During the past 70 years God has provided Christian education for the community of Glendive, Mont. The mission of this small rural Adventist church has operated a Christian elementary school, nearly every year, for the children of its church, as well as members of the community. This is a school where children can learn of God’s great love along with their other lessons.
In the past few years the church has experienced a decrease in membership, as members have moved away from Glendive. This made it more difficult to generate the funds to subsidize the school budget. As the school board began planning for the 2017–18 school year, they could see there would be about a $15,000 shortfall, which would force the school to close.
After much thought and prayer, they were impressed to send a letter in January to past friends and alumni of the school. Within a week they were offered a matching fund gift of $7,500. Within a month they had received enough gifts to receive the matching offer. By the end of one month they had received enough gifts, almost to the dollar, to make up the amount of the previous yearly church subsidy amount.
God has shown the church, through this wonderful miracle, that when He has a job to do, He will provide the means to do His work. They are very thankful to a caring God who answers prayer and for each person who allowed God to use them to do His work.
This has been an amazing year of miracle gifts for Valley View Adventist Christian School. In addition to this miracle amount of more than $19,000, the church and school families have felt God’s encouragement all through the school year. Last summer He protected the roof of the school during a severe windstorm, with the loss of only a few shingles. Two weeks before school started there was a fire in the exhaust fan and ceiling of the boys' bathroom. The fire could have burned the whole building. However, quick action of the school board members, who were there for a school board meeting, contained the damage to the bathroom. Members worked quickly to clean up smoke and fire damage, donating time and repair materials. School opened on time, with a new floor in place.
As school was about to begin, it was discovered the air conditioner had quit working. As the repair man worked, he discovered one of the furnaces was also not working. With his generous donation of labor and equipment at cost, combined with a donation from a church member, the school was able to have two new furnaces and an air conditioner in place in time for school to start. Also, funds were donated for a much-needed new teacher’s laptop computer and rain gutters for the building.
Later in the school year the school applied and received a $3,000 grant from Montana-Dakota Utilities Resource Foundation. This money will be used this summer to repair the broken and aging lighting in the classroom. More funds have recently been donated toward replacing the aging classroom chairs.
This has been an amazing year of miracles, and school will open next year with 12 students enrolled and nine students seriously considering enrollment. God has a plan, and it is a blessing to be part of it.
Students of Valley View are grateful for all the miracles happening to their school.
