The Presbyterian Church USA may begin letting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the pulpit.

In 2010, the Presbyterian Church approved an amendment that would allow LGBT people to seek ordination based on their spiritual call to ministry and their abilities instead of their sexual preferences.

Gay Presbyterian pastors aren’t a done deal yet, though. The controversial amendment is now making its way to 173 regional presbyteries across the United States for a vote. These regional presbyteries have the power in their hands to open the door to LGBT ministers or slam it shut. If half of the presbyteries vote to open the door, the amendment stands.

“So far, the majority of Presbyterians are voting to return to the tradition of rooting ordination in a person’s call from God and their gifts to engage in ministry,” says Janet Edwards, co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, a group that works toward the full participation of LGBT people of faith in life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church. “Finally, we may allow faithful and qualified LGBT Presbyterians to serve the church with energy, intelligence, imagination and love.”

The amendment to allow LGBT ordination has been considered four times in the past 14 years, but this is the highest level of support the denomination has ever offered. Currently, 48 regional presbyteries have approved the amendment and 34 have not approved it. Many have not yet submitted their votes.

Nine presbyteries, including places like Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma, have changed their vote to support full inclusion since they last voted in 2009. If the 50 percent, approval rate is reached, Presbyterians would join the millions of members in Lutheran, Episcopal and United Church of Christ denominations that now allow LGBT people to serve in leadership.

“Presbyterians take great care in how we live together in our denomination. The repeated votes on ordination standards and a commitment to the process shows how strongly we believe that the offices of the Church are called discern the mind of Christ and will of God for the PC (USA),” says Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. “The consistent movement toward dropping all exclusionary policies tells us that God is still calling the church to its highest calling—the call to love God and neighbor.”

A French human rights group estimates up to 2,000 people could have died in the revolt against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. As reports of human rights abuses continue to emerge, Christian radio broadcasters say the message of the Prince of Peace is still being beamed into Libya and other North African nations.

President of HCJB Global Wayne Pederson says, “We know that satellite signal is going into those countries, but we’re not hearing much coming out because internet and cell phone and texting have all been blocked, so we’re not hearing out. But we know that we have at least 1.5 million households listening to us in that part of the world.”

According to Pederson, the evangelical church is quite small. Quoting a Libyan expert, there are only a few national churches in the country: “Most believers have either been exported from the country or have been placed in prison. So the Christian population in the country is very small.”
However, Pederson is sure “there are followers of Jesus that are living underground who depend on media to be sustained spiritually through all of this.”

According to Pederson, God providentially provided for expanded outreach in this area six months ago by allowing them to join a new satellite provider which expanded their coverage by up to 300 percent. “We just have to see God’s hand in this. Some of the other satellite signals–Al Jazeera and SAT 7–have been blocked from time to time, but God has protected our signal, and it continues to beam strongly into that part of the world today.”

Satellite is just one way of distribution. HCJB Global also broadcasts via short-wave and the Internet.

The programming is locally produced “by people in country that know the language and know the culture, and are best able to address the needs and fears of people in that part of the world,” says Pederson.

While the broadcasts are providing hope, Pederson says, “We also know through the text messages that have come through, that people are coming to know Christ for the first time. They hear a message of love instead of hate. They hear a message that gives promises instead of threats, and they’re responding saying, ‘I want to know more about Jesus. Where can I get a Bible? Where can I connect with other believers?’ So the amazing thing is: there is a great spiritual harvest taking place.”

Pederson says the only thing certain in the area of the world is uncertainty. “It seems, right now, that God is shaking things up. And we wait to see what this means for the proclamation for the Gospel. What’s this going to mean for religious freedom? What’s it going to mean for the church of Jesus Christ on the ground? We don’t know, but we need to be praying that God would intervene.”

Prayer works—and so do international diplomatic efforts. Charisma News has reported about the ongoing saga around Afghan Christian Said Musa. Now, the persecuted ex-Muslim has been freed at last.

Musa was arrested in May and it appeared as if he would be executed for converting from Islam to Christianity. But International Christian Concern (ICC) says it has learned that Musa was released from prison last week.

