Donations:

GREAT NEW SCHOOL

In the middle of September - two weeks before the start of the school year - one of our children's schools informed us that they have to close their doors as they were losing their building. We were faced with a huge challenge - finding a school on short notice, one that was close enough, one that would take our children even though they are older (as former street children), not even thinking of the additional money necessary.

And then we found this amazing school - Rosey-Abantara - which was closer than the old school, and had space and the willingness to take our children. Because of a Swiss partnership, the school is very well equipped in every way, with a library, sports facilities and computer rooms. When they required our children to have good grades to be accepted, it raised my hopes that the quality of education might be better as well. It meant, though, that two non-resident children were not accepted because of their grades and now attend another school; the remaining two non-resident kids are going to attend a school closer to their home.

Click here to read a newsletter about the school that was released before the grand opening in 2009.

The not-so-good news is that quality costs money, and this school is more expensive than the previous one. Not only that, in Mali, when your child changes school, you have to pay a pricey fee to the government. With 14 children changing schools - even though it's not our fault - that added up to $2,400. Thank God there was some understanding on their part, so we only have to pay half that, i.e. $1,200, which is still more than we have.

Then come the enrollment fees with entering a new school - for the 10 at Rosey, that's $1,500; add to that the fees for the other 4 children attending different schools. Even though the school year had started, the director would not let our children start until he had the enrollment money. Not having the money, it was hard to have them stay home rather than go to school.

We've now scratched together that fee, and yesterday was their first day of school. The children LOVED IT! They came home all excited, and I can't wait to find out more.

The school director gave us just ONE week to pay the first installment of tuition - another big amount of money. We're thankful for the handful of donations we've had to help buy school supplies, uniforms and pay tuition, but we're VERY FAR from having what's needed. Would you consider investing into the future of these amazing young men and women, a new generation of Christian, Malian, leaders that will change their nation?

Yesterday I made another amazing discovery: The school director is the very same man that picked me up at the airport in Bamako 10 years ago when I arrived, put a mattress in his elementary school for me to sleep on, and was my boss for 2 years while I taught German at his High School. I can't wait for Paul to actually tell him, and expect FAVOR to result from this connection!

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matt 17:20)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia