Parenting Claire, and the offering

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Claire has a longing in her soul to travel, to see the world, and to make a difference.  She has for a long time.  My first trip to India, she begged to come along and it was "no"....again, with the second trip....and last winter she really wanted to go pray ahead of the super-bowl to fight spiritually against sex trafficking.....but it was "no".  This summer, she gets a "yes".  We talked earlier in spring and she said that she didn't just want her summer to be about work and sitting by the pool.  She wanted to go somewhere and do something that mattered.

Sometimes, parenting means really hearing your teen daughter cry out for something more.  Sometimes, parenting means responding with every resource available.  I made lots of calls and sent a few emails, looking for trips that would feel right for her this summer....and through patience and prayer, we were able to pin down a group from our Katelyn's Fund Adoption/Orphan ministry that were going to Haiti for a week in June!  In our discussions it was clear that she was apprehensive about going alone.  I said, "If I go with you, would you go? "  and she got really excited!  So it was set.....Claire would go to Haiti this summer to help with the kids at an orphanage, and possibly do some construction work.  Last summer she helped shingle a house in Tennissee....the summer before she did summer bible camp with inner city kids in Anchorage, Alaska.  If our teen age daughter wants to go and serve in missions on her summer break, we feel that good parenting means we help her do that.

About 10 days ago, I told Roger that he should consider taking Claire instead of me.  Essentially, I offered the trip to him, meaning I would stay home.  Dads and teen daughters sometimes struggle to find common ground.  This was a perfect opportunity for them to share something significant before she leaves home in a couple years.  He tossed it around, thought it through, prayed about it......and I waited rather impatiently for his decision.  In the end, he decided to take her.  He will parent her into this experience and in exchange, she will see a side of her earthly father that she does not yet know.....and they will both be blessed and the kingdom of God will advance.

It's not an expensive trip, just $1500 each.  It isn't money we have just setting around so we will have to fund-raise a bit to get it paid for.  I believe that sometimes we go and sometimes we send others.  This time, I am helping send others.  Would you consider helping pay for this trip?

I will fix you a meal.......and you can make a donation.  The meal will serve 6-8 people.......please let me know if you are interested in reserving a meal for a donation for their trip!  

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