Even while Musa’s family celebrates and thanks God, however, Shoaib Assadullah, an Afghan Christian who was arrested for giving a Bible to a man who later reported him to authorities, remains behind bars.

ICC shared the contents of a letter dated Feb. 13 in which Musa offered details of a visit by U.S. and Italian Embassy representatives offering him asylum. After the foreigners left the room, a trio of Afghan  officials promised him a release within 24 hours if he wrote a statement outlining his regret for following Jesus Christ.

“I laughed and replied, ‘I can’t deny my Savior’s name,’” Musa wrote. “Because my life is just service to Jesus Christ and my death is going to heaven [where] Jesus Christ is. I am a hundred percent ready to die. They pushed me much and much. I refused their demands.”

ICC says it received a call from official from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul confirming that Musa was released and safely out of the country.

“I’m so thankful to the Lord that he is free and know it was a concerted effort on the part of so many people,” says an ICC representative in Kabul. “The Lord has allowed us to take part in this momentous event and I praise Him that it has ended with the freedom of Said Musa. Through Said’s letters, he spoke publicly to the world a powerful testimony of his faith and perseverance.”

Still, Assadullah is facing the same charges for apostasy from which Musa was finally released. In a letter dated February 17, and smuggled out of Qasre Shahi prison in Mazar-e-Sharif, Assadullah expressed fears that his execution is imminent.

“The court’s decision is most definitely going to be the death penalty for me, because the prosecutor has accused me under the Clause 139 of the criminal code which says, ‘If the crime is not cited in the criminal code, then the case has to be referred to Islamic Sharia law,’” he wrote.

“We still have a long road ahead before we witness religious freedom in Afghanistan,” says Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East. “We must remain vigilant and keep the public and diplomatic pressure alive by continuing to shout with one voice for Shoaib Assadullah until together, we can also celebrate his release.”

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”—1 Peter 5:6-7

We’ve tried as we might to humble ourselves by responding the right way when folks treat us the wrong way—but if we’re honest we’ll admit that it hasn’t always worked. Indeed, we’ve often left the scene of the offense with a bad attitude, complaining to God about how Sister So and So got it all wrong.

We’ve tried as we might to cast our cares upon the Lord—but if we’re honest we’ll admit that we’ve often attempted the task in our own strength. Indeed, we’ve often cast our cares (or our complaints, in many cases) onto a friend instead of the Lord and walked away still trying to carry the oppressive bundle on our already-aching backs.

What’s the problem? Sometimes we take Scriptures out of context. In doing so we lose the fuller meaning. First Peter 5:6-7 offers a strong case in point. Here, the apostle is exhorting us to humble ourselves. But that exhortation comes with a practical how-to instruction that we often forget to employ because we have memorized verse 6 as an individual command and verse 7 as a separate individual command. But the reality is that we humble ourselves in this context by casting our cares on the Lord.

Are you seeing it? Splitting this passage into two standalone Scriptures doesn’t make either part any less true—God will still exalt the humble and God still cares for us whether we cast our cares on Him or not—but it robs us of the “how to” instruction the apostle Peter was offering. And that instruction holds a key to true humility—and true peace.

When we realize we have absolutely no ability in ourselves to handle our anxieties, worries and concerns, we will not hesitate to turn to the one who does have the ability. That, of course, takes humility. Only a prideful heart thinks for one instant that we have the power in and of ourselves to address even the smallest problem in life. The only power we have is the power of our will to trust and rely on Him instead of our own understanding and the power of the Holy Ghost to walk in His Word—and God gave us both. He created us with a will and He gave us His Spirit as a gift to empower us to carry out His will.

When Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5) He meant nothing. Apart from the Christ, we have no path to forgiveness, no healing and no eternal life. That’s easy enough to understand, isn’t it? But the Bible also says that the just shall live by faith (see Heb. 10:38). That means we live our daily lives with the same dependence on Christ that we displayed when we received our salvation.

Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Apart from the wisdom of God, we can’t make decisions that lead us to the best results for our lives. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we can’t get revelation from the Word. I speak the truth, without God we can’t do one single thing at all. Don’t be deceived. Apart from Jesus, we’re sunk.

