Because of low enrollment, the Idaho Conference was suggesting closing Adventist Christian School. That's when the Idaho Falls' "faithful few" took the problem to the Lord. Hilda Evans, one of our seniors, suggested that we should also pray about which pastor would replace Martin and Diane Emslie, who had retired. "Let's pray the new pastor has school-age children."
The day before school was to begin in August 2006, there were no students registered. ASC board members discussed the importance of 40 in the Bible—40 days of rain, 40 days fasting and prayer by both Moses and Christ. The board voted to ask their teacher, Carrie Tow, to come to school, raise the flags, answer the phone, and do administrative duties for 40 days. The "faithful few" took to the problem to God with 6 a.m. prayer. On day 38, Karl and Debbie Willumson's moving van arrived. (The Willumsons have a faith story about their move, which they had tried to implement for a whole previous year!)
With two students enrolled, the board asked their teacher to meet with the Snake River Home Schooler Association to offer a rock study unit and chime and handbell instruction.
By November ACS had 21 children and eight adults involved in the music program. Because most of the families were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), and because the Idaho Falls Church had been hoping to reach out and witness into the predominantly LDS community, the church family was asked to pray for the bell choir Christmas and Easter outreach.
By Christmas the Lord blessed the bell choir with performances in four LDS wards (churches) from Blackfoot to the local Idaho Falls Temple Ward. Three were part of the regular "Sacrament Services;" another performance was for a Friday night LDS vespers program. With the large group of home schoolers wishing to return and telling their friends about the ACS music program, we hope that the bell choir evangelism can continue.
By the end of May, the Lord had greatly blessed:
• A once-a-month neighborhood teen group was meeting at the church.
• ACS had joined 61 home-schoolers for International Days at the church.
• Experienced with LDS families, Dean and Karen Lifshay, who have school-age children, now shepherd the Pocatello/Idaho Falls district.
• The "faithful few" of 15 to 20 has grown as new families move to Idaho Falls.
"If you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed......"
The Lifshay family, from left: (rear) Karen, Dean, (front) Reuben, Jacob and Daniel, were an answer to prayer (a pastor with school-age children) for Adventist Christian School in Idaho Falls.
