The Magazine of the Pennsylvania Family Institute

FeatureFeatured Projects• OTHER PURE FREEDOM/GRESH PROJECTS •Parenting Tips:Raising PureChildrenDannah Gresh, founder of Pure Freedom,shared some insights for parents in a recentinterview. Summaries of her responses totwo questions follow.FAR AWAY:Pure FreedomZambiaPure Freedom was asked towrite the abstinence curriculumfor the AIDS-devastatedcountry of Zambia, Africa. Infour years, 30,000 of 100,000 students have heard theabstinence message through Pure Freedom’s materials.Previously, the children in Zambia had been taughtabout condoms and masturbation, but most had notheard of abstinence or known it was an option. DannahGresh, founder of Pure Freedom, said 22 percent of theZambian population has AIDS/HIV, and most children aresexually active at the age of 11.The doors are open to reach the children in 72 schools.Gresh has made three trips to Zambia, and a Pure Freedomteam is preparing to go there in June.For more information go to: www.purefreedom.org.Q. How can Christian parents best train their childrento live pure lives?1. Parents must make sure all of their issues with God are settled.Many parents are too ashamed to talk about sex and don’t. The shame maycome from past sexual experiences, pornography or other sexual sins.“Our own secrecy and problems with sexual sin are what make us uneasy.”2. “Start early, and that’s what scares most parents.”At ages 3 to 5, parents can show their child a flower and point out the differentparts of it, explaining that it takes mommy parts and daddy parts tocreate life.At ages 6 to 8, parents should take their children down the street whenpuppies are born and provide as many similar experiences as possible.At ages 8-10 (12 at the latest), parents “have to have a discussion about themechanics.”“Most parents don’t want to do that. They are afraid it will ruin theirchild,” she said.But, Gresh added, “Children who are given the big picture that this is abeautiful gift between a husband and a wife fare much better.”Q. As you work with teens, what do you believe arethe failings of parents, especially Christian parentstoday?1. The parents’ own fear to talk about sex.2. Parents get lazy in setting up boundaries. They allow their children towatch television shows, listen to songs, etc. that dismantle what the parentsbelieve.3. They allow for too much “isolation” in the forms of computers,IMing and iPods.“Isolation is one of Satan’s greatest tools. Parents need to be in tune to isolationissues,” she said, “Sexual sin is fed by that.”She also noted that fatherlessness in a teen girl’s life is one of the biggestrisk factors. Dad might be absent from the home or simply be a workaholic.For more helpful information, including Pure Freedom’s modesty tips, goto www.purefreedom.org.CLOSER TO HOME:Grace Prep,State CollegeThe Greshes started Grace Prep, aChristian high school in State College,now in its third year. Bob Greshadministers the school, which hasabout 10 full-time staff members andseveral part timers. The student body totals 53.The Greshes recognized the need for the school as theirson approached high school age. They also had a burdenfor it as they worked with teens around the country. Toooften, teens in Christian schools who had messed up, werenot extended much grace, said Dannah Gresh.Grace is the biggest difference between Grace Prep andother Christian schools, Dannah said.“The biggest admission standard is that the student hasto want to be there,” she said, noting that students don’thave to be believers to be accepted.“Grace Prep is the hardest thing we do,” Dannah said.“It’s day in and day out.”For more information, go to: www.graceprep.com.AT HOME:Adopting from ChinaThe Greshes are in the process ofadopting a 13-year-old girl, Autumn,from China. They are hoping Autumn willbe with them by August or September.At the age of 14, many Chineseorphans are put into slave labor or prostitution.Friends of the Greshes met Autumn and had aspecial burden for her.“It’s good God gave us miracle after miracle, or I don’tknow if we’d have the courage to be doing this,” DannahGresh said.So far, they have seen the power of prayer as it movedthe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to act at aparticularly critical point.They’ve also experienced God’s financial provision, asthey didn’t have the money to pursue the adoption.“We have nothing to prove, but God is saying to us todo this,” Dannah said.7