Serving One Another

This article first appeared in the Cape Home Educators’ quarterly magazine,
April 2013

Serving One Another

The Organic Community of Homeschooling Families

by Taryn Hayes

One thing that I deeply love about the homeschooling community is that it is a community. Since I embarked on this journey into homeschooling ten years ago, I’ve met people from vastly different walks of life. In any other circumstance, I probably wouldn’t have met them. Yet with our common goal of homeschooling, it seems it is enough to break down cultural barriers, language difficulties and socio-economic differences. Where barriers could have existed, there is, instead, helping hands. Where needs are mentioned, they are, more often than not, met. When struggles are shared, sympathy and help is extended.

I have the privilege of administrating the Homeschool Western Cape group on Facebook. It’s a privilege, because I get to witness the homeschooling community at work, every day, first hand. It makes my heart sing when I open up the Facebook group page and read a request for some curriculum help – and then have to scroll through dozens of helpful answers. When I meet a fellow homeschool mom in the bookstore for the first time (yes, this has happened more than once!) the instant rapport that follows is exhilarating. The intricate workings of the homeschooling community is organic – natural, flowing and inclusive.

Seldom amongst homeschoolers do I hear the word “no”. Yes, there are times when families feel the pressures of life and expectations – then “no” is not only natural, it is necessary. But mostly, those in the homeschooling community are “yes” people. Yes, we can help each other figure out which curriculum would suit a particular child. Yes, we can organise an outing and have everyone join. Yes, we will join you. Yes, let’s have tea and share our woes and wins. A need is identified and, pretty soon, the solution is provided. No coercion. Just community at work.

Since we began homeschooling, community has been an unexpected benefit. In this past year alone, I’ve benefited directly from the natural flow of the Homeschool Western Cape community.  Last year began with taking part in the Cape Home Educators’ arranged Sports Day in Camps Bay. Need identified? Yes, athletics for kids is fun and something the homeschooling community doesn’t naturally have. What can we do? Let’s create it! And what fun the children have had. Last year my daughter did high-jump for the first time, getting coaching on the spot and ending up exceeding her (and our!) expectations.

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One Zimbabwe-born mom, Karen D, recognised the need to become better acquainted with her surrounding country in order to teach her children about the Cape. She chose not only to meet her own need but also to extend an invitation to others by starting an outing club called Cape Explorers. Karen is particularly gifted in leading large groups of children. In this last year we’ve visited about a dozen places, developed some solid friendships and enjoyed Karen’s wealth of gifts – living letters, administration excellence, brilliant ideas – lavished upon us.

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For some years, Wendy Y and other moms ran a wonderful homeschoolers craft market. As seasons pass on, this one came to an end. But a couple of years later, another mom, new to the Cape homeschooling community, started another entrepreneur opportunity for children. Thanks to Yolande T’s initiative, my kids got to enjoy running a Tombola store and selling juices, second hand books and sweets.

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Longstanding traditions in schools mean school-going children often find themselves with wonderful opportunities to participate in Olympiads and Shakespeare festivals. These don’t naturally extend to the homeschooling community. But the homeschooling community naturally comes up with a solution. Last year Wendy M’s innovative children joined up with a bunch of other teens to take part in the Shakespeare festival. Without the benefit of a drama teacher, the teens directed themselves, rehearsed, costumed and presented their drama case for the 30-minute Shakespeare festival – and quite successfully too.

Dozens of times a week I see community at work. Kirsten R offers a mom’s chill out evening every so often – a wonderful time-out for moms to meet and chat. The “Far Southers” (that would be Fishoek and beyond) hold a weekly picnic day on the Noordhoek common. Several young homeschooling families meet up in the Northern Suburbs and the encouraging invitations to newcomers often pop up on the HWC Facebook page. Outings are arranged by various families and, more often than not, the invitation goes out to the HWC group. The more the merrier! It’s not uncommon to find a group of homeschooled families – from all different backgrounds, religions and races – visiting a museum, a farm or a factory together.

When I started homeschooling in the early 2000s, I never expected to experience community at this level. But, now, looking back, I’m not surprised. It makes sense that families who choose to swim against the mainstream schooling system would have the tenacity to make community work. And I’m glad. Because it means that my weaknesses are lifted up by the strength of others, and I can offer my strengths in service of our greater community.

Are you a part of a greater homeschooling community? If not, consider plugging into one of these online groups. Real-life contact naturally extends from these online meeting places, and before you know it, you will be warding off strangers’ “What about socialisation?” questions with “Goodness! That’s the least of our worries!”

