Middle East Nazarene Schools Start a New Year

The Nazarenes operate four schools in the Middle East for children in grades K-10. They are private schools serving low-income families (a portion of the students are refugees) which, to be honest, poses daily challenges for our directors and administrative boards. The schools may just be our best-kept ministry secrets. About 800 children from many backgrounds are in our care 5 days a week getting large doses of smarts and hearts. What I mean is...we work hard to provide a good education in a way that tells the kids they are loved and valued by God, their teachers and the church.

Why do parents who are struggling financially pay for their children to attend our schools? The public schools are improving their infrastructure, but the classrooms are still a bit crowded. Each year, the private schools in Jordan have been losing children to the public schools. Nazarene schools have lost their share of students, but often times the parents will bring their children back and say something like, "Please enroll my children again. I don't know how I am going to pay, but all I know is I like the way they behave much better when they are in your school."

I like hearing those stories, and I also like it when 11th graders move on to other schools and report back that they are some of the smarter kids in their new classes.

We have a scholarship program to help children attend our schools through Nazarene Child Sponsorship. Anyone can sponsor a child for $25 a month, and it gives the child about a 20%-30% break on their tuition. Every little bit helps. This week I read a letter from a student telling his sponsor that he started a new life in Christ this summer at a Nazarene youth camp.

Also this week one of our Christian education teachers told me that 13 new students in her 7th grade class renewed their faith in the Lord.

So far, I would say it has been a good year. Please pray for our 4 schools in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan...for the students, staff, and directors...to build on these recent blessings. And check out the video about the schools, here: