I never thought that the flash of a welder’s rod or blinding reflection off of a brand new piece of galvanized steel sheet could look so good!  This week I have taken a great deal of pleasure in seeing the finishing work on our second Secondary School building getting going.  Following the initiative of Wellspring donors from Vernon and Kelowna, we have “raised the roof” on the building that will serve as our program kitchen and training room over the next couple years before being handed over to the Wellspring Academy Secondary Section.

For me, watching the Wellspring Academy take shape is an experience of watching in real-time the way that God works things out for the people who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.  I think back five years, when creating a high quality Christian school in Rwanda was just a dream placed on the hearts of beautiful Rwandan people.   This afternoon I am having a hard time concentrating on writing this blog because many of the 300 students of the Wellspring Academy just down the hill from us are making a hullabaloo as the oldest kids in grade 5 are playing their first inter-school soccer match.  I joked with the folks in our office that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the kids break out in one of their favorite songs from their weekly assembly for a cheer…. It’s a catchy tune entitled “I am a friend of God” and it could really make the other team wonder if they stand a chance of getting a goal against us.

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This morning I was part of a panel interviewing candidates for the position of a computer science teacher at the school seeing as how all the kids are growing up so quickly.  During our interview tea break I met a brilliant student who just this year made his transition from a Francophone school.  This articulate young man is preparing for a debate (in English) with students from the name-brand private Rwandan school down the street.  As I finished off my cup of tea to get back to work, this funny sensation struck me.   I had just had the pleasure of sitting down with, shooting the breeze, and looking the future in the eyes!  God has blessed our organization with the opportunity to be an integral part of training a new generation of servant leaders who will truly “bless Rwanda and show the best of Rwanda to the world”.

So this week as I see walls being plastered and ceilings being formed on a secondary school building, I am profoundly grateful for the chance to be part of seeing this Rwandan dream come true.  I am absolutely confident that investment into people through high quality Christian values based education is the best thing I could be spending my life on.  Bring on the arc of the welding rod, the flash of fresh galvanized steel, and the future of Rwanda lived out in a student’s eyes.

P.S. If you have been a principal at a high school and are interested in volunteering as an Advisor to the Wellspring Academy as the school transitions to Secondary School, please check out this opportunity: