My husband and I recently enrolled our two older sons, Timothy and Samuel at San Gabriel Academy Ele-
mentary, a Seventh-day Adventist Christian School. At first, I wondered if the true benefits of a Christian School would outweigh the cost of private school tuition. My husband’s Pastoral salary is the only income for our family of six, and there have been times we wondered if we could really make ends meet. Besides, I had gone to public school all my life, and I never really knew how Christian education would be like.
After a few months of Christian school for my sons, I am very pleased at the outcome. Besides a strong foundation in academics, they are learning Christian values and principles. They have a morning devotion before the start of each day. They are taught good behavioral skills such as being courteous, kind, and loving to those around. The children are free to talk about God and they even pray in the classroom for their friends and families. Their teachers are also Christians, and thus are important role models to the children.
As my children grow older, I see the importance of molding their characters towards the right direction. It is a huge responsibility to raise children this day and age with so many negative influences around. I have gone through much anxiety over the education and upbringing of my children. Many times I cry to the Lord and plead for wisdom on how to raise my children. I am sure many parents go through similar feelings of concern. It is so relieving when I see my children following good values and developing strong faiths in God. I believe Christian education plays a vital role, both at school and at home.
I see that any added expense to help children in their Christian life is well worth the investment. I would rather sacrifice in other areas than in their Christian education. We have realized that the tuition is actually affordable, and the benefits far outweigh the expenses. I have also found that God always provides just when I need it. Even though my family may not have all the nice things, we have a place to live and food to eat, and plenty of love to go around. We are happy and I count myself blessed, giving all the thanks to God.
We all only pass through life on this earth once, and soon our earthly riches will be worth nothing. We cannot carry money, investments, homes, or belongings with us at the end of our lives. Let us “train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). It would be a most happy reward to see all our family close together, ready to meet our Father in Heaven.
Ly Lan Nguyen
