“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Matt. 13:31-32
When Richard and Hellen Makani started their ministry over 20 years ago, the last thing on their minds was running a school. But God had other plans! From that time up until February of 2015, God had led them to found and operate a school and feeding program outside the Kipsongo slums in Kitale, Kenya. The school was educating and feeding over 350 children. Each year they had prayed that God would provide just one more classroom and each year He did. Many of the children they had rescued from the slums were growing and progressing in their learning but there was a problem on the horizon. Where would they all go for High School? High School in Kenya usually requires paying school fees and where were they going to get the money to send all these children to school?
About this same time God began speaking to a person in America who had been given firsthand knowledge of Seeds Academy. This person had an amount of money in a Certificate of Deposit set aside for retirement and wanted to give what was left for a high school once they passed away. In a story you wouldn’t believe if I told you, God changed this person’s circumstances so that they were able to go ahead and donate the money from that CD immediately. Our team in 2015 was privileged to walk the land and pray for God’s provision. As Richard and I walked the 5.6 acres, I told him: “The money that’s being given will be enough to buy the land and build the foundation, but I don’t know where the rest will come from. Maybe others will see the faithfulness of this one person and will see this seed that’s been planted and want to plant others and water it?” That mustard seed is now SEEDS High School, and there are now FIVE buildings on that property! The classroom building houses eight classrooms. The dining hall and kitchen will seat over 100. A girls dorm houses the young women and a boys dorm is just about to be completed. A staff house is nearing completion. Then on Saturday I saw the brand-new Administration building! It will house the teacher’s space and administrative office, the library, and chemistry and biology labs.
But the best thing I saw on Saturday was a group of young men and women sitting in the dining hall, HAVING COMPLETED their schooling and getting ready to sit for their national exams! Many of these children were born in the Kipsongo slum and had no prospect of any education, much less a high school education at what is now ranked as the number 2 high school in all of Trans Nzoia County in Western Kenya. Oh, if we could all just understand what Jesus was talking about when he described the faith of a mustard seed! In this case it has grown into a tremendous tree, and many children have made their nest it it’s branches!
More soon!