Hundreds of native Papuan men and women jumped and danced under the bright July sun. Their tanned skin was covered with white body paint. Colorful tropical feathers crowned their heads. The beat of tifa (Papuan traditional drums) commanded the group as they escorted two men whom they acknowledged as the tribe king and the highest ranking government official. Behind those two men, Paul Richardson, MSI International Director, stood out as a group of women in yellow outfits were holding his hands and tiptoeing around him.

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“I have never experienced such an extraordinary welcoming party,” Paul said. He came to inaugurate the opening of Mustard Seed’s school on Rusen Island. Last year, a team of educators had been sent to start a new school. The first few months after their arrival, challenges arose and Mustard Seed posted their prayer requests for a breakthrough. As an answer to prayer, the school started in July! 38 first grade students enrolled, and two classrooms were opened to teach them. The locals celebrated the opening by dancing to express their grateful hearts.

“The vision of this school is to shape future leaders,” said Michael, a TransformNation intern who serves at the school. “We will achieve that by designing effective and fun learning activities, while nourishing their bodies and minds.”

The presence of Mustard Seed teachers has started to stir up curiosity among the local teachers. Absenteeism is part of the culture and it is common for teachers to ignore their students. When Mustard Seed teachers arrived, the local teachers were pleased as they could allocate some teaching hours to them. After a few months of watching Xavier and Michael teach students, the local teachers felt inspired. They asked if they could learn new ways to improve their teaching methods. Their request was granted with two days of training for the local teachers.

Mustard Seed would like to thank the donors and supporters who continuously pray for our teachers in the field. Please continue to pray for God’s love to be present in the classrooms where they teach and in the communities where they serve.

“For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway in the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19