How should we teach our kids to respond to the social and economic issues Third World countries face? On today’s Home School Heartbeat, Mike Farris interviews homeschool graduate Michael Shipe about how he developed a heart for helping impoverished people in Third World countries.
Mike Farris:
Michael, last time we talked about how homeschooling allowed you as a young person to be effective around the world. With that in mind, what are some of the ways that homeschoolers can become more involved and more concerned about what’s happening around the world?
Michael Shipe:
The flexibility of homeschooling allows parents to educate their children far beyond the desk at home. Children can learn about global issues by getting involved with ministries that wrestle with poverty or social injustice. Or the students can start their own global ministries. Homeschooling provides the freedom not just to learn about it, but do something about reaching every tongue, tribe, and nation with the gospel.
Mike:
The organization you work with, Bajalia Trading Company, uses economic development as a platform for ministry. How does that work?
Michael:
We help impoverished people from around the world by linking them to lucrative markets. Here’s an example: We buy earrings from one of our missions partners in Asia. They share the gospel with prostitutes and give them an alternative source of income as a way to bring them out of prostitution and give them a job. We buy the jewelry from them at a fair price and sell it here in the States and tell their story. Then we take the profit back and buy more earrings, keeping the project self-sustainable. We have dozens of projects like this around; people get to keep their dignity and they don’t grow dependent on handouts
Mike:
What a creative way to minister to people effectively. Thanks for sharing, I’m Mike Farris.
