God at Work in Our School

The recent political tension here in Guinea has now ended, and life has returned to normalcy. During the power struggle, the education sector was one of the most affected, and our school was no exception. We are thankful to the almighty God that the power struggle is over, and schools have returned to normal operations.

This year, we have experienced a 150-percent increase in enrollment. By next school year, we expect our present building will no longer accommodate us. We closed registration, but people kept coming to register their children. It was sad to have to turn them away. When we gave one father the bad news last week, he was distraught. “No!” he said. “It can’t be! Where will we find another school like yours?”

A Muslim friend recently asked me what attracts so many people to our school above other schools. “Jesus,” I told him. “Jesus is in charge of our school.”

As our students grow in number, they are growing spiritually, too. Christian and Muslim parents are expressing their appreciation for the changes they are seeing in their children’s lives.

Every morning at 7:30, our school administration has morning devotions. They pray for God’s help for the day and ask Him to lead them. At 7:45 a.m., the teachers gather the students for morning devotions. School starts at 8. It is amazing to see God’s mighty work in the lives of the students. Every morning during devotions, a student prays aloud. Even Muslim students pray in Jesus’ name. Bible is taught from Monday to Friday for 25 minutes at the primary level and two hours per week at the secondary level. The children love the Bible stories.

On Christmas Day, 20 students from our school, five Muslims among them, came to our house to visit. We later asked the teachers if they had invited the students to visit, but none had. The director and I were astonished and praise God for the work He is doing in the lives of the children in our school.

Our church group has accepted an invitation from the mission church in Conakry to participate in a revival and reformation program. Our group decided to send 20 representatives, including my wife and me. On the Friday of our departure to Conakry, a group of six students from our school showed up and said they wanted to attend the revival program, too. Three of the six students were Muslims. The school director contacted the students’ parents to get their permission. Five families gave permission, but one could not be contacted in time.

At the revival program, our students enjoyed themselves very much and followed the program with keen attention. A Muslim boy took careful notes the whole time.

School evangelism is a powerful tool for discipleship. In fact, it is what brought me into the faith. My father was Christian, but I grew up in the Muslim home of my maternal grandmother. However, they sent me to the Seventh-day Adventist primary school in Bo, Sierra Leone. During my last year there, the church bought the Milton Comprehensive Secondary School, which I then attended. I attended church only on special occasions. On Sabbaths, sometimes we would go to the school/church compound to play soccer or to steal fruits growing there. The pastor’s wife, Mrs. Palmer, would send her sons and some strong men to chase us. When they caught us and brought us to her, she would tell us Bible stories.

Years later, when war broke out in Sierra Leone, my wife and I fled to Guinea as refugees. In Guinea, the Gospel seed that had been planted in my soul during my schooling sprouted. I thank God for those who supported the mission in Bo back then.

Dear reader, I want you to know that your spiritual and financial support for the school in Fria will not go to waste. You may not see the results of your sacrifices now, but I can assure you that in heaven someone will thank you.

Right now, we are engaged in the construction of our own school building. The one we are renting now will soon be too small considering the rate at which we are growing. We need your financial and spiritual support in this important time of growth. If you can’t help us financially, you can still help by praying for the Lord to provide someone else who can. Please also pray for the students that the word of God will take hold in their lives. Pray, as well, that the Lord will bless our teachers with the wisdom and tact they need to plant Gospel seeds in each of our students.

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