Only when we truly have an understanding of this can He trust us to do great and mighty things for His kingdom. Those who know their God shall be strong and do mighty exploits (see Dan. 11:32). If we know God, we’ll be willing to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. When someone wrongs us, or when we are falsely accused, we should humble ourselves—not under the offender’s mighty hand but under God’s mighty hand. We should cast the care of injustice on to Him because He cares for us—and He’s a just God.

We can trust Him to lift us up at the right time, to vindicate us, to prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies, to anoint our heads with oil, and to cause our cups to run over—if we humble ourselves. But apart from Him, we can do nothing. Haven’t you ever noticed that when we try to defend ourselves against false accusations and the like it typically makes matters worse? When we humble ourselves, it may look like the other person got their way, but that’s not reality. God will have His way and He’ll make a way for us unto vindication. It’s one of the many guarantees in the Bible.

So let this Word sink down deep into your heart—and read it as a single thought rather than two separate instructions. Let it encourage you, let it correct you, let it empower you, let it guide you into humility: “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (AMP).

Where there’s humility there is the Spirit of the Lord. And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is carefree liberty.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma magazine. She is also author of several books, including “Doubtless: Faith that Overcomes the World.” You can find Jennifer online at www.jenniferleclaire.org or e-mail [email protected].

The headlines coming out of Libya paint a pretty dire picture. Moammar Gaddafi is blaming Osama Bin Laden for protests—and he vows to “die as a martyr” rather than giving up his power.

Meanwhile, at least 23 have been killed in clashes in north-western Libya. Foreigners are fleeing the nation as fast as they can. Gas prices are rising—and nobody is sure what will happen next.

But for all the reporting coming out of Libya and the Middle East, Open Doors is certain that it’s much worse on the ground than what mainstream media is chronicling.

“There are no police in the streets and no safety and protection anymore,” an unnamed source told Open Doors. “Libya is a tribal society and that is affecting the situation for the worse. The tribe of Gaddafi will eventually turn against the other tribes and that will create civil war. Please pray that Moammar Gaddafi will come to his senses and that peace can be restored. Please pray for Libya and for the Christians there.”

Gaddafi has reportedly threatened major violence against people who continue to protest and demand that the long-time dictator step down. In fact, on Tuesday night Gaddafi appeared on state television to call on his supporters to take to the street to fight protestors. Supporters appear to have answered the call as hundreds have already died. Some reports indicate that African mercenaries have come into the country to disperse the demonstrators.

How is all this impacting Christians in Libya? The key word is pressure. Libya is ranked number 25 on the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians. But matters there could grow worse for Christians in the midst of revolution.

Although the small indigenous church in Libya is very hard to contact, Open Doors reports that Christians are under major pressure. Anything that is “different” is a cause for suspicion, and many believers are scared of what could happen to them.

Open Doors reports that there is also a larger expatriate church made up of mainly African believers. The situation for people in this church is also troubling; their personal safety is under threat both for being believers and for being  black Africans.

Open Doors suggests the following prayer points:

• The bloodshed will stop in this country
• Gaddafi will stop his purge of protesters and the Lord will work in his heart
• Safety for the indigenous believers and the expatriate Christians

Zimbabwe’s government arrested nearly four dozen people for allegedly plotting an Egyptian-styled coup.

However, news reports indicated that those arrested were watching videos of the protests. There is some concern that the exposure to the uprising could plant similar seeds in Zimbabwe, where discontent is rife.

President Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980, but in the last decade his country has been in an unprecedented economic crisis. Over the last few months, proposed election plans led to clashes between supporters of the ruling party and those of the main opposition, but whether or not they were enough to oust Mugabe is doubtful because of tight control of the security forces. 

Dean Yoder with Christian World Outreach spoke with a staff member on Wednesday morning. “It’s day by day. Right now, things have subsided. I don’t want to say ‘peaceful’-that gives the wrong impression, but it is much better than it was.”

Asked if unrest has had a disruptive effect on their outreach, Yoder said, “At the very peak of the violence and rioting, yes, because it’s difficult to travel around, and you have to be careful when you are out.”

