New Life School is a Lighthouse to the Barr Community

Our new school opened in February of this year and has been a God-send to hundreds of vulnerable children! Before, many of these boys and girls never had a hope of getting a good education, and their families were stuck in the web of poverty and stagnation.

Now, all over the Barr Community, children are waking up very early in the morning. They are moving around in their little mud huts, putting on their uniforms and preparing themselves to go to school. Some have only a short walk and can easily arrive for 7:30 devotions. Others, who live further out, must leave their homes before daylight . . . footing their way through bushes and alongside washed-out dirt roads. For them this is a small price to pay for the opportunity God has given them.

Mary, who is raising her grandson, Joshua, told us, “No one in our community could imagine that such a school could come to this place. When we watched it being built, we all felt like God was shining His light over us. We are an uneducated people and felt stuck in trying to give our children a better life. Now, New Life School has come and the future for our children is bright.”

Constantino told us, “I have five sons and am sorrowful that my four oldest never had a chance to get an education. Now, me and my wife are going to do everything we can to make sure our youngest (Samuel) goes to school. God has done this for us, and we will not fail to do our part.”

Samuel is one of our students who walks over six kilometers to school every day, and so Constantino is working hard to save money to buy him a bicycle. But until then, Constantino assures us, “Samuel is strong and can cover the distance on foot.”

We thank God for the attitude of our parents and for the dedication of our excellent teaching staff. You can walk by their classrooms anytime, and hear just how much teaching and learning is taking place. Their efforts have been transformational in so many ways - academically, spiritually, and in the growing confidence of the students. It is really hard to believe they are the same kids who arrived on the first day.

Just four weeks ago, the kindergarten class did a debate. It was really amazing. Each child spoke in perfect English, a language they didn’t know at all eight months ago. They were so orderly and poised in presenting their sides that the audience had a hard time holding back their laughter as they watched in sheer delight.