Preparing My High Schoolers For Their Mission

My beautiful high school daughters amaze me all the time with how giving, fun, smart, and gifted they are.  They are two VERY different girls.

Late last year my older daughter had some senior pictures taken.  She will be finishing up her homeschooling adventures this Spring. It is bittersweet, even though I am so proud of her.  

My sister, a photographer, takes many of our photos.  She has taken many photos for me over the years, capturing memories that are priceless. 

Jasmine is my second homeschooler to graduate from our homeschool. She has worked diligently for the last four years to overcome learning challenges and escape the public school mindset.  Her confidence level has increased dramatically as she finally learned that there is nothing wrong with her brain and learning style. Her visual nature means that she needs to see and actively do, not just listen to a lecture or read a text.  Her attention issues were resolved when she could get away from crowded classrooms.  As a result, she has watched many amazing documentaries, read biographies and historical accounts of people and events, and done many fascinating projects and experiments. She feels the best lesson was in independence, learning how to learn on her own. 

And then there is my fifteen year old.  She is a sophomore this year in high school.  Her sister took some photos last week, and they turned out beautifully.

Laura has been homeschooled since a couple of months after beginning third grade. Named after Laura Ingalls Wilder, she also loves to write.  Artistic and musical, with an interest in mission work, I often wonder God's plans for her.

Laura has a close relationship with her young, autistic cousin.  She is very patient and living with him, and he responds to her in amazing ways.  God has placed a special love in Laura for autistic children because of her relationship with her cousin.  She has talked often about possibly going to school and learning about ABA therapies to help special needs children.

I don't know if this is God's plan, but His plans are higher than mine.  He has plans for my daughters that are truly ones thought out before the creation of the world.  My job in our little homeschool is to prepare my girls for whatever "missions" He has for them.  The mission might be in a mission field in a foreign country, spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Brie mission might be as a youth pastor in a local church.  The mission might be doing social work to reach out to others in need in our own communities.  The mission might be to be a wife and stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, serving her family and giving her children a foundation in Christ. Her mission might be to teach special needs children.  Whatever the mission, my job is to equip my children in our Home Mission Field.