33 students from Tanzania made the journey to the USA in 2015 and 2016 to study at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, VA. Each student has grown tremendously over the past six years, and have adjusted wonderfully to American culture, food, weather, languages, and so much more! They are doing amazing academically, growing spiritually, and dreaming big and powerful dreams for their futures! Some students are now in university, others are heading to college this fall, and some are continuing their education at Mountain Mission School. Every single one of these students has overcome obstacles that they have faced. They have trusted in God’s goodness and plan for their lives, and are each motivated to reach their full potential!

Here are three amazing testimonies that we hope encourage and inspire you!

Basketball and orphans…meet Julianna!

The 33 students from Mountain Mission School got to enjoy a week-long, adventure-filled, and spiritually saturated camp in June! “Camp was an amazing week to spend time with family and friends as we worshipped God. We got to worship in the ways we do in Tanzania, and we feel closer to God that way. We also got so much good food, and some of it was even Tanzanian!” said Julianna. We are thankful for how well the camp went, and it was a great time for the students to rest, refresh, and enjoy community after the tough year caused by the pandemic. 

Julianna was part of the first group of students to come to the USA, and after getting here everything felt different and somewhat strange. In Tanzania, people often think that all of the US is flat – so one thing that surprised her was that she found herself living in the mountains!

She is now a senior at Mountain Mission School and is enjoying math and Bible classes. This year she got to take a Bible class focusing on why Christians believe what they believe and has matured in her faith because of this. Julianna is striving to play college basketball and then possibly playing it overseas. Her two biggest passions and dreams are basketball and helping orphans! “I want to go back to my village and build a school for girls where I also will be teaching them basketball. Girls there are forced into marriage at a young age, but if I can take them to school and teach them skills like basketball, they can get an education and do things they dream of,” she shares.

John 14:8 is Julianna’s favorite Bible verse: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” This verse has brought her hope, and she wants to follow God’s call on her life to helping children. “Being here is just a miracle. Why did God choose me? I know he chose me because he has a great plan for me, and he is working!” she smiles.

To the people faithfully supporting the students at Mountain Mission School from Julianna: “Thank you for all that you do for us! We all work hard to make sure all you do for us doesn’t go to waste. We want you to know that we will use this opportunity to help others too.” 

“The vegetables are raw here!”…meet Judith!

Judith graduated high school amidst the pandemic and is headed to Milligan University this fall! She has inspiring dreams to either become a nurse or a therapist.

“At first, I wanted to be a doctor, but I realized I didn’t want to have a job just for the money. I want to do what God wants me to do, so I will become a nurse practitioner where I can help people and share my story about God. I also want to be a therapist in Tanzania because this is just not available for most people that really need it,” said Judith.

Judith still remembers the hard adjustment to life in the US. The food surprised Judith most, and she found it hard to eat vegetables since they were often raw in salads. The cold winters were also a unique challenge for Judith since she had never experienced cold weather before!  

Judith’s favorite thing about studying at Mountain Mission School has been the teachers. They have worked hard to help Judith grow and learn, and have intentionally invested in her life during her time there. When Judith started at Mountain Mission School, she struggled with math, but the teachers at the school took the time to help her catch up and understand the subject.

“God taught me so much in 2020 during the pandemic. It was a hard year with Covid, but it was still a good year! I realized that God is working in my life, and I found confidence in my story in Him. I am so thankful,” says Judith.

To the people faithfully supporting the students at Mountain Mission School from Judith:

“I am so thankful for the help of supporters during this time. I want to help other people to show my gratitude to my supporters, and I will work as hard as I can.”

“There is always another chance”…meet Alexander!

Alexander has been in the US for five years now, having come in 2016 with the second group of children. The biggest struggle Alexander faced in this transition was overcoming the language barrier. “Life was really different here, and I didn’t know much English at all. All of the other students knew English much better than I did, and so I found it difficult to have conversations at first,” he says.

Despite his difficulty with learning English, Alexander excels at school and starts eighth grade in the fall! The hardest part of studying at Mountain Mission School for Alexander was learning about American history due to his lack of knowledge about the country.

Last year during the Covid-19 pandemic, all classes were held virtually, with students unable to meet with teachers and classmates in person. “It was hard to ask questions with online school, but my house parents at Mountain Mission School helped me a lot during that time,” said Alexander.

Alexander dreams of playing professional baseball or basketball so that he can help his family and others that are struggling back in Tanzania. He loves sports and is also an excellent baseball player on the team at Mountain Mission School! 

God has been teaching Alexander that there is no problem too small that he can bring to Him, and no matter how bad you mess up, you can still ask God for forgiveness. “I am learning that there is always another chance with God. He wants me to come to Him,”  says Alexander.

To the people faithfully supporting the students at Mountain Mission School from Alexander:

“Thank you to everyone who supports us, and may God give you the power to keep helping us. Please pray for my grades and for me to do well in school so that I can help my family back in Tanzania.”

Thank you for supporting these amazing students!

These 33 students have grown tremendously since arriving in America, and they all have bright futures! Many of these young people are starting to head on to college to further their education and pursue their dreams.

There are significant costs involved in providing a quality college education to these young students. While we have access to excellent scholarships at Milligan University, we are responsible for funding some tuition, books, room and board, medical costs, and other expenses. This year, we have three students in university, but in 2022, the number increases to twelve! Over the next two years the cost of providing impressive young people with the education and support they deserve will be $107,240.

Many of these students dream of returning to Tanzania, where their skills and abilities will create lasting change in their families and communities! 

Would you partner with us and help care for these 33 remarkable students? 

Thank you for investing in the education and future of these students!