Dream 2034: The next 15 years at Grace Emmanuel School

When Grace Emmanuel School kicked off the 2019-2020 school year last Monday, it marked the completion of 15 years of providing an education at Grace Emmanuel School.

We are in awe of all that the Lord has done to bless and multiply the work of this school since 2004. From a rented space with 15 kids of all ages to a campus with 375 students in 16 grade levels, these 15 years have been one remarkable journey and testament to God’s faithfulness.

Looking forward

As we look ahead to the next 15 years, there is so much more work to be done, and so many more improvements to be made.

The students who began in first kindergarten last year at age 3 will graduate in 2034, at the end of Grace Emmanuel School’s next 15 years. What will the Grace Emmanuel School they graduate from look like?

At the end of last school year, JiHM’s leadership began a process to strategically dream about, pray over, and plan for what the next 15 years could bring to Grace Emmanuel School.

When students were asked to draw their future dreams for the school over a map of the current mission property, the most common additions were a library, computer lab, and science lab. A university, clinic, and orphanage were also popular, plus the occasional volleyball court and pool.

Nearly 300 students filled out a survey on their dreams and ideas for the future of the school. Several parents and staff members also took surveys, providing input that will be compiled over the coming months.

With their input, JiHM will establish a 15-year framework for GES—a vision for Grace Emmanuel School 2034. What goals do we have for the graduates of 2034—educationally, spiritually, and socially? What infrastructure do we need? What are our staffing needs?

Motivated by Love

As Jesus neared the end of His time on earth with His disciples, He urged them over and over again to abide in Him (John 15). He told them that they would abide in Him by keeping His commandments, and then shared what that meant with one concise phrase:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

This mandate remains the same for us today. Love one another how Christ loved us, with a laying-down-of-your-life kind of love.

John Piper says of this type of love: “…It seems to demand that I tear the skin off my body and wrap it around another person so that I feel that I am that other person; and all the longings that I have for my own safety and health and success and happiness I now feel for that other person as though he were me.”

Christ’s love at work in us so that we can love others like that is the motivation for why we dream for Grace Emmanuel School. How can we love these students as if our own children were sitting in those classrooms? How can we abide in Jesus by being good stewards of the ministry He has entrusted to us at Grace Emmanuel School?

Pray with us

Will you pray for this process as it continues throughout this year? Whether you have been part of the story of Grace Emmanuel School for a few months or 15 years, we are grateful for you, and look forward to partnering with you for years to come in providing this place of hope for so many families.

Kristi Bucher serves as Communications & Development Manager for Jesus in Haiti Ministries. She currently lives in Minnesota with her husband, Nathan, and gladly visits Haiti four times each year for work, always wishing the visits were longer. Kristi and Nathan lived in Haiti from 2012–2014.