Disruption has an immediate impact on the people Christian World Outreach is helping. Yoder explains, “We feed 500 AIDS orphans. We take care of them, feed them, clothe them, and educate them. Every weekend, we take them to our facility for a weekend retreat where they are taught the Gospel.”
CWO is a trusted name in Zimbabwe. The ministry began working there in 2004, and aside from helping AIDS orphans, they hold leadership development programs.

The goal of leadership training is to provide individuals with skills that can be used to improve the conditions in churches, schools, and communities. Pastors learn how to deal with the practical and spiritual questions people are facing on a daily basis.

With the conditions ripe for mass anti-government protests, “pray for the safety, obviously, of our staff there, that they would be safe as they travel around. Pray for the children because often they are victims of the circumstance.”

Iranian authorities have released about half of the Christians arrested for their faith across the country in December and January, as well as one held in Shiraz since June, sources said.

In December and January authorities arrested up to 120 believers after Iranian religious and political figures acknowledged the existence of home fellowships and condemned them as a threat to the state. Sources estimate at least 62 of those arrested during late December and January have been released, some on bail. A typical bail amount in Iran can range between a few thousand dollars and the deed on a house. 

Some of the Christians who were released reported they were subjected to solitary confinement and harsh interrogation, according to a statement by Elam Ministries on Feb. 4. The statement said some Christians held at Section 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison suffered up to 34 days in solitary confinement.

 “Ex-prisoners who have endured Section 209 testify it is the worst part of the whole grim experience of arrest and imprisonment,” read the Elam statement. “They say the mental pressure is unbearable.” 

 The exact number and condition of those who remain in prison is unknown, and on Feb. 13 Iranian authorities reportedly detained another 45 Christians for one night in several towns and cities, apparently as part of a policy of harassing non-Muslims, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.  

 On Feb. 15 authorities released Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, detained in Shiraz since mid-June. Sadegh-Khandjani’s family reportedly paid a large bail for his release. 

 Arrested in 2006 with other members from the Church of Iran, Sadegh-Khandjani was in prison for 22 days. During that time government officials asked the church members to work as spies for them and threatened to charge them with apostasy (leaving Islam) and to hang them, said a source close to Sadegh-Khandjani’s family on condition of anonymity.  

 Reports from other Christians who were in prison confirm that this type of psychological pressure is not uncommon.  

 Between 2006 and 2010, authorities called Sadegh-Khandjani to the police station for interrogation twice a year, said the source. During the first months of his recent eight-month-long detainment in Shiraz, his family had no news of his whereabouts or condition. Authorities also arrested his wife, Mariam, and held her for two months last year. The Christian couple has a 4-year-old daughter.  

 Throughout this time, Sadegh-Khandjani endured severe prison conditions and harsh treatment, including solitary confinement, said the source. He was accused of apostasy, insulting Islam and having converted Muslims to Christianity.  

 The source said that when he called Sadegh-Khandjani, the released Christian chuckled and said “243 days,” referring to the days he spent in detainment. The source said Sadegh-Khandjani had a pleasant disposition and a good sense of humor, despite his hardships. 

 “He is very kind and respects the spirit of people,” said the source.  

 Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News reported on Monday (Feb. 21) that authorities had released on bail a Christian couple in their 60s in Mashhad. Secret security police arrested Hassan Razavi Derakhshi and Parya Jamali on Dec. 27, 2010 and held them for 35 days. The couple was accused of converting to Christianity, holding Christian meetings in their home and organizing a Christmas celebration at their home, according to Mohabat. 

 Condemned for Apostasy
More than 30 Christians remain in prison in different cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Karaj, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Rasht, Hamedan and Arak, according to Middle East Concern. Most of these Christians come from a Muslim upbringing.  

 Among them is Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Rasht, who was handed the death sentence for apostasy on Nov. 13, 2010. His lawyer has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, and Nadarkhani is awaiting a trial date. Arrested in October 2009 and serving time in Lakan prison, Nadarkhani is married and has two young children. 

 “Yousef isn’t in a good situation,” said the anonymous source, referring to the status of his case. “I asked about his morale. They said it is good, and that he is providing moral support to others.” 

