We were overjoyed to welcome our first son, Henry, in 2014, but we quickly learned the meaning of the old expression, “It takes a village.” Two adults are not enough to care for one baby; one tired mommy is not enough to care for her baby and herself, and three hours of sleep at night is not enough to do much of anything.

As Henry and our youngest, William, get older, we are increasingly grateful for the many loving and influential adults in their lives. Our boys are blessed beyond measure. They have four doting grandparents and one proud great-grandmother whose tender affection is the stuff that little boys’ hearts grow on. They have aunts and uncles, Mommy and Daddy’s friends who they call aunts and uncles, extended family, neighbors who have practically adopted them, and teachers, pastors, and friends.

Henry and William attend preschool; so needless to say, their teachers are a big part of their lives. A few weeks ago, I arrived at their school to find William, my 19-month-old, in the director’s office. It turns out he was having a rough day, so the preschool director stopped what she was doing, scooped him up, played with him, and carried all 29 pounds of him for the rest of the afternoon.

There is no way to recount all of the individual moments when a teacher has influenced my children. All of the sweet hugs, wiping of tears, patting of backs for nap time, or tender words are some of the ways these teachers exemplify God’s love. Our boys are being taught songs, music, letters, words, and numbers in an age-appropriate setting by experts who also pray for them. Their teachers are doing God’s work.

My dream is that every child would experience this kind of love and care from their adults and their village. But there are many in our own community whose children won’t have the benefit of nurturing teachers in their lives.

We can make a difference, and the St. Luke’s community is in a uniquely qualified position to do so.

The St. Luke’s Christmas offering this year will go toward the building of an early childhood education center at our Gethsemane campus, where there is great need for affordable, high-quality education for young children.

We hope you will join us in supporting this effort with your prayers and financial contributions.