Early this morning I boarded a plane and headed to Orlando for the Pre-Field Education Seminar for the week. This seminar is designed to, “equip parents to understand, plan for, and meet the educational needs of their children,” while serving in foreign missions. Â I was really looking forward to attending because I have a ton of questions about the logistics of putting Ellison into school once we arrive in Austria. After only 4 hours together today, I see that I’m going to walk away with even more questions and honestly my mind is churning…I’m anxious.
Truth be told, Ellison is our family’s test case.
We have no idea how she will do and we are doing the best we can to educate ourselves on the options and make the best choices for her. No one in their right mind would want to put their child in harm’s way but if this is not done correctly that’s exactly what we will do. It’s not as simple as throwing her into a German speaking environment and expecting her to flourish. We want to set her up for success and truly make this the best transition that we can.
I had so many takeaways today. Some of them left me really excited, some have left me scratching my head and quite honestly some of them made my stomach do flips.  Before spiraling out of control, I had to remind myself  that I am to take a position of utter trust in the One who brought us this far.
Before the session this afternoon was kicked off, the facilitator reminded us of this story in Matthew 19: Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.
I was reminded that as much as I love Ellison, her father in heaven loves her so much more. Â I can place her in his lap and I believe that he will “put his hands on her.” He will keep her right where she is supposed to be and he will guide us as we seek him.
Friends, if you are prompted, I would love for you to pray along with me? Pray that God will direct us as we wrestle with questions about what school will look like for her. We don’t know what all of our options even are at this point (due to legal issues in Austria). Pray for wisdom this week as the facilitators guide each of the families here as we all make important decisions about our children.
I’m powerless over so many details at this point but I’m still trusting…..
I’m praying friend. No matter what, I am certain the One who raised all these duckets will COMPLETE this work, all of it, from schooling to shipping and everything in between. I’m excited to watch the testimony unfold.
Thank you Joy! And thanks again for the ride. I love you friend!
Oh sweet friend. One thing I will remind you is that the decisions you are struggling with, though they are important, are not totally set in stone. You will make the best decision you can based on the information you have and if, once you get to Austria and get the lay of the land decide that’s not the right way to go, you can STOP and head in another direction. Remember:
1. God made you Ellison’s mom for a reason.
2. He knew your move to Austria would come at this time in her life. And he has equipped both you AND her for that.
3. You are doing the best you can and that’s all anyone can ask of you.
Get some rest and enjoy your alone time (and work on your calendar!!).
Love you friend!
I so understand how you feel! I remember being very overwhelmed our first couple of days at that training! However, I promise you that it will all start to fall into place! The more we heard, the better we were able to figure out what would work best for our family. By the end of our time, Stephen and I had made decisions about schooling options for both of our kids (they are not always the same for all kids, by the way) and we backup plans in place for both in case option A didn’t work out. We won’t know until we get to to the field how the kids will do, but we felt better after going through the training because at least we were educated about the options that were available. As one of the missionaries in Italy told us, keep an open mind and understand that the plan may have to change over the years. Praying for you guys to have clarity and wisdom! You are right that God loves Ellison so much and wants the best for her. He will show you exactly what to do!
I am praying! This really helped me today as you know the small issues we are going through. I know better but I didn’t ask God about this I thought I had control of it! Thank you for giving me insight. I am praying! Love you and can’t wait to see you! Please let me know your expected arrival date!
Allison, thank you so much! Such good reminders.
Brandy,
That is good to know. I hope things clear up by the end of the week. Were you able to get some clarity on what is actually allowed in Italy? That is a part of the problem, just not knowing clearly what my options are. We need to see each other when I get back to the ATL girl!
Natalie,
Thanks. I have been thinking about your 3 babies this week. It is HARD to transition. It’s been eye opening for me to realize what I should realistically expect to happen. When we have an exact date I’ll let you know.
Yes Yes I will pray! To the One who holds ALL things in His hand.
Beth, We will be praying for you, Ian, and Ellison as well as Jude and Asher regarding this. Our human nature wants to figure every detail out, but we know that God is working through these circumstances and as Allison said, He has and will continue to equip you for this journey! So excited for all of you.
Lots of love from the Baileys!
Definitely praying for you and Ian, friend! Praying for His Peace to encompass you, and for wisdom and discernment from the Spirit when the time arrives to make a decision. I love your boldness to go into the world!