Last week, our current homeschool teacher, Hunter, was going through Bible curriculum which discussed the end times with our children. In the curriculum were covered things like the final judgment, the Great White Throne judgment, the return of Christ, and the eternal state of believers and unbelievers alike.
A few days later, one of my sons came up to me and said that he had been thinking a lot about what “Miss Hunter” had been teaching him about the end times. He said that he had been fighting God his whole life and he was tired of it. He continued in saying that he had humbled himself before the Lord, confessed his sin to him and to his brother, and wanted to follow Christ.
He and I talked for about an hour and then afterwards, I told Hunter that the seeds she has been sowing in the hearts of our children this entire year, and particularly in that Bible class, were not in vain. Through many frustrating days and bad attitudes, Hunter (like our former tutors) has been faithful to speak the truth in love and will see the repercussions of this work in eternity. Like many things done out of service to the Lord, it has not been easy, but she has been faithful.
Hunter has also freed me up to “conquer” the tone of the Kwakum language, create a writing system, build a literacy and translation center, teach a daily women’s Bible study, and now I am currently teaching the writing system to the people. My prayer is that when the first book of the Bible comes out, they will be able to read it. I owe any success of this past year first to the Lord and second to Hunter who taught my kids division and offered support in countless other ways while I poured over this difficult language.
In the words of Hunter:
“Working as a tutor with the Hare Family has been hands down the most challenging but rewarding experience of my life. The job description is for a tutor, but the reality is, you will be exposed to many other roles and tasks throughout your time, both voluntarily and involuntarily (i.e. helping deliver a child). But the best part about all the expected and unexpected events is that God uses them for the benefit of His Kingdom and for His glory. I have come away with so many new and unforgettable experiences, things that I never could have learned from America.
The food, the lack of conveniences, and the culture are hard to overcome, but the new friends, the great memories, and my personal spiritual growth made all the difficulties worth it. The Hares are probably the most kind and genuine people I have ever met, and through every up and down, they were there to help comfort, console, and encourage me. Their passion for the Lord and the Kwakum is contagious. I know that because of them, my life has been changed for the better. Being a tutor for their children is a simple and practical way to help aid in Kingdom work.”
As we sadly watch Hunter pack up to return to the States, we are reminded that our search for a homeschool teacher for the 2020-2021 school year needs to begin. Details are listed below:
A Mutually-Beneficial Opportunity:
Coming to Cameroon to be a homeschool teacher is beneficial both to Dave and I as Bible translators and it would also be beneficial to you as the homeschool teacher. It is beneficial to us because we are full-time linguists/Bible translators and really need to spend our days pulling our hair out over translation issues. Our work is very intensive and technical and it requires hours of silent concentration. We have found that juggling multiple languages/Bible exegesis/literacy programs along with elementary math makes it so that we do not go a good job in either role. We really need someone who can devote their time to being our kids’ full-time educator.
It would be beneficial to you because you would get to see the missionary life up close. You would live in our guest house, eat your meals with our family, pray with us for the Kwakum people, and hear all that we are learning about the language and the culture. You would be living in a village in Africa and you would see a part of the world that would be completely foreign to anything you have experienced living in the States. For you, this wouldn’t be 9 months of tourism, but it would likely be a school year of long days, possible sickness, and loneliness. If you come, you will understand, in many ways, what life on the field as a missionary is like. It won’t be a picnic, but it will be rewarding.
Details:
Where we Live:
We life in a small town in Eastern Cameroon which is next to a tropical rain forest. The people speak a local language called Kwakum although French is used as a trade language.
Our Kids:
We have four children, all adopted from Ethiopia. Their names (along with the ages they’ll be in 6th grade) are Kaden (11), Makyra (11), Elias (10) and Zoey (10). Although they are a year apart, we are currently keeping them all in the same grade (starting in August 2020 they will be entering 6th grade). They come with lots and lots and lots of energy and lots and lots of talking. We are looking someone assertive and firm who will be able to control the classroom and channel their energy well.
