Let the little children come!

This week our website launched and we are so proud of it--the guys at Blue Tangerine Solutions did a great job, as usual.  Check it out and let me know what you think  www.mchnf.org !  We have magnetic signs on our cars and the big wooden sign goes up in the yard--at the school site--this morning.  The business cars and brochures should be ready on Monday.  We are asking EVERYONE to earnestly pray that God will send the 21 students He wants to be enrolled this fall and that He will provide a way for them financially so they can attend.

We have had a few discussions with a young girl at the Senator's office and are not totally convinced she understands the process and the battle we are up against, but have sent another letter to the Special Needs Scholarship Committee in an effort to gain approval for the children who qualify for that program.  We appreciate your prayers for that effort also as it will make a HUGE difference and in some cases a defining difference for some potential students to enroll.  The basic problem we are having is proving financial viability since we are not yet in operation and cannot produce a three month profit/loss statement.  If you know any creative CPA's who could help, please let me know!!

In addition to the great study in Esther that has been so meaningful in this process, I am also reading a book by Priscilla Shirer entitled One in a Million.  In this book she challenges us to be the one in a million who is totally controlled by God's leadership and uses the story of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promise Land as the backdrop.  The fact that they spent 40 years in the wilderness before arriving at the land of milk and honey is a challenge to draw close to God during the desert experience and not to wander.  I know that the next few weeks of being TOTALLY dependent upon God to provide the students could be a time of wilderness, but I am praying for peace in my spirit and quiet confidence that "He who began a good work  will see it through to completion".  I know that "He is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than we ask or imagine".  From the beginning, we have asked that God work in such miraculous ways through this entire process that only He could receive the Glory and providing the students will certainly be something only He can accomplish!

Thank you again for your words of encouragement and for your prayers.  I am so excited to for the children who will be freed from the discouragement of traditional education and standardized testing and will become self confident and find joy in learning.  With God's guidance we will provide Exceptional Christian Education for Exceptional Students!!

For Such a Time as This?

As I said in my last post, we got our application to the Special Needs Scholarship committee turned in 24 hours early.  We felt really good about our application, until I got an email at 1:30 on April 1st.  By the time I was able to speak with the lady at the committee to learn exactly why we were denied, we had less than 2 hours to send in an amended application.  The real problem is that it appears the system is designed to not allow new schools to qualify.  


We knew from the beginning that they would be looking for us to be financially viable--what we didn't know was that the only documents they would accept are documents that we cannot produce until we have been in business for at least three months!  The other real problem is that if they do not approve us this year, any children who enroll in our school this year will never be able to receive their scholarship because the law states that the student must be enrolled in a public school the year preceding the year they apply for the scholarship. This is really unfair and discriminating, we feel.  We know that many of our students will not qualify for or need the scholarship, but we also know there a some that want to enroll but will not be able to attend without it.


Our Board has written a four page rebuttal to this decision and are fervently praying that the committee will reconsider.  We have even suggested that they grant us a provisional approval the first year which would protect the students: they could get their  scholarship this year and if we are not approved then the second year they could stay with us and lose their scholarship or change schools and keep it. Because of my study of Esther this semester, I has occurred to me that perhaps God will use our situation to set a precedent for other new schools. And who knows but that we have come to this position for such a time as this? We have a good friend who is related to our state senator and he discussed our situation with him today and gave him our rebuttal to review.  He told our friend that he would look into it and see what he could do this week!


So, again, I ask you to PRAY!!  First of all that we, like Esther, are careful to be respectful of the authorities in place and not offend them.  Most importantly, we pray that everything we say and do will Glorify God and be an example of Christ's love. We also pray that the Senator will carefully read the rebuttal and successfully intervene on our behalf.  Lastly, we do pray that the hearts of the committee will be changed and we will be accepted as a school eligible to receive Special Needs Scholarships and that God will provide all the students we need to pay all of our bills and be a financially viable school!!


Thank you for all of your prayers and encouraging words.  We KNOW that God is in the center of this entire project and that He is in control!  Our scripture this week is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."