It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

    We hear people say all the time that "it takes a village to raise a child".  Is this old saying true for us?  I had the opportunity this summer to watch as the village of Sacampana came together to talk about how they could help their children.  Food for the Hungry had spread the word to Sunday School teachers and the School Committee about a meeting that we would have Tuesday afternoon to share about Effective Praise.  Around 75 people showed up and this wasn't even counting all the children that were running around.
     On Thursday I was to meet with parents of the school age children to talk more about the Biblical View of Children, our responsibilities as parents, and the importance of Education.  Many of the same people came but there were also church leaders from both the Catholic and Nazarene churches, teachers, community leaders, grandparents and parents.  They all wanted one thing, they wanted the best for the children in their community.
      I shared that children are a gift from God.  They are made in His image and they have value and worth.  We as parents have been given the responsibility to impress the scripture into the lives of our children.  God has given them a hope and a future and it is our job to encourage them to follow His plan for their lives.  We talked about the value of education.  As I finished up we offered a time for people of the community to share with one another about what they heard, things that they do with their children, or ask any questions.
      There was an older couple sitting in the front row of chairs.  He sat with his white cowboy hat and she with her umbrella, that she doubled as her cane.  I began to talk to them to find out their story.  They had been married over 60 years and he was 80 or 81 (he said he couldn't quite remember).  They had grown up in Sacampana  in a time when there wasn't even a school for the children.  Christiano spoke to the crowd that was gathered and shared about how we need to remember that our children have value in the eyes of God but we need to be training them through the scripture.  We need to impress values such as perseverance, respect, kindness, and responsibility into our children's lives.  He spoke with such humble wisdom and we all sat listening to the words that God was pouring into his heart.  When he sat down his wife prayed for the group.  There was sincerity and passion in her prayer. It didn't matter that we didn't speak the same language, you could feel the Holy Spirit.  Others shared about things that they tried at home with their children.  It became a time of encouragement and sharing.
     You see, much like the body of Christ, this community had come together, each with their own gifts to see how they could improve the lives of their children.  From Christiano and his wisdom, his wife's gift of prayer, the teacher's desire to see her students reach their full potential, the church leaders wanted children to see that they were made in God's image, and the parents who came out of love for their children.  It really does take a village to raise a child.