Traci Pike, a member of the Casper Church, had been praying with SonShine Academy teacher, Annette Treat, for some time. She knew of the very real struggle for a small Seventh-day Adventist church to fund and operate a school.
The Worland Adventist Church has approximately 50 members with only about 20 attending each week. Only by God’s grace and providing has the church been able to operate a school for the past 30 years. The perpetual question of “How will the school be able to remain open?” appears each year in the spring. By the end of each school year, the school has gone so far in the red that from a human standpoint, the school should close. However, the few church members remain strong and faithful. God hears their pleas and provides in mysterious ways each year.
This summer Traci felt impressed to make an appeal from the pulpit at Wyoming camp meeting for SonShine Academy. As soon as she arrived in Casper, she found Pastor Steve and Samantha Nelson, a pastoral team of the Worland Seventh-day Adventist Church. She told them what the Lord had placed upon her heart. Their hearts were moved, and they helped Traci by self-addressing envelopes with the school’s name and creating pledge sheets for people to fill out.
For four days, Traci made appeals for SonShine Academy before the Wyoming camp meeting attendees. Hearts were moved, and pledge cards were filled out and turned in. Even after camp meeting was over, SonShine Academy continued to receive pledge cards in the mail.
“Our church family has been moved beyond words,” said AnnetteTreat. “Because so many individuals listened and responded to the Lord’s call, SonShine Academy has been able to keep its doors open and witnessing to the children and families in our community. We went from being thousands of dollars in the red to having a zero balance to begin the school year. Currently, only two of the nine students enrolled in the school are Seventh-day Adventists. We have one parent who is currently studying to be baptized. We are so grateful to the people who have given from their hearts!” she commented.
Steve Nelson expressed appreciation for Traci’s initiative. He commented that SonShine Academy “has struggled for several years to raise funds for the school’s operation. We are grateful and excited to have the school budget to guarantee its operation.”
Gratitude goes to Traci and sister-churches in the Big Horn Basin, who have given sacrificially to SonShine Academy. “Above all, we are grateful to the Lord. He is good and faithful to those who serve Him!” Treat said.
—RMCNews
