International Connections

Russia

St. Petersburg: The True Vine School began its new school year with 80 students, a 35% increase over last year. Teachers enable students to shine in their academic work, service to the city's under-served people groups, and in understanding their task to glorify God through obedient service. Chapel gives students opportunity to glorify God as a community of believers.

Tambov: The newly established Christian School in Tambov, Russia already has a performing choir. The choir sings for worship services and for guests who attended the International Bible Conference. The 32 children who enrolled in the school's second year or operation base their educational experience on Biblical foundations. They understand that the world belongs to God and that their task is to care-take it for Him.

Teachers welcome the students into the their classrooms each day They are pleased to see the home, church, and school working together to raise their children to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The Light of Truth, Assembly of Evangelical Christians Church offers its facility to the school for a nominal fee. Believers in other cities also want to establish Christ-centered education for their children and for the children in their communities.

A group of Christian parents in Pushkin, a city south of St. Petersburg, need help to complete several classrooms in the building pictured on the right. A Russian business person donated this house for starting a Christian school and housing an evangelical church. Parents involved in this effort prayed for 7 years for a school. Several rooms could be finished in time for the school to open in September.

Moscow: When my husband and I found out about our pregnancy, we got very excited and began to prepare for the baby's arrival. Soon we started to think about his future and realized that we had no idea to what preschool and later school we were going to send him. When my son got older and we began to spend time at the playground, I remembered my own childhood with fear – the relationships between kids had not changed since then, may be only in the fact that nowadays parents have a more individualistic approach to raising children.

I want the best for my child. I want his school to have the atmosphere of love and understanding. I would like him to acquire the same worldview as ours from teachers who present the material well, respect my son and wish him well even when he does not understand their subject after much explaining. I wish for my son not to feel alone in case of a conflict with his classmates. A wise teacher can put a stop to a fight or any kind of picking.

I would appreciate it if my husband and I could visit the school and have conferences with teachers and the principal as partners in educating our son and not as enemies on their own territory. It would bring me joy to give presents to teachers as a sign of our gratitude, not as a way to bribe them. I would love for my son not to be torn between what he hears at school and what he learns at home so that he could receive one set of Christian values. And it would be nice if these values are not forced on him but given with the opportunity to make his own choice.

Frankly, all of this seemed unreal to us: private schools are very expensive and there are very few Christian schools in Moscow and in Russia. And we want high quality of education. Recently we found out that Alexandra is working to birth a Christian school of our dream. We talked to her and her ideas were so close to home for us that we thought it unreal. Though, God is above all unreal. We believe that He will help Alexandra to fulfill her dreams and that our son Ilya (who is one and a half years old) will go to a wonderful school.

With such a good prospect there are fewer worries, more belief in our kids' bright future. We are expecting our second child this summer and with much hope!

Central America 

The Nehemiah Center, Nicaragua leads the development of Christian schools in Nicaragua and other Central American nations. The Center networks approximately 50 schools. This network plans to organize into a formal association to better serve schools and make good use of resources. The formation of this association sets the development of the Christian school movement two years ahead of the schedule prescribed in the long-range plan. These schools aim to help transform students into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Guatemala

Christian schools in Guatemala seek to develop partnership arrangements with Christian schools in North America. They recognize that the long tradition of Christian schooling in North America could help them develop more effective Christ-centered schools. Pastor Moran's daughter and her husband William serve as principal and school leader for a Christian school just outside Guatemala City. Their school provides Christ-centered education for approximately 200 children in an underserved community.

Philippines

Buklod Biyayang Kristiyano, Inc. (BBK), a Christian development agency, supports emerging Christian schools throughout the Philippine nation. Currently eight elementary schools and one high school belong to a network under BBK's leadership. Debbie Alcachupas directs the BBK National Education Office. This office arranges for teacher/administrator in-service programs, advises parent groups about the process for establishing Christian schools, and reviews and approves plans for new schools.

I am Mr. Darius Dionson, father of Denholm and Darresa. When Denholm was 3 years old, although Roman Catholic, my wife and I had no hesitation to send him to Praise Christian Community School (PCCS), Pulupandan, Negros, Philippians. My children's teachers often visit us to follow up on the children. PGCCS became even more important to me when my wife died in a ferry accident in early 2004. Because I am a seaman, my work takes me away from the children long stretches of time. I know PCCS will provide my children with solid academic schooling with a pervasive Biblical worldview.  PCCS joins nine other Christian schools in an association, Grace Christian Schools, Philippines.

West Africa: Liberia

Jonathan and Comfort Enders lived through 14 years of civil war in Liberia. They love their country and people. They also trusted God to care for them and their children. They served many people during this hard time.

One of their biggest struggles focused on educating their children and the children in the neighborhood. In 1999 while still on staff with the Great Commission Movement, they opened a Christian school called K Foundation Academy. In 2001, after sponsoring a work shop led by the founder of Partners for Learning Across Cultures, John De Jager, they renamed their school Kingdom Foundation Institute. They believe they are equipping leaders for transformational service in God's kingdom. This enables the Liberian people to hope for a bright future.

The initial structure needs repair each year due to the elements. The Enders plan to replace this temporary facility with a permanent one. They plan to use the new facility for children, providing a full-fledged Christ-centered education for up to 200. It will also serve as a Christian teacher resource center and Christian school association headquarters. Calvin College of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Hillside Community Church of Grand Rapids, and a host of individuals from across the U.S. partner in making this dream come true. They recognize that God invites them to join him in this great effort. He is already at work.

The Enders hope to occupy the new facility in September 2006. Comfort Enders plans to rejoin her family in Liberia in December 2006, after spending nearly one year in the U.S. as graduate student at Calvin College, to lead this educational effort. A fully responsible board in Liberia governs this ministry. The umbrella organization, Partners for Learning Across Cultures, Liberia provides administrativesupport.

East Africa

Several Grandville  Christian School staff visited the Rev. Joseph Murupus Academy in Kapenguria, Kenya in early January 2004 to strengthen a budding partnership in learning. Two teachers and Tim Steenstra, school principal, spent a week at the Academy, crafting and building the partnership. Approximately 340 students are proud to call the Academy their school. The East Africa Reformed Church sponsors this Christian school, located near the desert in an under-served community of East Africa. The Academy's students rank first in their district in academic achievement and understand God's call to care for His world.

To learn more about any of these partnerships and ways to support the advancement of Christian education around the world, contact John De Jager: 616-246-6302 or plac@iserv.net