I grew up in a home full of kids. My mother took care of foster children. In addition to the four of us legal siblings, my mother took up to four more foster children. Most of the time these foster children were infants or toddlers. A few of them were early school age. They would be in our home from a few weeks to a couple of years. I loved the house full of playmates.
As an adult looking back I am amazed at the sacrifice that my mother made. While dad was away all day, and on occasion for a week at a time, mother took on the added burden/responsibility of raising someone else’s children.
Mom and dad wanted the best for us. Not the best clothes or bicycles, but the best. They wanted each of us to have an Adventist education, and music lessons. It was for this purpose that my mother took in other children.
I am very grateful for the many sacrifices my mother (and father) made in our growing up years. I look back and realize that my teachers played a significant part in helping me be the person I am today. (I remember each of my teachers’s names, and could tell you stories about each one.) Through those teachers I saw the love of Jesus. Through those teachers I learned the stories and messages of Scripture. Through those teachers I learned how to treat others in a Christ-like way.
If we want the best for our children, I believe that part of the best involves an Adventist education. I hope and pray that as parents, and as fellow church members we will do all we can to ensure that our children (whether they are our own, biologically, or church family) receive the best.
Mike Edge, President