January is the start of the school year here in Kenya and that means school fees are due and the first term of the year is always the most expensive. (“Free education” seems to be a government word, we have yet to find it here) Currently there are 10 students attending secondary school (high school) who graduated from Nice View Academy and 19 students who completed Class 8 at Nice View this past December who are hoping to attend secondary. That means A LOT of school fees and we simply do not have the resource to send them all to school.
A few of these kids have US sponsors who have helped offset their educational fees (and for that we are most grateful!), a few we are paying for personally but the rest are in a wait and see position. The students currently in secondary who have not paid their fees will most likely be “chased” from school in search of fees and not allowed back to school unless they make arrangements (which usually means bring the fees). The recently graduated Class 8 students will be receiving their “acceptance letters” from various secondary schools and then looking for help with their fees.
It’s a tough beginning of the year feeling that we are responsible for all these students and their education when we just can’t help them all. But that’s where God’s grace comes in to play. We don’t have all the resources but God does and He gives us exactly what is needed at the right time. Maybe it’s not having all the fees thus requiring guardians, parents and/or family members to move into high gear to help their student go to school. Perhaps it’s a wait and see for us to see where our faith lies…with something we can do or in God. I don’t know what’s to happen with these students but honestly I’m not feeling pressure because I can only do what God has put in front of us with the resources He brings. Yes it’s been tough but tough seems to strengthen my faith tenfold…so to that I say Amen!
