More than we imagined
A Parent’s Input In Their Child
Our goal in raising our children has always been one of training them up to discover the purpose for their life and find their right path. As parents, we try to help our children understand that they need to make their own life and faith decisions and that this responsibility falls on them. This came to challenge us as parents when, at the age of seventeen, our daughter came home from school and told us she wished to join the Pais Project in England. We encouraged her to continue to pray while we checked out the organization ourselves. Ultimately we concluded our daughter was making a wise decision about the right path and purpose for her life.
Letting Go
There was nothing easy about following through with the plan. Our daughter was one of the first Americans to join and was placed into a pioneering project that had never been attempted. She was a member of a touring band which connected with schools and students across the country. There were many challenges all year long for both her and us as her parents. Things did not always meet our expectations but our daughter persevered at her own insistence. This was her decision to make. It challenged us as parents to continually “let go” in ways we had never had to trust and do so before.
Maturity Beyond Pais
The experience really matured our daughter in ways that, left in our hands, would have never have happened. This helped her in character and independence as well as giving her confidence in public speaking. The impact of this has been to help her in life during college and beyond. She has achieved more than would have been possible without the perspective and wisdom learned through the year on Pais. The many ways her Pais experience has enriched all of our lives is vast and memorable. We are grateful to God and to those who continue to persevere in making a mark in the lives of so many young (and older) people who need to grow in purpose and maturity. Thank you, Pais Project!