Surrey, UK /Christian News/ — “You need an au pair,” suggested a friend.

“But I MUST have a Christian,” I insisted. “I need someone who will love my children and pray for them, someone who will share my values.”

So it was that God sent Damaris to us, a 17 year old girl from Southern Germany. Only 17, but she was a miracle-worker with our five sons and daughter. I was able to go to work each day with a lighter heart, and I came home each evening to happy children and a clean house.

The months with Damaris flew by and then we needed a replacement. We searched for a genuine Christian girl and found three. We chose Ulrike who seemed to fit our family and then we thought to ourselves, “There must be other families who would benefit from having a Christian girl to help them.” And so, in 1991 ‘Christian au Pairs’ was born.

It soon became apparent that there were a large number of families who were desperate for an extra pair of hands at home. The idea that they could have a Christian helper was, for many, a dream come true.

Over the following years we arranged for thousands of Christian girls from all over Europe to live and work in Christian families in the UK. We heard so many wonderful testimonies; girls who were baptised, joined the worship team, worked in the Sunday School, and even got married.

The relationships between a Christian au Pair and her family can be very strong. The girls often remain in close contact with the families for years to come. Damaris is now a missionary in Bolivia and has four children of her own.

With the growth of the internet we began to receive more and more requests from American families for a Christian au Pair or Mother’s Helper. In 2009 we felt it was time to offer the same possibilities for families in the USA. Working through a legitimate American agency we have been able for the first time to prepare Christian girls for a year of service to American Christian families.

Our prayer is that many American families will discover the same benefits as Christian families in the UK have done over these past two decades.

Diana and Mark Jeffery are authors and publishers, as well as founders of Christian au Pairs. Their books include, ‘Ducks Quack, Eagles Fly’, ‘From One King to Another’, ‘Motherhood’, and ‘The Pound Hill Mob’, and they are both experienced school teachers. Their au pair website is www.christianaupairs.com and their blog is www.onwardsandupwardss.com.