Dear friends,
We are going live on the 25th of May 2020!!
Tune in on YouTube at 20:00pm (CEST):
https://www.jurgenenkatja.nl/live-stream-2020
We invite you to join us… However, the stream will be Dutch spoken. All the more reason to pick up your language learning again 😉
Still, you might have some questions. Just send them to us and we’ll try to answer you during the stream (English questions receive an English answers):
jurgenkatja.live@gmail.com
We hope to ‘see’ you then.
The Corona virus is spreading and everybody needs to stay at home.
Working and learning at home can be a challenge. With the ungoing crisis we thought it is time for some home education tips.
You can read our tips on Facebook as well.
Tip #1 – Home is not a school (31-03-2020)
Tip #2 – Little ones first! (01-04-2020)
Tip #3 – A schedule is good, a rhythm better (02-04-2020)
Tip #4 – We do the chores together! (03-04-2020)
Tip #5 – You Don’t Have to be an Expert (06-04-2020)
Tip #6 – Make Use of the Concentration Peak (07-04-2020)
Tip #7 – Read With and To Your Child (07-04-2020)
Tip #8 – Grace and Mercy are the Winning Team (14-04-2020)
Tip #9 – Play! (15-04-2020)
Tip #10 – A Love for Learning (17-04-2020)
Many home educators prefer the term ‘home education’ over ‘homeschooling’. Education at home does not turn your home into a school. Relax: home education starts with home. So take time to think and talk about what makes a home: What defines us as a family? What traditions are in place? Should we start some new ones? HOME is the firm foundation for successful home education. And even you feel not much education is going on: at least you are giving your children a gift beyond measure: home.
Helping older children with their work while little ones keep you perfectly distracted is very frustrating. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend time with your pre-schoolers first. We love reading together, but a game or some other activity with mom or dad is fine too. After about half an hour of filling their ‘love tanks’ with your kind attention, they are ready to play on their own; freeing you to help older ones. Personally I enjoy this way of starting the day very much: it’s easy, enjoyable and comes with great rewards.
A timed schedule for the day looks very professional indeed … until real life kicks in and interruptions great and small mock your beautiful plans. We use a rhythm instead. A rhythm – or set order of activities – allows for structure and serendipity alike. As long as I don’t plan too many subjects things get done in a happy way. For example our mornings follow this rhythm: breakfast – reading aloud to young ones – maths – languages – sometimes science – lunch. Whatever gets done we consider a morning well spent. Happy planning everyone!
For parents home education takes a lot of (extra) time. No problem though: the children can help! Teens can cook and clean well and even a toddler can help clear away the dishes. Having the children do (more) chores not only frees the parents to home educate, but also gives children a sense of responsibility and belonging. The children might grumble and complain a bit in the beginning, but with the necessary compliments for a job well done they are sure to grow into it. 😀
‘Mom, when can I use a semicolon?’ or ‘Dad, how do I calculate the circumference of an ellipse?’ Please don’t panic: you don’t have to be an expert to home educate! Willingness to find the answers together is enough. In this day and age it is easy to find information about most anything online. Visit a book or website together or watch a video. Questions are a great opportunity to learn alongside your child and/or teach him or her research skills. After some practice your child will grow in confidence as she is able to find answers herself. Her attitude is sure to change from ‘No idea’ to ‘I’ll look it up!’ 🤓
Much research has been done to discover the best time of day for learning tasks. For most of us the best time to concentrate deeply is in the morning around 10. Find out what subject requires most of your child’s attention and let him sit down to it around 10 am for the best results. If 10 am is a particularly unsuitable time, you can alternatively choose for one a half hour after lunch or supper, although our concentration peak is somewhat lower at those times of day. Happy studying!
Reading is key to all further learning and paticipation in society. The ability to read is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your child. Therefore: read to your child, at least until he can read fluently himself (longer is allowed 😀). Enjoying books together whets your child’s appetite for reading, gives him a feel for language and builds his vocabulary. Secondly, have your beginning reader read to you daily – also at least until he reads fluently. Don’t be surprised if this takes long: 10 years or older is no exception for reading fluency. Reading together is one of the best investments in your child’s future.
Home Educators need grace and mercy in abundance.
Home education means you spend a lot of time together as a family. You share moments of joy, but also of chagrin and frustration. Especially then words of grace are needed. Words that say: ‘You can try again, don’t worry if you don’t understand or if you take a long time to learn.’ Words that don’t compare and hurt, but instead forgive and give a second chance – over and over again. Words that communicate a deep and profound love for your child and patience to see him or her blossom.
