STUART, FL - Mother and daughter team travel the world in 90 days as part of a home-school final exam. While most of us are educated about foreign cultures and religions by watching the television, or a couple of magazines or movies, this inventive mother and daughter team found an especially creative way to learn about foreign culture.

Nancy "Rabe" Cogsil, and her 14-year-old daughter Taylor, began preparing for the teen's "travelmitzva" (coming of age celebration through travel), by planning this whirl-wind journey to 9 different countries early in 2007.

The pair left for their life changing experience from Miami on January 29th for Germany, and returned from Japan via California on April 29th, much different people. I have had the blessed opportunity to share in her stories, and look forward to many more conversations that I will be able to record. Their travels, triumphs, disappointments, joys and tears are all of the substance of many wonderful articles, essays and books of historical value. I am looking forward to embarking on the journey of telling their story, and would hope that you would consider joining us.

Nancy (Rabe) Cogsil is a teacher of "Rabe's Music for Little People" in Stuart, Florida. She is a married mother of two talented, bright and compassionate daughters, and has always been a pillar of character in our community. Last fall, she surprised us with the news that she would home-school her eldest daughter. This was a little surprising, yet most of us understood. Her daughter had been very successful in competing in gymnastics, and an accomplished violinist. We all found the decision logical to remain sensitive to her daughter's demanding schedule. However; when they announced their plans for their "class-trip" at the end of the school year, we were concerned.

The demonstration of Rabe's creativity and dedication to providing her daughter with so much more than an academic education evolved into a life-lesson that we could all share upon their return. This was the perfect illustration of that "free-spirit" we have all grown to love and admire in our dear Miss Rabe. We look forward to sharing her story in the coming months with other students, parents and the community, through the photos of their journey:

• About how others might take advantage of homeschooling opportunities to really change the lives of our future leaders.
• How important the "coming of age" celebrations should become tradition in every family.
• How kind, generous and hospitable the people of the world are to Americans, (especially mother and daughter travelers) despite what is portrayed in the media.
• How revered "family" is in most parts of the world, and sadly our children in the United States are a minority in the world where the family is so disconnected and disrespected that our children are truly missing something.

For more information regarding their journey, please contact: Jeannie Ferrara at jmfministry@aol.com.