The year was 1982. Our Sovereign God, in his infinite wisdom and Providence, orchestrated that Robert and I would both be students at a non-denominational Christian learning center, the Julian Center, in Julian, CA. Following our 3 month term as students, where we were introduced for the first time to Biblical Christianity, we maintained our friendship as Robert chose to take a solo trans-America bicycle trip and I, Vickie, returned to the dental office to work as a part time dental hygienist. On completion of his rigorous physical challenge, he decided to propose that we, having a strong friendship and grounding in Biblical Christianity, join our lives in holy matrimony.  And so, in October of 1983, the ongoing adventure, of being Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wright, began.

Robert relocated from Washington State to California, where I was already established with a job as a RDH. He began the hunt for the perfect job and accepted a position as a territory manager and fundraiser for a Christian global health organization that supplied Missionary agencies with medical and pharmaceutical supplies. Early on in our marriage we had decided that we wanted to have “a child”. After our first year of marital bliss, we were curious as to why nothing had happened and sought the expertise of a doctor, an infertility specialist. After the barrage of embarrassing, painful and expensive infertility tests, we were advised that we would NEVER conceive. Our daughter was born on October 14, 1985. At her birth, our MD exclaimed, “Enjoy her, she is the only one you will ever have”! Now, with the birth of our daughter on April 4, 1996, we are the proud parents of five healthy children. Many have commented when hearing this history that we had an incompetent doctor. Actually not, we believe he was one of the best.  Looking back, this was just one of the ways that in our life, in our marriage, God has been very personal, showing His awesome power, His love and His mercy. What was even more interesting to me was that I had spent 30 years of my life not really wanting any children. I had been influenced by the feminist agenda to believe that a career was the way that one was fulfilled in this life. God be praised that He knew what was truly best for me. I have the distinct privilege of living everyday with the example of my own life that God has so dramatically transformed.

While I was pregnant with our firstborn, Robert would tell our friends that when she was old enough, we were going to home educate her. That used to really irritate me, as I knew who was really going to do the work, and besides, how was I going to do that and work too? Also, I wanted my children to grow up in the real world.

As our daughter approached school age, I went into research mode. When she was 6 years old, we also had 4 and 2 year old sons. In 1991, I was pregnant with our 4th child and having a very difficult time with medical problems involving my TMJ and bi-lateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I was on disability from my part time dental hygiene job. Robert wanted me to home school our daughter. I wanted to have her in a traditional school. However, I was concerned with the public school agenda, anti-Christian bias, secular influences and peer pressure, so the year before our oldest would enter Kindergarten, I went to all of the local public and private schools, perused their curriculum, interviewed their teachers and in some cases even sat in their classes. After my research was complete, I was heavy hearted, feeling that there really were no good options. But since I did not feel confident enough to home school (I didn’t want to ruin my children and their academic future), we decided to register our oldest in a local, private Christian school. God had other plans! To this day I wonder if my attitude had been more submissive to my husband, and I had been willing to consider home education, could we have skipped the difficult trials of unemployment that ensued? Soon after our decision to put our daughter in private school, there was a “reorganization” of Robert’s company and my husband was given notice that his job would be terminated in 6 weeks. With this news, and my being pregnant with a difficult 4th pregnancy and not able to work, we could not afford a private Christian school for our oldest child. Resignedly, I agreed to home school her for just one year. Our fourth child had a very difficult birth and was born with bi-lateral hernias necessitating surgery at Children’s Hospital when he was only 2 weeks old. For several years afterwards I was only willing to commit to just one more year. Once God called and directed us to home school, we began an amazing journey of transformation.

Initially we thought that we were just tackling traditional academics. But after starting and spending time with other home school families, reading books, and listening to tapes, God showed us a vision for the far-reaching benefits of home education. Home schooling is not for the feint hearted. It is a challenging and difficult task. However, parenting alone is a daunting challenge. It is our firm conviction that this is something that we could successfully accomplish only through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. 
The years have flown by. I remember people telling me when I was a new mother that they (babies) grow up so fast. I don’t think I understood or believed them.