Facebook Groups:

· Homeschool Western Cape http://www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoolwesterncape/

· Homeschooling in South Africa http://www.facebook.com/groups/100788473311514/

· Helderberg Homeschool http://www.facebook.com/groups/491935657490037/

· Homeschooling Christians in South Africa (not visible on your non-group friends’ newsfeed) http://www.facebook.com/groups/Christianhomeschoolingza/

· Christian Homeschooling in South Africa (visible on your non-group friends’ newsfeed) http://www.facebook.com/groups/christianhomeschoolingsa/

· Sonlight Curriculum: South Africa http://www.facebook.com/groups/sonlightsouthafrica/

· Footprints Curriculum support group http://www.facebook.com/groups/footprintsonourland/

· Love 2 Learn Curriculum support group http://www.facebook.com/groups/love2learncurriculum/

Yahoo Eloops (email only groups):

Reading: a daily habit or a forgotten pastime?

The following book review was first a short talk I did at the St James Women’s Day Away conference, 11 May 2013.

Morning ladies,

When we look around this room, we see many reading opportunities. The Bible on your lap, the phone in your hand, the notice boards, the multi-media. In fact, if we analyse society today, we’d be blind not to recognise that people read more regularly today than they did 20 years ago. Yes, today society is reading words daily in newspapers, books, text messages, Facebook posts, internet articles and news snippets – on their computers, phones, tablets, televisions and more. But, our daily reading is no longer the deep contemplative reading of yesteryear. Our day-to-day reading is of the fast-food variety. Instead of feasting on a lovingly-prepared, well-cooked meal of excellent writings, we graze at the revolving fast-food belt of titbits and snippets.

book image litIn his book Lit, Tony Reinke says that the type of reading we do today is reactionary. We read and react – we read that pithy saying on Facebook and react by reposting it on our friend’s newsfeed, only to forget it moments later. He quotes journalist Nicholas Carr who complained of how his own reading habits were being influenced by the Internet. Carr said, “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” (Lit, p.138)

Is that you? Is that bad? Should we be doing something about that?

Well, according to Tony Reinke, Christians should indeed be reading more deeply. While there is nothing inherently wrong with zipping across the sea of words like a jet-skier as we read in the short bursts typical of today’s technological age, the risk of losing the ability to read more deeply is great. And it is a risk, because reading is essential to the Christian faith. Without the words of the Bible, we cannot know the gospel. Without reading His Word, we cannot know how to live in the light of the gospel. Without deeply considering the heights and depths of God’s love through His words, we cannot begin to fathom it.

And while being able to read and drink from the Bible deeply is essential, being able to read all good literature is a great and worthy blessing. We jet-skier readers may have a lot of fun on the surface, but if we stay there, we will miss out on the incredible, and oftentimes life-changing, beauty deep down in the ocean of words.

But, how? If we find ourselves in the habit of surface reading, how do we change? Well, I’d like to suggest that we can change by starting with this book by Tony Reinke. Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books is divided into two parts. Part One focuses on the whys of reading. Part Two focuses on the hows. If you’re wanting to benefit from excellent literature, but are struggling with the hows, I suggest that you buy this book and read part 2 first! If you’re struggling with the whys, then start right at the very beginning.

book image self-forgetfulnessMaybe you already have determined to read more deeply, but are scared to start with something too heavy? Then this may be the book for you: The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

It’s a small booklet of only 44 pages that focuses on a chapter from Corinthians. It’s written in an easy conversational style. Yet, it contains some of the richest and deepest truths. Keller sets out to show us from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians what the ultimate freedom from self-obsession is. He asks a few heart-probing questions and, here, I’d like to quote:

“Friends, wouldn’t you want to be a person who does not need honour – nor is afraid of it? Someone who does not lust for recognition – nor, on the other hand, is frightened to death of it? Don’t you want to be the kind of person who, when they see themselves in a mirror or reflected in a shop window, does not admire what they see but does not cringe either? Wouldn’t you like to be the type of person who, in their imaginary life, does not sit around fantasising about hitting self-esteem home-runs, daydreaming about successes that gives them the edge over others? Or perhaps you tend to beat yourself up and to be tormented by regrets. Wouldn’t you like to be free of them? Wouldn’t you like to be the skater who wins the silver, and yet is thrilled about those three triple jumps that the gold medal winner did? To love it the way you love a sunrise? Just to love the fact that it was done? For it not to matter whether it was their success or your success? Not to care if they did it or you did it? You are as happy that they did it as if you had done it yourself – because you are just so happy to see it.

You will probably say that you do not know anybody like that. But this is the possibility for you and me … This is gospel-humility, blessed self-forgetfulness. Not thinking more of myself as in modern cultures, or less of myself as in traditional cultures. Simply thinking of myself less.”

book image compared to herI really recommend this book to discover how one can attain this “blessed self-forgetfulness”. And, while I am not reviewing this book today, I would also like to strongly recommend our own Sophie De Witt’s book Compared to Her. It deals with similar themes to Keller’s book, but looks specifically at how women tend to base their self-worth on how they measure up to other women. If you find yourself ever comparing yourself to other women, then that’s a book to buy and read.

