Who's Who in America

Several years ago the people listed in Who's Who in America were analyzed. Researchers discovered that it took 25,000 laboring families to produce 1 child on the list. It required 10,000 families in which the father was a skilled craftsman, 6,000 families of a baptist preacher, 5,000 families if the father was a lawyer, 5,000 families if the father was a Presbyterian preacher, 2,500 families if the father was a dentist, and 1,200 families if the father was a Episcopalian priest. Of course the study is a few years old and did not mention mom, I would say it doesn't change much because....for every 7 Christian missionary families there was at least one child produced as a member of the remarkable Who's Who list. ("Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down, Down world" - Zig Ziglar, Thomas Nelson Publishers 2000)

I can only speculate on the reasons for this. I think it is probably the fact that in a mission minded home there is a stronger commitment to faith, courage, and cultural differences. The children probably had a day-to-day example and a chance to actually work with the parents. Needless to say, the parents were teaching the preaching the "person" of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. I can't help but wonder what my children see in me and will I demonstrate a "Who's Who" lifestyle of excellence? It is also true that in a missionary family mind set, parenting is a team effort, actually everything is a team effort to survive. I want to be a team with Karen in all we do as parents.

I am also reminded of Proverbs 1:7-9, "I AM BECOMING WISE BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP, WHICH IS TO TRUST AND REVERENCE THE LORD. I ALSO HAVE LISTENED TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER, AND HONORS ARE COMING MY WAY."

My mother and father may have not always been wise, but they were willing to admit their mistakes and turned our eyes to Jesus in all we did as a family. They did not give us the choice of church, but made church and Jesus fun and abundant in lifestyle. For that I will be eternally grateful and hope to pass that along to Matthew and Alice.

By the way, My mother is a missionary (www.projectkenya.org) and I was on the Who's Who list for High School and College.

You know we love ya, Don