A homemaker.

For many years now, homeschooling has become the most pleasurable part of my day. I remember even when I had elementary-aged children and Buck often traveled that I still found ways, though, to be involved in other ministries. I have been talking with a couple of my closest friends lately about these very things and setting priorities. Having spoken on this topic years ago at a seminar, I want to list four facets of ministry: 1) Ministry to husband; 2) Ministry to children; 3) Ministry to the lost; and 4) Ministry to national believers.


The order of importance is imperative but not restricted to isolation. In other words, I found myself learning to be multi-tasked more and more as a homemaker. Naturally I prefer to stay focused on one project until I complete it, but I learned how to devote my attention on more than one thing at a time, especially since I homeschooled while living on the mission field. I began making more use of my time, energy, gifts and devotion in a variety of ways.

Let me explain. My responsibilities to my husband are to help him and to be his best friend and devoted lover. I also need to support him in all that he does by building up his male ego and encouraging him constantly. I found myself making sure that I supplied all his needs. If I did not know what those needs were, I asked. And when I questioned him, I made sure I did what he wanted. That is the key factor and hard part. If I asked, I had to be willing and committed to follow through. I am to be his helpmate.


My ministry to the children is to love and care for them, supply their needs and disciple them. Supplying their needs meant nursing them at a young age, homeschooling them, making sure that they were involved in extra-curricular activities and that their social needs were met. I often found friends for the kids. I would purposefully meet parents and neighbors, so the kids could make new friends.


I would label the third facet a ministry to the lost. Revisiting the reason that I came to the field as a missionary, I concluded that we are to tell people about Jesus. I looked at it this way: No matter what position we are in, what we do on a team, what role we hold in the family, we must evangelize. Many times I found myself even searching for opportunities to witness. In actuality most of the opportunities presented themselves right before me (i.e., landlords’ visits, repair men, neighbors, teachers of my children [language or music], people in the markets and stores). These are all ministry opportunities from the home.


The last one is ministry to national believers. My desire for ministry in this area is to encourage and disciple women. Whether coordinating a women’s conference with Russian sisters and American volunteer speakers via internet, facilitating small groups in the home, encouraging young girls who stop by or using the gift of hospitality, ministry can happen right from the home. I actually found that ministry automatically happened. After the children got a little older, I started other ministries outside of the home once a week.


I have more written about these matters that we may discuss another time. However, I have begun to approach the topic of priorities and ministries quite differently in the last few years. Ministry is family and all that blossoms out of this beautiful setting. In earlier years as I led women’s groups in the states, I used to teach that you must put your priorities in order: 1) God, 2) husband, 3) children and then 4) church. This idea is a good one but a little shallow in thought. We must think on a deeper level. Our ministry involves all these things; they are all an outpouring of one another. Of course, God is always at the top of our “list”. But, think about it, we—our husband and children, eventually church family and colleagues—work together for a great cause; everything we do is ministry. It is all done together. It is like a package deal. This is why I have labeled the various areas facets. What a deep discussion to explain in a few paragraphs but one warranting dialogue!
-The Chosen Path, L. Burch

Thank you, prayer warriors and supporters! We have had the funds to homeschool our kids while being IMB missionaries. Your gifts to Lottie Moon Offerings have been put to use. God bless.