Questioning Evangelism

book image Questioning_EvangelismFinally, I’d like to recommend this book, Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman. The less we think of ourselves, the more we naturally think of the gospel and how it affects others. But, if you’re anything like me, starting a gospel conversation with anyone strikes fear and trembling in your heart! I’ve done a great job of botching many a gospel conversation in the past. Which is why I am always grateful for writers like Randy Newman who give us great tools to help us share the good news. And Randy Newman’s book really does an excellent job of giving us a fresh perspective on gospel conversations. The title, Questioning Evangelism, is not suggesting that we should question whether one should evangelise. Rather it’s saying that we should use questions in our evangelism.  Randy Newman explains how often simply asking questions of someone very naturally leads a conversation in the direction of Jesus. He explains how each and every context is relevant. There are even chapters that take you through typical situations Christians find themselves in – like that age-old “Christians are hypocrits” accusation or the claim that God doesn’t exist.  So often we find these situations difficult to field, but Newman’s suggested way of handling them is like a breath of fresh air.

If you ever find yourself walking away from a conversation kicking yourself for not grabbing the opportunities presented to you, this is the book to read.

So, as you contemplate your own reading today, may I encourage you to keep diving deep into great literature, including the greatest of them all: the Word of God.

A Seekers Giveaway at Se7en

I woke up to this tweet in my inbox this morning:

seekers tweet

What that means is  … there’s another opportunity to win a signed copy of my book happening over at Se7en’s blog!! 

If you’ve never visited the crowd over at Se7en + 1, then I highly recommend that you get on over there.  The posts are daily and encompass everything from weekly crafts, to contemplative thoughts, to fun outings, interviews, reviews and more.  Se7en is number 14 on Amatomu, which means that it’s the 14th most popular website in the whole of South Africa! There is always a giveaway or two or 10 (!) happening there with the most fun way of selecting the winner. 

This post includes a great review of the book – always awesome to see what resonates with which readers – and an interview with me.  I had tons of fun answering some great questions like:

Obviously you love writing, you wrote a whole book!!! Can you think of a childhood book that spoke to you and said, “I want to write my own book one day”?

and

Inspiration: If you had one piece of inspiration for our readers and aspiring young writers… what would it be?

So head on over to this post and enter to win (or share with your friends – the more the merrier!)

Sunday Snippet: Seekers of the Lost Boy; An Author Interview and a GiveAway

South Africa Day @ Lunch Bunch

Almost every year, our co-op (Lunch Bunch) likes to do a fun international-focus day.  In the past we’ve explored Ancient Egypt, participated in Thanksgiving and experienced Passover.  This year, since many of us have done some focused South African studies in the past couple of years, we chose to do a South African day.  And what fun it was celebrating aspects of our diverse culture!

First off was storytime with Aunty Sue – Fly Eagle Fly – a firm favourite amongst our kids, young and old.

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Then Aunty Kate took the kids through the Chris de Burg song about being a rainbow of people. 

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We even had a visit from some of our indigenous animals – Rhino, warthog, ostrich, elephant and more…

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Then it was time for LUNCH!  Yum yum!  We were all looking forward to this part.  Samoosas …

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Boerewors…

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Lamb curry (delish!)

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bobotie…

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rice…

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And of course, some sambols (with the obligatory Mrs Balls Chutney).

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We sang grace in Afrikaans (Dankie Here vir die kos)…

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yum yum!

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I think we could’ve all just eaten samoosas all day long – it’s the only thing all the kids asked for more of!

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This is the, “ye-es, Mom?” look from my eldest! 

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Tegan was far too interested in the conversation and her food to worry about the camera.

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Dessert consisted of little tastes of some South African choccies…

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And melktert (milk tart)…

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and koeksusters (cook sisters)…

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This photo is a pretty good indication of the Lunch Bunch’s enthusiasm for dessert!

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After lunch, we learnt a little about traditional gumboot dancing – started by the mineworkers many years ago and now a bit of a “national dance style”.  Here Joel is demonstrating some of his moves!

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Then it was craft time – beading and rock art!

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Caren showed them examples of beadwork and explained a bit of the background to Xhosa beads and the like.  Gotto love new technology.  Back in the day, this photo would’ve been Caren holding a tattered library book with post-its marking the relevant pages!  Here she is using the iPad to show the kids examples of rock art…

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But first, the beading…

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The little kids were finished with their beading quite quickly, so they moved on to the rock art work sooner.  I love this photo of great concentration.  Too sweet!

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The littlies’ combined effort…

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With their rock art finished, Sue took the younger kids on a safari…

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The hunt was for paper animals, but the trick was only to find African animals (the polar bears had to stay behind, I’m afraid).

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Ben the intrepid explorer!

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Jemma the toothless wonder!

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As always, light sabres manage to feature in the LB photos in some way or another, even on a safari!

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While the little kids did their safari, the big kids moved onto their rock art.  love this collaborative effort! 

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We still had a few other activities planned, but by this time it was 3pm and the kids hadn’t had much play time.  So, we may just spill some South Africa Day into our plans for next week.  And even if we don’t, we will still have some awesome memories from this wonderfully fun experience!

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