Small Cloud Christian School is the result of impossible
dreams made possible through faith. It all began as a dream
-- a dream of helping children learn about the Creator Who
made them.
  It
all started in a barn. One room was converted into a small
classroom. The other side of the wall housed a small herd
of cows! Those were days when learning had a few agricultural
distractions.
Our one room classroom was quickly outgrown, but our budget
did not grow quite as quickly. Nevertheless, by the end of
our second year a new classroom was a definite necessity.
The front porch was screened in, desks were placed, and an
outdoor classroom took shape.
It was a beauty, but again, there were a few drawbacks. Migrating
geese, disappearing students (they only had to silently duck
beneath the screening and they were gone), heat, and wind
were a few of the difficulties in our little outdoor learning
center.
A new schoolroom simply had to be built. But, how?
The history of Small Cloud is a history of miracles. God
has opened doors and closed doors just in time. He has touched
hearts and moved in mysterious ways.
Just when we needed an extra classroom, God provided. Knowledgeable
volunteers arrived to assist with construction. Donations
trickled in, low-interest credit cards helped purchase the
necessary building materials. And materials were either donated
or purchased at a reduction in price.
The work inched forward while classes continued on schedule.
The teachers rose early each morning to transport students
to school, taught a full day, returned the students to their
homes, and then returned to school to help with construction
until late into the evening.
All
through the school year and on into the long, hot days of
summer we framed, put in plumbing, stained cabinets, painted,
pulled out the old carpet and put in new carpet. We worked,
we sweated, we laughed, and we prayed until… at last
everything was done. The new school building was finished.
We could rest at last!
Well, not quite!
The building was complete, but we needed legal permission
(a use-permit) to continue using it as a school. For understandable
reasons, the neighbors weren’t too excited about the
whole idea. Once again, we appealed to our heavenly Father
to intervene. In June, 2003, after working out the particulars
with our neighbors, a permanent use-permit was granted.
Each year seems to usher in its own peculiar challenges,
trials, blessings – and activity! From maintaining files
to writing lesson plans, from licensing a new school-bus driver
to grading papers, from teaching classes to supervising recesses
– Small Cloud is a continuous bustle of activity. Today,
by God’s grace and provision, Small Cloud Christian
School has three classrooms (all with real walls), enough
room for 32 students ranging in age from Kindergarten through
12th grade. Thankfully, under God’s watchful eye, the
work gets done and the students blossom and grow.
It’s been eleven years already. Eleven years of answered
prayers, miracles, and growth. But, really, it’s only
the beginning…
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