Curriculum:
We are part of an organization called FES (Field Education System of SIL in Cameroon). You will be working with this program in order to receive curriculum and we will also be attending their joint learning sessions where the kids will have an in-classroom experience. You will need to do lesson planning, but there is curriculum to help you navigate through teaching the kids.
Housing:
We live in a good-sized house outside of town which includes a school room where the children are homeschooled. We also have a separate “guest house” in our backyard, complete with a bathroom, which serves as the lodging for our home-school teacher. Meals will be eaten with our family. We have electricity and hot water most of the time.
Job Description:
- Homeschool the kids, including working one-on-one with them outside of class in areas where they struggle.
- Prepare daily individual lesson plans from the suggested lesson plans available.
- Be responsible for checking out all curriculum materials, taking care of them and checking them in at the appropriate time.
- Keep track of the children’s grades.
- Volunteer to help at the children’s Joint Learning Sessions which occur twice a year.
- Be willing to watch the Hare kids when Dave and Stacey both need to attend language / Bible translation committee meetings (this happens rarely).
Qualifications:
- A strong walk with the Lord and a life committed to the practice the personal spiritual disciplines. Our work is very much pioneer work and therefore you would not reap the benefits of a good church and small group. You would need to mainly feed yourself through your own personal study of the Word (bring sermons!).
- A teachable spirit. We are looking for someone to come as a learner of the culture, our family, ministry, and so on.
- A robust knowledge of the Bible (as our children are known for asking lots of hard Bible questions!)
- A strong recommendation from your local church.
- A love for and experience working with kids of this age.
- You do NOT have to have any experience as a teacher (although that would be a welcomed bonus) but we ask that you come with a willingness to learn and to work hard to ensure they receive a good education.
- Must come willing to love and pray for our children.
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must apply through our mission agency, World Team, and be willing to raise funds to support yourself for your 9-month stay.
Cost:
You would be responsible to raise approximately $350 USD/month plus one-time costs (airfare, immunizations, visa and passport fees, a trip to World Team’s Support Center for an interview / introduction to the agency, etc). Personal expenses (buying gifts, souvenirs, etc) are not included in this figure.
The Process:
Please contact me at stacey.hare@worldteam.org so we can begin initial conversation, answer any questions you may have, and give you an idea of what it is like to live with our family. We would like to start having these conversations this summer. If you seem to be a good fit for our family and if we seem to be a good fit for you, you would then begin the application process with our mission agency, World Team.
If you would like to talk to one of our kids’ former homeschool teachers, you can contact them at: bonnie.marcum2@gmail.com (Bonnie, 1st grade teacher), meganmauterer@gmail.com (Megan, 2nd grade teacher) or 26hulk1141@gmail.com (Hunter, 4th grade teacher).
World Team requires an initial application, phone dialog, and references. If everything is approved, you will be invited to come to the main office for their orientation / application week November 2-8, 2019. Please visit the website at https://us.worldteam.org/get-started to fill out the initial application.
The initial application, with references, needs to be submitted to our missions agency by August 24, 2019.
From the Mouths of Previous Homeschool Teachers:
From Bonnie (2015-2016):
Bonnie with Makyra and Zoey
“I am so thankful to have had this opportunity with the Hares because I was able to participate in authentic, everyday life with missionaries on the field. I loved being a part of the real joys and struggles that missionary families experience and I believe it has helped me become more faithful in prayer, compassion, and endurance.
One joy of being a homeschool teacher was simply to watch the kids learn and to see things anew from their perspective. The Hare kids get excited to discover new things! Teaching is definitely hard work and requires lots of patience and perseverance but spending the time to get to know and understand the kids was totally worth it. I grew in my walk with the Lord, especially in prayer, as a result of the constant realization of how inadequate I was for the task set before me. But God was faithful!
… It was a year well spent as the Hare’s homeschool tutor!”
From Megan (2016-2017):
“I am extremely thankful God granted me the opportunity to teach for the Hare family… I really treasured seeing the missionary life in Cameroon firsthand and the role these children played in their parents’ journey to translate the Kwakum Bible. I will definitely miss seeing their smiling faces each morning, hearing their infectious laughter, and watching their countenance light up as they understood new concepts. Teaching the Hare children was a real joy.”
