Inspire, Fall 2000

Inspire 3 ship for the lecture phase of DTS and also visited many beautiful places along the coasts of the eastern and western capes. However, she also spent time in the poverty- stricken townships spread throughout the cities they visited. “I also enjoyed my two months of outreach in which I lived in a house in Port Elizabeth with 16 other people,” Angie continued. “We ministered in local churches, an AIDS haven, a prison, a home for destitute men, a home for street kids, on the beach, and literally, out on the streets. We had many drama and puppet presentations through which we shared the gospel of Christ and prayed for those in Port Elizabeth. The Lord spoke to many hearts through our ministry. I was excited to see many people come to know Him as their personal Savior.” Another Exciting Adoption Story Cathy Hulsman Schneithorst ’77 wrote to share the news of the adoption of her daughter, Anelia. Cathy and her husband, Mike, adopted Anelia from Bulgaria in February 1998 through the international adoption agency All God’s Children in Portland, Oregon. “When Anelia, at the age of 21 months, walked into the room, she came right over to me,” Cathy related of her trip to Bulgaria to get her daughter. “I knelt down and told her in Bulgarian that I was her mother and that I loved her. I picked her up, and she put her arms around me and put her head on my shoulder. It was as if she knew that I was her Mommy! Mike and I had been praying that she would adjust quickly, that she would bond to us right away, and God had answered our prayer!” We look forward to sharing more of Cathy’s amazing journey from heartache to joy in the Summer 2001 issue of Inspire . There is no question that the home-school phenomenon is growing. On the front page of The Wall Street Journal on February 11, 2000, Daniel Golden reported, “Though it is hard to track a movement that remains partly underground, advocates say that 1.5 million children nationwide are being taught at home; independent researchers put the figure closer to one million.” As I talk with alumni around the country, I am continually amazed at how many of our alumni have chosen this course. Even for this issue of Inspire , we received more stories of home schooling than we could use. Maralee Mayberry, chairwoman of the sociology department at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and author of a book on home schooling, stated that the key elements in effective education are small class size, individualized instruction, and a disciplined, nurturing environment—all characteristics of home schooling. Self-identified home-schooled students bettered the national averages on the ACT for the past three years running. On the SAT, which began its tracking last year, they scored an average of 67 points above the national average. “The scores are no fluke,” wrote Golden. “As the movement grows larger and more diverse, evidence is mounting that home schooling has achieved results not only on par with public education, but in some ways surpassing it.” Jon Reider, Stanford’s senior associate director of admissions, stated, “Home schoolers bring certain skills—motivation, curiosity, the capacity to be responsible for their education—that high schools do not induce very well.” How exciting to have so many of our alumni at the forefront of such an important movement! Of course, home schooling is not for everyone. However, as you read the articles in this issue, you will see that alums are involved for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. Some are teaching in order to take a ‘hands- on’ approach to the education of their children. Others find home schooling to be the best fit for their children or for their lifestyle. Still others have taken an active role in providing curriculum and in working to change laws. In each case, you are sure to enjoy this look at alumni in the home-school arena. From the Director’s Chair Faith Linn ’83 Director of Alumni Relations To share your photo with Inspire readers, please send one glossy photo to the alumni relations office, 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314. (Because of quality issues, we cannot accept computer print- outs or e-mailed pictures.) Please include a self- addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your photo returned. We reserve the right to limit the number of submitted pictures published in Inspire. Anelia Schneithorst