foods, there was a noticeable difference in some of the items they chose to carry in large quantities and the extra sale items. Unfortunately, in the cases of the gentrifying neighborhoods, extra sales were often on junk food while in pricier areas more exotic fruits, vegetables and leaner cuts of meat were more often on sale.

I learned a lot from noticing these differences in the grocery stores. Not just about how the stores chose to do business, but I also got to know other customers, workers and learned about some foods I might have passed by in the tiny corner in which they were placed in the more upscale store. In the gentrifying store, these same items were available in large, inexpensive quantities and there were many helpful people to teach me how to choose and prepare the items so I could enjoy them.

Over the years, we have learned one of the best places to go when you are on vacation – particularly in another region or country- is the local grocery store. You and your children can learn a lot by being observant as you walk around the aisles. Here are some of my favorites:

Continue reading Using Grocery Stores to Teach Kids Empathy

One of the biggest needs for missionaries is to have hearts that value and seek to understand the people whom they are trying to serve and teach about God. Often that empathetic heart has been nurtured over the years by the parents of the missionary. Many missionaries are the children of people who themselves loved teaching people around the world.

You don’t have to be a missionary yourself to raise children who have a heart for missions. There are actually a lot of fun things you can do in your home to begin developing empathetic hearts in your children. One of them we stumbled upon for an entirely different reason.

When our daughter was very young, she went through a stage many children experience. Often kids become enamored of three or four foods and want them at every meal. In order to broaden our daughter’s palate, we introduced International Night which we held every Friday night for several months. Looking back, I think it also helped our daughter develop the ease she has in adapting to other cultures and her love for all people.

Continue reading Fun Family Activity to Raise Missionaries

Evidently a lot of Christian parents want to raise their children to be missionaries. Every time I post something about missions or missionaries, my post views go through the roof. I am so excited that so many of you are not only dedicating your children to God, but encouraging them to go wherever the Lord leads them to share their faith and serve others.

Because I know the interest level is so high, every time I get the chance to talk with a missionary (or email one!), I interview them on what qualities, skills and attitudes have helped them the most in the field. A while ago, I asked a guy I grew up with who is now a missionary in Kenya what he thought. I loved his list, because although some of it may be intuitive, I think they may be things we take for granted and forget to actively teach our children.

Continue reading Raising Missionaries – Tips From the Field