 Authorities have allegedly treated Nadarkhani harshly both physically and mentally.  

 “They told him he is a Christian and dirty, and he can’t have contact with others,” said the source. “He has suffered, been beaten and had bad conditions.”  

 Nadarkhani’s wife, Tina, also spent time in prison last year for four months.  

 Asked to evaluate the outlook for Nadarkhani, the source said authorities have secretly killed many people and will not hesitate to do the same with Nadarkhani if the international community stops advocating for him and other Christians.  

 “We think that if we stay silent, they will kill him, but if we keep talking about him, it will be difficult for them to make the decision to execute him,” he said. “Silence is the worst thing about the situation of Christians in Iran. The Christians in Iran suffer from the silence of the international community.”

In the latest threat to traditional marriage, the U.S. Department of Justice and President Obama are indicating they will no longer defend a key component of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Passed by Congress in 1996, DOMA defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex.

In a letter addressed to congressional leaders, Attorney General Eric Holder said Obama instructed that the defense of DOMA should be withdrawn in two pending cases: Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management and Windsor v. United States of America. Both cases challenge Section 3 of the federal DOMA, which defines marriage as one man and one woman for purposes of federal law and federal benefits for federal employees. There are three other similar challenges pending.

“Marriage is a unifying issue in America. The federal Defense of Marriage Act reflects the reality that 90 percent of states protect marriage and that the citizens in those states believe in marriage as a union only between one man and one woman,” says Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks. “Tragically, the Department of Justice has chosen to appease a small—but vocal and wealthy—constituency and abandon its duty to the people.”

As Nimocks sees it, today’s event only confirms what has appeared to be the case in several recent lawsuits. In those defense-of-marriage cases, he says, the DOJ has undermined rather than defended DOMA.

“It’s unfortunate that the administration won’t defend such an important law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,” Nimocks says. “Either the House of Representatives or the Senate have the legal authority to intervene in pending lawsuits to defend the federal DOMA statute. In addition, ADF will not waver in its ongoing defense of marriage nationwide.”

Matthew Staver, founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, called Obama’s move to abandon DOMA “outrageous and unthinkable.” In fact, he sees Obama’s decision a betrayal of the American people. Regardless of Obama’s own ideological agenda, as President, Staver says, he and his Attorney General have a duty to defend lawfully passed legislation, especially when the essence of the law has been upheld by many courts.

“Thirty states have passed marriage amendments affirming marriage as one man and one woman. Today, President Obama has abandoned his role as President of the United States and transformed his office into the President of the Divided States. He has been the most divisive president in American history,” Staver says.

“He has today declared war on the American people and the fundamental values that are shared by most Americans. His radicalism resulted in the historical push-back in the 2010 elections. His radicalism today will come back around when the people respond to this betrayal in 2012. We will not allow one President and one Attorney General to toss natural marriage aside.”

While unrest continues in the Middle East, reports from human rights activists are flooding in about an Afghani Christian who is facing the death penalty for committing “apostasy” in converting from Islam. Charisma has reported on Said Musa in the past, but now his martyrdom for the Kingdom God appears imminent.

Here’s the back story: Musa was arrested on May 31, 2010, along with other Islam-to-Christianity converts, after footage of a baptismal service aired on national television.

In the nine months that the father of six young children has been imprisoned, he has been beaten, tortured and sexually abused on a daily basis, according to Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.

Marshall also reports that no Afghan lawyer will not defend Musa, a former Afghan solider whose leg was amputated after he stepped on a landmine. Musa has also been denied access to a foreign lawyer. It appears that Musa is being used as an example to intimidate other Christian converts.??”America has given billions of dollars, and, more importantly, given precious American lives, to bring freedom and democracy to the people of Afghanistan. But this must include freedom and democracy for our Christian brothers and sisters and other indigenous minorities, as well,” says IRD Religious Liberty Director Faith J.H. McDonnell.

