The Timor Adventist International School provides for the children an opportunity for the future and for the future development of their country. Let's see how your contribution to the 13th Sabbath Offering makes a difference here!
Timor-Leste became an independent country in 2002. The average age is 17 with a population of 1.3 million. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Timor-Leste recognized that about 40% of the people are illiterate and decided that education was a way they could help their community.
“Here in Timor-Leste, our major center of influence is the Timor Adventist International School. The international school provides for the children an opportunity for the future and for the future development of their country. So Timor Adventist International School will provide discipline, education, Christian values, and Bible-based education.”
This educational facility is serving hundreds of students and families who are eager to receive a quality education. When this school was first established in 2015, it primarily attracted Adventist students who were facing strict requirements from the public schools to be in class on Saturdays.
Now, Timor Adventist International School, or TAIS (tah-ees), is known throughout the country to offer something different!
“The teachers, with the lessons that they are preparing, will not only concentrate on what the book says, but we need to make sure that in every lesson we can integrate the lessons of faith in the activities that they do. And that is what most of the parents really appreciate and that is the difference that they see in this school. It is really the purpose of why we exist here in Timor-Leste, that we want the people here to know more about Jesus, more about God through our education.”
Due to limited space a few years ago, the school could only fit a maximum of 20 students. Thanks to your 13th Sabbath offerings in 2015, they constructed additional classroom buildings, opening the door for more students to come to the school—enough for 160 students.
“I chose this school because I feel like the first time I entered this area it was so refreshing. Especially looking at the environment, and the people here, especially looking at those plants and looking at those birds, I feel like, wow this school is really a beautiful place where kids can study to get a good education.”
“Why I chose this school is because this school started with a biblical foundation, because for me as a parent, with a biblical foundation they will grow well to have a good character to be like God.”
The school has helped the Adventist Church gain credibility in Timor-Leste that could open the door to new methods of ministry here.
“Through this school or the COI here, the government recognized the existence of the Adventist Church in this country. This never happened before! But through this COI, many government officials in the education or health department know of our presence now through this school.”
This quarter, you have the opportunity to support this school once again. They need a dormitory to house students who come from far away. This will give them a safe place to stay and make it easy to get to their classes. It will make Adventist education accessible to more kids in Timor-Leste.
Please give to this quarter’s 13th Sabbath Offering and pray for the teachers and students here. Thank you for your support!
