Last weekend I attended the St. Emmelia Homeschool Conference in Pennsylvania. It was great! Despite a long hard drive there and back with rain, fog, encounters with 3000-ft. elevations, long stretches of no-man lands with unfriendly looking winter trees, lots of semi trucks, an unhappy engine, a son throwing up repeatedly in the hoods of his jackets, I still feel it was worth it.
Mainly it was encouraging to meet a group of committed Orthodox homeschoolers - committed to their faith and committed educating their children through their faith and life in the Church. Best of all were the daily morning and evening services in the chapel. Such great long prayer and liturgical services...those will give you plenty of time to change your perspective on a multitude of levels. Also, when you stand that long doing something, you don't forget that you have done it. I was impressed that the Bishop of our diocese presided over the entire weekend. He was always refreshingly blunt in his short talks to the children or the adults about keeping salvation foremost. The speakers were all very thoughtful and practical in their ideas about Orthodox homeschooling. I diligently tried to meet as many of the attendees as I could and to talk to speakers and vendors. That left me very tired by the end of the weekend. But it was worth it. My son had a great time running around with the other kids his age and he told me that the kids' sessions were "Great!" Perhaps I will write more about things I learned. But mainly the weekend left me encouraged in the direction I've taken this past year with converting to Orthodoxy and starting homeschooling. Glory be to God. Lord have mercy.
Mainly it was encouraging to meet a group of committed Orthodox homeschoolers - committed to their faith and committed educating their children through their faith and life in the Church. Best of all were the daily morning and evening services in the chapel. Such great long prayer and liturgical services...those will give you plenty of time to change your perspective on a multitude of levels. Also, when you stand that long doing something, you don't forget that you have done it. I was impressed that the Bishop of our diocese presided over the entire weekend. He was always refreshingly blunt in his short talks to the children or the adults about keeping salvation foremost. The speakers were all very thoughtful and practical in their ideas about Orthodox homeschooling. I diligently tried to meet as many of the attendees as I could and to talk to speakers and vendors. That left me very tired by the end of the weekend. But it was worth it. My son had a great time running around with the other kids his age and he told me that the kids' sessions were "Great!" Perhaps I will write more about things I learned. But mainly the weekend left me encouraged in the direction I've taken this past year with converting to Orthodoxy and starting homeschooling. Glory be to God. Lord have mercy.
