A School Called Zion

Elllen White wrote, “Those who love God should feel deeply interested in the children and youth. To them God can reveal His truth and salvation.” Realizing the importance of reaching the young in their community, church members in countries around the world are connecting with this special group in different ways.

One such country is Sri Lanka, an island republic some 15,000 miles off the coast of Southern India. Because of the nation’s shape, it’s known as the teardrop of the Indian Ocean. It’s home to some 23 million people and is part of the 10/40 Window.

Sri Lanka is well known for its colorful culture. It embraces a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices. A large percentage of the country is Buddhist, the fourth largest religion in the world with more than 520 million followers.

Victoria lives in the nation’s capital, Colombo. She’s a retired teacher who chose to return to the classroom. Retirement didn’t stop her from using her skills to help one of the most unreached people groups in society.

Victoria saw an opportunity to minister to children with special needs by providing a free education curriculum just for them.

“Our goal is to help our church members become involved in helping the community by helping autistic children,” Victoria said.

For several years Victoria taught children in her sister’s house, but she wanted to build a school. She partnered with the Adventist church to establish Zion, an early childhood development center. The school is funded by donations and has endured many financial challenges. Yet, through faith and perseverance, it has earned recognition and appreciation from parents who believe the curriculum suits their children.

Roshani, whose son attends Zion, said, “The teachers here are amazing. They are very knowledgeable about special-needs children. And they are very kind. I believe they can develop the children’s behavior and knowledge. They can do something very different here.”

Zion’s teachers didn’t come to the school trained for this type of education. They received training from Victoria for several months before running their own classrooms.

Working with the special-needs children brings teacher Burni a lot of joy. She loves to see them grasp concepts and learn new things. Her positive attitude inspires them to persevere. “Trust in God,” she said, “and you can do anything with Him!”

Victoria is thankful for her staff. “I cannot say how much these teachers are caring for these children. They are very dedicated teachers,” she said.

Classes founded in love and care are making a big impact on the children and parents at this school.

Please pray for Victoria and all the teachers involved with these wonderful kids. And please pray for the children, their parents, and their community as Zion ministers to their needs and shows them Jesus’ love.

Thank you for supporting Global Mission urban centers of influence, such as Zion Early Childhood Development Centre, as they follow Christ’s method of ministry to meet needs and start new groups of believers around the world.