“Even the fact that we were able to open on time this school year is a testament to God’s hand and provision,” said Dan Hein, director of DA West. “Due to building permit delays and shortages of materials, we hit challenges on top of an already incredibly tight construction timeline. From the very beginning, we knew it would take a miracle to have the facility open on time. But God said to build it anyway and when opening day arrived, the DA West was ready.”

Dakar Academy Central opened its doors in 1961 to serve the educational needs of missionary families serving in West Africa. This campus now serves more than 250 students in PreK3 to 12th grade, coming from over 30 different countries. It is also home to the only fully accredited boarding program on the entire continent and the largest English-language library in all of West Africa.
As the years passed and the capital city of Dakar grew, the traffic became more congested. The Central campus was no longer a viable option for those living on the West side of the city. Dan Hein explains, “By opening the DA West campus, which is the only Christian school in that area, we are able to serve and reach families that otherwise would not be able to attend school at the Central campus.”

Dakar Academy Schools offer a Christ-centered, academically rigorous American education to an incredibly diverse group of students. The schools exist to partner in the advancement of the kingdom of God by providing high quality educational services to children of international workers, and also students from a wide variety of religious backgrounds.

The new campus on the West side of Dakar is just one of the many ways Dakar Academy Schools is growing its mission that began almost 60 years ago.

Many Muslim and Hindu students attend HOPAC because their families recognize we offer an excellent education that’s more affordable than surrounding private schools. Parents often remark that HOPAC offers a well-rounded education and that students who attend are very polite, well-mannered and mature. HOPAC strives to ensure that students leave having a deep sense of leadership, service and stewardship and are well-equipped to be a light in this broken world.
One of the key ways that HOPAC facilitates this is our annual Service Emphasis Week. All students are partnered up with schools and ministries around the city. They spend the week building relationships and serving in different capacities. During the week, students gain a greater understanding of Jesus’ heart and what servanthood looks like. One student said, “I found out my new friend didn’t know about Jesus, so I told him about Jesus.”

At HOPAC, students aren’t just learning about the Bible, they are learning how it applies to their lives. After making a horrible mustard-tasting lemonade, a student was able to make the connection that it’s important to follow the directions when making something, just like it’s important to read the Bible because it gives us clear direction.

We are very thankful for the ways God is working in our diverse community!

The history of TeachBeyond Brazil began in the 1960s and is closely linked with the life of the Janz family, Canadian-German missionaries working with large evangelistic campaigns. As the movement towards evangelism in the country increased, the headquarters of TeachBeyond was created in the Lawn Theological Seminary. The place, at the time, already developed biblical and theological courses and camps.

Currently, the institution works with 53 projects across the country based on the principles of transformative education, in which students are led to question their actions in all spheres. This year, TeachBeyond Brazil announces its latest project, TheoLab, a Science and Faith Project, in partnership with the John Templeton Foundation, which will work with elementary and high school students, promoting in-depth studies on Creationism and Evolutionism, as well as relevant and corresponding areas and themes. Besides Gramado and Caxias do Sul, where the National Office is located, TeachBeyond Brazil work happens in Porto Alegre, Camaquã, Pelotas, Florianópolis, São Paulo, Brasilia and Fortaleza. In addition to national projects, it also has missionaries and partner projects in Uruguay, Guinea Bissau, Serbia, Romania, Portugal and the United States.

Some of the projects developed in Brazil include theological education with all different levels of depth, camps, social projects through the Eagle Project, events at the TeachBeyond Brazil headquarters in Gramado, and English immersion programs with the help of native English volunteers. In addition, VBS, a Children’s Vacation Bible School program, is held in foreign countries by a team of Brazilian volunteers. It is currently held in Narragansett, United States.

Both of them tragically lost parents when they were young. Their memories involving suicide and murder cannot be erased from their young minds. In the past, the schools they attended missed the bigger picture and labelled them as the “bad kids” as their emotions and boredom showed up in volatile ways. They transferred into our school to receive more than just an education; they transferred to escape a false image of themselves. Now, they hear how they are designed by God and loved by us. At Arbor Christian Academy, students have teachers who are unafraid to talk with them about their past and their reactions to it. They are counseled in how to handle their thoughts and emotions; they are building quality friendships and, most importantly, they are learning about the love of God.

At Arbor Christian Academy in the Dominican Republic, we believe that transformation of communities and nations begins in a classroom with teachers who care. Our goal is to provide not only solid academic programs, but to share the gospel with this community. We are the only school in our city offering an international curriculum in English. Currently, we have grades kindergarten through third, but look forward to adding one to two more grade levels each coming year until we have a kindergarten through high school program. As our student population continues to grow we rejoice in the opportunity to spread God’s love.

About two weeks after the school’s opening, the Ministry of Education’s accreditation officials came to inspect the school. With just a few days’ notice, Michael and his team scrambled to prepare the 25,000+ pages of required paperwork, only to have the officials ask for video proof of the school’s activities. The school frantically reached out to parents and faculty, asking them to turn in any videos that they had.

Even while the officials were still there, the third challenge struck. The area was struggling through a drought and people began to slash and burn down the jungles around the city to produce palm oil. Due to the smoke, the Air Quality Index (AQI) rose dangerously, up to 4 times above the ‘Hazardous level.’ The smoke lasted for 3 months, forcing many to evacuate. The school team did everything possible to keep the children safe. They triple sealed the windows, installed air purifiers, and even purchased oxygen-producing plants.

“Those 7 months were difficult, but we saw the grace of God and His wisdom behind it all,” said Michael. “The new school building is 60% bigger, has space for a sports facility, and enabled us to start a high school program. We earned an “A” score in our accreditation. And through the smoke season, we built trust among parents who appreciated everything that we did while the air was dangerous.”

Michael praises God for the transformational influence these experiences have had on the staff, children, and parents. “Through these experiences, we learned to trust Him more. We gained the type of wisdom that leads to worship.”

“Our students have tough lives. Many of them spent their childhood digging through garbage, collecting bottles and other recyclable materials, to make a few bucks for their family. They live in communities where sexual and physical abuse is common. And most of their parents do not have money to send them to regular school,” said PH*, Director of the Free School.

With the school coming to know of Shusmita’s situation, the family has pulled back on the attacks. She still comes to school early and leaves as late as possible, since she doesn’t like the atmosphere at home, but has now started smiling and is much more cheerful.

This incident has also sensitized the staff at the school to the aspects of abuse. Teachers are now asking the right questions of family members, to ensure that the children are safe.

“It has been hard to figure out the services available in this country for situations like these. But we are thankful that God put us here to be a light in the lives of these children and to help them as much as we can,” said PH. “We want to show students that God is their protector and provider, and that they can trust Him.”

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

*Real names have been hidden to protect their identities.