Every year had its own challenges. Some years we were dealing with unemployment. Some years we were plagued with illness or surgeries. Some years we had extended family members and friends with terminal illness and ensuing deaths. Some of the more memorable challenges were, firstly, our limited income. We calculated that it took us about 10 years to recover from our season of unemployment to a new career transition to being (now) self-employed. We must comment here that even though we wouldn’t have volunteered for this experience, it was a season of incredible spiritual growth as God consistently showed His faithfulness, as only He can, in His many unique and surprising ways. As far as resolution, we learned to be very frugal in what we purchased for curricula and teaching aids. In spite of our limited resources, we never went without what we needed, and sometimes even wanted. God was always faithful in His creative provision. Secondly, then there were issues with chronic illness. None of which were life threatening, but unrelenting. Our children were ill several times a year, and they seemed to just pass it back and forth. Our friends and family would sometimes chide us about us consuming more antibiotics than food. I always struggled with difficult pregnancies and had a slow recovery from them too. In addition to that, I began suffering from chronic, migraine headaches, and later was diagnosed with a degenerative neck condition. I endured several surgeries and two miscarriages. We had an amazing support group around us with church friends and home schoolers. I had one friend in particular from church that had older, grown-and-gone kids, who had wished that she had home educated her own. She was, and still is, amazing at how she helped me, and supported me, so that I could persevere in my calling to train godly children. Thirdly, I was insecure. In the early years I was afraid that I would ruin my children and their opportunities for higher education, should that be God’s calling for their lives. I spent many hours learning how to teach from books, tapes, seminars and home school veterans that had gone before me. Maybe that is where my passion to help other people comes from today? Fourthly, there were times with uncooperative (sinful) children. We had a couple of incidences when some of our children went through a season of lying. Robert implemented a Biblical approach of discipline and accountability.  I was devastated that they would choose to lie about completed schoolwork. I had allowed too much freedom, and too much trust, too early on. Our entire family has learned and benefited from that experience. Also, I found multi-level teaching very challenging in the early years. I had to implement a schedule where some of the children did independent work while I taught one student their subjects. The older kids were very helpful with the younger ones, reading to them, helping where needed, which was usually a blessing to both. Lastly, time management and stewardship involving personal quiet time, physical fitness, household responsibilities, lesson planning and time with my husband took years of balancing and juggling. I believe that for as long as I am a home schooling parent these issues will always be a personal challenge. With God’s grace and power, I will continue to persevere.

From the very beginning Robert was supportive emotionally, practically (correcting papers, disciplining the children, or freeing me to plan or take a much needed break) and financially. In the later elementary years, he was very involved in the curriculum selection process. He was, and is, very outspoken with our family in expressing his appreciation for what I do, and his observations of the growing Christian character of our student children. He works many long hours as a licensed marriage and family therapist to support us and keep me a stay-at-home wife and mother. He is committed to the Biblical model for a family and now believes that it his God given responsibility to lead and shepherd his family. He is a strong advocate for Biblical headship and trains other men in their role as family shepherds in our church and in his counseling office.

We live in a small rural community in Southern California, but we truly love to travel. When asked what word or phrase describes our family…we reply “Go and Do”! We went on a 10-week trip around the US in the year 2000. We have, either all or in part, been twice to Malaysia and Singapore on a Missions outreach. After her home school graduation, our oldest daughter spent five months studying in Europe, and Mom met her in Italy for her 10-week break in Oct 2004. As far as the “Do” aspect of us, we all really enjoy implementing the Biblical command to engage in Hospitality. Our home is usually humming with people coming or going, whether friends, family or even newcomers that we have recently met. We host a weekly Bible study in our home most every Sunday evening, and that is a great source of joy for us all, both in the learning of God’s Word and the sweet fellowship.

In addition, our family has a strong work ethic and we felt that it was important to train our children in manners and social graces. At an early age all of the children were trained in helping with household chores; cleaning, laundry and ironing. Even our sons know how to cook. They are all very self sufficient now and our family runs fairly smoothly when everyone does their part. Even though our family is the core to all of their friendships, they have been blessed with a base of wholesome personal friends, of which they have chosen well.

One of the traits that I really enjoy about every one of our children is that they are a lot of fun. They are well balanced, well rounded, have a variety of interests and abilities. They all like a variety of different cultures and foods. They are all very articulate with both kids their own ages, kids older and younger, and also comfortable engaging with adults. Lastly, those children who have participated in online classes, college classes, or outside jobs, have shown to be responsible students (with above average GPA’s) and reliable employees.

Even though our two oldest are 17 months apart in age, we home schooled them together. Our oldest son and daughter formally graduated together in June 2004. We have trained our daughter in the Biblical model for womanhood. At this season of her life, she feels called to pursue higher education and is attending Loma Linda University to train as a dental hygienist . Our oldest son applied to three colleges out of high school and was accepted to all three Universities for the academic major of electrical engineering. Lord willing, he will graduate with his engineering degree from UCSD. Our third child, second son, will graduate from our home school high school in June 2007. He has varied interests in philosophy, law, theology and writing and is praying for direction for his life. 

I cannot imagine what our children would be like had God not called us to home educate our children. Spending all of those days, weeks and years together has had a profound influence on their character development. First and foremost, each one of our children has personally accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Their position with God and their personal relationship with Him was and is our first consideration with each of our children. The fruit from our home schooling is exemplified in the relationships that each of our children has with God, and with each other. They recognize that they are blessed to have been raised in a Christian family, and they value their relationships with each other. This has been a very rich season spiritually, relationally and academically.

All of our children have had the privilege and benefits of being home educated every year since Kindergarten. Our children have strong inter-family relationships, independent and responsible life skills, and an attitude of respect for authority and those in authority over them. Home Education has been a calling on our lives, and we have been truly blessed by it. God be praised for His plan!