![]() ![]() ![]() As a military family, we probably jump into churches, neighborhoods, friendships, and communities a little quicker than your average family because if we don’t, our time vaporizes, and we are on to our next duty station. Living internationally for the past seven years has amplified my awareness of the high caliber of families that gravitate toward CC. Start a Classical Conversations Community Gratitude in the People Through adversity, life-long relationships were forged because we trusted in Him to provide the way. After diligent research and many conversations as a community, we were able to come up with a plan to serve these families as a ministry. And He did!Īt the time of my prayer, I had no idea that the SOFA limits business relations between Americans and Japanese. Despite my ignorance of the nuances of the SOFA, I specifically prayed that the Lord would bring Japanese families to our new community. One particular hurdle to navigate that stood out was the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which establishes boundaries for Americans interacting with the host nation. CC was largely unknown in Japan, and now I was separated by thousands of miles from all that was familiar. Once committed to the role of Director in Japan, I found that the circumstances proved uniquely challenging: military rules, Japanese rules, language barriers, finding facilities, time zones, shipping, etc. The mission, vision, and method of Classical Conversations has been the consistent and stabilizing factor during our nomadic naval adventures.įind a Classical Conversations Community Gratitude in the Circumstances Twelve years later, God has prepared me to build community despite the obstacles and regardless of that next “duty station.”īecause of the fortitude and love of those before us, we were never without a community, and now we have a Challenge IV graduate and a soon-to-be Challenge II student. I answered the Lord’s call to begin a community in Japan, which in turn perpetuated an ongoing ripple effect for our family and countless others. Despite the ages of our two youngest-three and five-this happened to be the salve my battered heart needed because it provided the space I required to reflect upon all that the Lord had done and what He was still doing and to remind me that He was guiding our future. ![]() In my despondency, my then-Foundations Director encouraged me to attend a Window into Challenge event. ![]() After ten years of homeschooling, we had finally found that community, curriculum, and course that had been missing with our first two homeschool graduates. Where will we live? Where will we go to church? Is there Classical Conversations in Japan?Īt the time, Japan did not have a CC community, and it felt like the rug had been ripped out from underneath us. Gratitude in the SituationĪfter the initial excitement of another international military move, all the uncertainties began to overwhelm us. We must consciously choose to anchor ourselves in gratitude. What is the practical application of this verse? How can we ground ourselves in the present? But Jesus challenges us not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself and each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). Maybe, like me, you often meditate and ponder the future, attempting to strategize every detail. Military life is one of constant change, and with each new adventure arises a set of challenges and logistics with which to wrestle. ![]()
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