A Good Example to Follow

Last week we had a delightful visit with Dorothea and Roland Rauchholz, retired missionaries who spent over 30 years serving in Micronesia. They were here to help celebrate 100 years of the presence of Liebenzell Mission in Chuuk. It was such an honor for us to have them in our home. We prepared a Mexican dish called "pozole" for them (Write us for recipe if interested!). Dorothea explained to us that when they were living in Chuuk years ago when their children were small, many people advised them that they should send their children to a German boarding school so they could get a good education that would serve them well later in life. She and Roland talked and prayed about it and decided that they wanted to send their children to the local school because they did not want to put a barrier between themselves and the people they were serving in Chuuk. Their selfless desire to put the local people before their own needs had a tremendous payback. Today their children are serving the Lord in different positions around the world. One, who has been living in Chuuk with his family, is finishing up his dissertation in Ethnology.

When she told us that story, I got a huge lump in my throat. How many times do I fool myself into thinking that I am doing the best thing for my children when really I am doing it for me and my selfish pride? Dorothea and Roland's testimony reminded me that God is much bigger than my own desire to be a good parent. I still have much to learn about parenting, and I feel blessed to be able to learn some of those things from godly people like Dorothea and Roland. Please pray for them as they are now back in Germany after spending more than three months abroad.
I hope we get to spend more time with them someday. If not here on earth, then certainly in heaven!

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