God is in the business of answering our prayers – even those we don’t have enough faith to pray. As I hosted the latest Raising Multilingual Children blog carnival, I felt pricked in my heart about French like never before. In our homeschool, I do read to my children in French and talk to them in French now and then, but it’s not enough.

They need conversation, preferably with small people like them. Immersion. I started dreaming about a French play group. If only there were francophone children in East Tennessee…

Wait a minute! What if? What if I could bring together a small group of homeschoolers and I taught them French as they played?

I went from “if only…” to “what if?” in a matter of days.

“If this is from You, Lord, please lead me to start a French play group. I don’t know how, where, when or with whom. I feel this calling. I will take it one step at a time and watch for Your guidance.”

I did not exactly say those words, but that was the spirit of my unspoken request.

I felt called and I took the first step. I made an announcement on our homeschool support group’s page on Facebook, asking if there was any interest in a French play group.

The first reply came from a French lady who lived 30 minutes away and had a son about my son’s age… We even had five mutual Facebook friends and had lived in this area for about the same time (nine years). What are the odds?

She was thrilled to have a French play group getting started. I was thrilled to find her.

Had I not asked, I would have never known. As I told my husband, he said, “Ask and ye shall receive…” 

Several more replies trickled in along the lines of, “We don’t speak a word of French, but we would love to immerse our children…” A couple other moms said their French was rusty, but they were willing to come and polish their skills while helping the kids.

The next step was to contact my local library (for books and a meeting space) and the Alliance Française of Knoxville (for extra French-speaking staff). Both entities wanted to help us.

We will start our French play group in June, God willing.

Do you have a homeschooling dream that seems impossible? Bring it before God. He can orchestrate changes and produce people and resources. Nothing is impossible for the Lord. Ask and ye shall receive.

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