As we prepared to move overseas, it didn't help that the first question everyone asked after hearing about our plan was, "Are you taking your children?" What did people think we were going to do? Leave them with grandparents? Board them in a kennel? I bit my tongue and held back the sarcastic answers that ran through my head. We forged ahead, knowing God's plan involved our whole family.

Nearing the end of our first term, it became apparent we were bordering on burnout. We were working with students, and every night, some activity took place in our apartment. English lessons, English club, Bible studies, and discipleship groups were among the happenings during the week.

In our excitement over the student ministry, I realized we were neglecting our primary ministry—our children. Family time was often set aside for the work. The kids were becoming frustrated, and we all needed a change.

So Friday became our designated family night. We made pizzas together and then watched a movie or played a game. It was a time for us to talk, act silly, and enjoy being together. God used this special time to strengthen our bonds as a family.

As we enjoyed our family nights, I realized that not only were we ministering to our kids, but there was an additional bonus. We were modeling for our students how a Christian family should function.

And now, as adults with their own families, our kids continue to observe our Friday night tradition with their children. They learned the importance and blessing of spending time together as a family. Pizza and movies are often on their menu. Our tradition strengthened our family bonds and has been passed down to the next generation.

We could have considered family time as a distraction from our student ministry. But when we rearranged our priorities to match God's priorities, an amazing thing happened. This lesson touched three groups; our kids, the students we worked with, and our grandkids.

"Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the Most important work." – Dr. John Trainer