McDonnell notes that 2006, the international community was outraged when Afghan Christian convert Abdul Rahman faced the death penalty. His life was saved because of the outcry. Now, McDonnell is urging church groups to speak out for Musa. ??”They who speak passionately about torture, health care, and global warming surely should see that the slaughter of innocent Christians in Afghanistan is an authentic ‘justice issue’,” McDonnell says. “We cannot just pay lip service to the idea that Christians facing persecution in Afghanistan are our brothers and sisters. We have to behave as if they are. We should see this persecution as an attack on a member of our own family.”

Ron Fortin was living a comfortable life as an IT consultant in Texas when God called him to leave everything he knew, travel to a foreign country, and serve as principal of a non-profit school for impoverished youth.

Of course, Fortin didn’t know a word of Spanish at the time. A year after making the move, he’s fluent—and he’s helping homeschoolers get fluent with the Homeschool Spanish Academy he birthed during his Guatemalan adventures with the Lord.

The story of Homeschool Spanish Academy begins when Fortin, a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant and Trinity University graduate, received a prophetic word from an old Bible study friend. The prophecy encouraged Fortin to quit his 9-to-5 job and move to Jocotenago, Guatemala to minister at The Scheel Center, a school in one of the city’s most desperate neighborhoods.

Fortin respectfully declined. But God was relentless in His pursuit. “Less than three weeks later, I changed my mind,” Fortin recalls. “Every excuse I had for not going down just evaporated. It was as if the Lord was leading me there, so I obeyed.”

Again, Fortin didn’t know a word of Spanish at the time, other than maybe “hello” and “goodbye,” and he was about to take on the leadership position of a school where the students and staff didn’t speak a word of English. Fortin enrolled in online Spanish lessons a month before he left for Guatemala in Dec. 2009, and learned enough in those few short weeks to make it from the airport to his new home. He could understand and hold conversations in Spanish.

“That was five weeks,” Fortin says. “I thought to myself: What can somebody do with five months, or a year?” As Fortin pondered that question, the Lord birthed a concept that would connect homeschool students in the U.S. with Spanish instructors in Guatemala via the Internet. Fortin reached out to his own online Spanish teacher, María José Perez, to help him launch the business.

The program, which leverages Fortin’s IT skills, offers students a more immersive experience than textbook study alone because of the interaction with native Guatemalans who are actually in Guatemala. As Fortin sees it, Guatemalan Spanish is ideal for instruction because it is notably clearer than other Latin American dialects.

With almost 30 years of Spanish instructing experience, Perez and her mother-in-law have developed the entire curriculum for the Homeschool Spanish Academy. From day one, students are engaged in Spanish conversations with real Spanish speakers.

Just one month after starting Homeschool Spanish Academy, 15-year-old Houston homeschooler Cody Dupree learned his alphabet and Spanish pronunciation. “I didn’t have any previous foreign language experience, except for two week-long trips to Mexico,” Dupree says. “It was nice to have an instructor to talk to face-to-face. This is a great way to learn Spanish, especially if you stay on course with it. And this is great for homeschoolers who need high school foreign language credits.”

The Homeschool Spanish Academy curriculum builds cumulatively, starting with a basic language foundation. From there, there are four options for instruction: Traditional, Christ-Centered, Unschooling and Mixed. The program is broken into modules. Each module consists of 16 classes, which can be scheduled and paced to fit an individual student’s need.

“Students can schedule one class a week, or have one every day,” Perez says. “It all depends on their rate of learning.” Fortin is committed in to employing only the best instructors. Perez’s family is a minor stakeholder in the company, which helps to ensure the highest quality instruction.

All the program requires is a computer and an Internet connection. Homeschool Spanish Academy relies on proprietary software for video and audio connections between instructors and students. Students have one-on-one conversations via video and text interface. Homeschoolers is the academy’s core market, but Fortin says the program is also gaining ground with businessmen, travelers, high school and college students.

“This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that I never would have taken if I didn’t trust in God’s calling,” Fortin says. “In every aspect of this journey, there was doubt and worry about going to a new place, trying something new, learning a new language, meeting new people, concerns about finances and safety, and questions about community. At many points, I just had to give up all my worries and put it in the Lord’s hands. And not surprisingly, in every detail, God has provided unbelievably!”

What do you think of cross-border homeschooling models like this one?