This is what happens when someone puts ‘just a little to much’ soap in the dishwasher…
Learning does not just happen sitting at a desk with a book and a notepad and pencil in hand. Learning happens in many different ways, amongst which is play. Play itself comes in many varieties: can be done in- or outside, can be physical or mental (even musical!), done alone or together and provides a good break from formal learning. Research shows that playing makes learning outcomes better. So, if you like your child to be a succesful learner: let him play!
There seems to be no end to what can be learned. In the primary years we focus on reading, writing and arithmetic to use them later as tools for further studies. Once we gain an appetite for learning, the possibilities are manifold: we can learn a new hobby or game, taÄ·e an online course, learn a language … Learning can be enjoyed by young and old, gives us healthy challenges and provides stimulation. So what would you like to learn – or teach your child – today?
We are very happy to let you know that quite some progress has been made in finances this last month. At the moment we have reached 65% coverage of our monthly budget. We need some additional 25% in support to reach the goal of at least 90% coverage, the percentage at which the mission organisation thinks it is responsible to let us go to Madagascar.
How does it work? Africa Inland Mission has made a monthly budget for us – based on experience – to live and work as missionaries on Madagascar. The mission organisation is not our employer, but is itself dependent on gifts. Consequently, we are not paid any wages but are responsible ourselves for finding sponsors to help us on our way.
You can support us periodically (monthly / quarterly / annually) or one-off. Find out more about how to give here. We value any support given.
Op 5 februari mogen wij u wat meer vertellen over onze missie naar Madagaskar. We willen daar gaan werken onder onbereikte volken. Wat dat gaat betekenen voor ons als gezin én voor de mensen daar vertellen wij u graag.
We nodigen u van harte uit om 5 februari te komen naar de Morgenster Kerk in Den Helder.
Aanvang: 19:00 (zodat het niet te laat wordt voor de kinderen die komen).
Na ongeveer een uurtje zal er koffie/thee zijn.
Komen jullie ook?
Adres:
de Morgenster
Doctorandus F. Bijlweg 9
1784MC Den Helder
A new year has begun: a good moment to share with you how we are doing.
As far as we are concerned we are ready to leave: suitcases and lesson materials have been purchased; our destiny and ministry are clear; and we are all quite eager to take the plunge. Then why are we still in Holland?
The only thing to be taken care of are the finances. AIM Holland’s treasurer has made us a monthly budget and a budget for start up costs. We are responsible for raising the necessary funds ourselves. AIM is not our employer, but a facilitating organisation. This means AIM organises missionary work, but does not provide the finances. Our home church in Den Helder is not able to support us fully either. Most of our budget is dependent on individual supporters.
So how far are we? The latest statement of our fund with the mission organisation showed we have reached 52% of our monthly budget. Those who are supporting us already are helping us save for the start up costs. These include air fares, visa, vaccines, the 3 week orientation in Kenya and some basic furnishings for our new home in Antananarivo. When we have reached 90% of our monthly budget in promised support, we are allowed to book the tickets.
Would you like to sponsor us? You can find out how on our Support – Financial Support page. Money donated will be received in our private fund. You will be helping us directly, not the mission organisation in general.
Now that we will be staying in the Netherlands and Jurgen has almost finished his Diploma level in Theology, he has gone back to work. He finishes his studies in his spare time. We are very thankful for the years of study and expect to reap the fruits of it on the mission field, as we have already been blessed so much by the knowledge and experience gained over the past few years.
Next year we hope to move to the south of Madagascar to serve the Bara. The Bara are an unreached people group. Unreached people groups lack enough followers of Christ and resources to evangelise their own people. We are more than willing to be part of the Bara being reached. But why?
For a Christian this may be an easy question. If you believe that Jesus – in dying on the cross and rising from death – has won over evil, you can’t help but share this with others. News like that must be told! But suppose you are not a Christian: why bother to support missionary work at all?
We are convinced that, when preaching Jesus Christ, many other beautiful things take place also. Not only do the hearers gain the possibility to be restored to a relationship with God through Christ, but changes begin to take place alongside. Sometimes these good things come about directly through the work of missionaries (e.g. schools, hospitals, water supply), but more often people and communities begin to change from within. A Christian does not need to consult the spirits, or fear things new or unknown. He can confidently make plans, assured of God’s protection and care. Investment in missionary work is also an investment in freedom – a precious commodity. Read the full article here.