A Holiday Message from Mountain Mission School
CHRISTMAS 2016
Merry Christmas
from Your Family and Friends at mmsKIDS.org
Serving kids in need in the name of Christ since 1921.
How MMS Givers are
Blessed Through
Their Giving
Our child sponsors regularly receive thankyou cards featuring one of the hundreds of students whose lives are touched each year by our donors’ generosity. Sponsors get to hear MMS Kids express in their own words how their hopes and dreams are being kindled by life on campus—and express their appreciation for the partners who make it all possible. Those cards have drawn so many positive reactions, that we thought we’d share some of their comments with you here. (To become a sponsor and begin receiving those cards yourself, just use the envelope found on page 4!)
I am very impressed with the teachers and staff at Mountain Mission, but most importantly, with the quality and energy of the students. A unique and excellent school, of which I am honored to support. -Richard Morrison, Ashtabula, OH
I choose to give to Mountain Mission because I know Christ touches lives through others. I want to be one of the lives He works through to touch a child with the Gospel. -William Lloyd, Abingdon, VA
I know that I am actually helping a child realize opportunities that many take for granted. The graduation rate is unbelievable, and the graduates are so much more prepared to enter adulthood than many who graduate from other schools. -Mitch Walters, Bristol, TN
Learning of the good work done at Mountain Mission School moved us. The children they serve come from tough family situations and they are transformed through the ministry of MMS. We were compelled to be a part of this. As we grow older we tend to think about what our legacy will be, and this led us to become MMS child sponsors. When we see that envelope from an MMS kid, it’s the first piece of mail we open. -Brenda Prince, Waynesboro, VA
I’m impressed how lean MMS is! This means more of the funds raised can go to the children. -Paul Prince, Waynesboro, VA
I get excited each time I receive a Notecard or Newsletter from the Mountain Mission students. I love reading the personal updates of what is going on in their lives… because it actually gives me a window into what the Lord is doing, and how I can best pray for them. As a sponsor, it makes me realize I am part of a much greater plan. -Regina Becknell, Maineville, OH
wrap “ ”
Here’s How You Your Gift to MMS
O
n average it costs $15,000 per year to provide each of our students with food, clothing, shelter, a world-class education, and exemplary arts and athletic programs. Won’t you please join in this vital work by becoming a Mountain Mission sponsor?
Five ways you can help
1 Sponsor a child fully with a gift of $15,000. 2 Help sponsor a child with a $30 monthly gift—just $1 a day.* 3 Provide an annual gift.
You can accomplish any of the above online at mmsKIDS.org, or by using this envelope.
4 Include MMS in your estate planning. 5 Talk to your church about adding MMS to their missions budget. How your gifts will be used** 53% - Home, Health, & Food 22% - Education 21% - Support Services 4% - Fundraising
53%
22% 21% 4 %
What you’ll get Since your ongoing gift will help students of all ages on our campus, you’ll receive notes throughout each year from a variety of our students. Your gift, along with others, will impact this generation and generations to come.
*With your authorization, Mountain Mission can set up an automatic monthly donation from your checking or savings account. Simply fill out the form on our Easy Gift envelope, or visit our website to begin your donations today. **According to our most current independent audit.
When you take action, you make it possible for kids to get what they need to survive...and what they need to succeed!
Nearly 100% of your gift...
“Within seconds at this school you’ll see children from different parts of our globe and from our own communities living like a family. These children have been through horrors that most of us will never know or will only read about in books. Innocent lives that have been affected by war, poverty and the unimaginable are being healed in a safe environment through those who are showing them the great love of Christ.
Mountain Mission School for me will always be the most beautiful expression of the church. I only wish I was able to give more.”
This envelope could be one of the most important you’ll mail this Christmas season; it delivers a muchneeded gift to the operations of MMS. Here’s why it’s so essential: in order to maintain our Christcentered environment, we accept no government funding. Since 1921, we have relied entirely on donors like you!
Vince Fox, Johnson City, TN
For more information, please contact: Jayne Duehring Director of Advancement 276.645.1457 jduehring@mmskids.org mmsKIDS.org
...goes to meet daily needs.
Nearly 100% of MMS seniors go on to college!
I M P R E S S I V E
O U T C O M E S
Here’s What Your Gifts Have Given
to MMS Kids It costs about $15,000 per child per year for housing, food, clothing, and education. Your gifts help sustain many vital parts of our students’ experiences, such as these:
CHOIR You’ve enabled our choir to perform for audiences this year from Florida to Illinois.These performances are opportunities to introduce the world to Mountain Mission, to our remarkable children…and to the message of the Gospel.
ATHLETICS Maintaining a vibrant athletic program, with all the equipment, facilities, and personnel involved, is a substantial investment. But thanks to your generosity, our soccer program has already produced a National Championship team this year!
NUTRITION We prepare 1,000 meals a day to feed more than 250 students—plus staff and visitors! Your donations enabled us to increase the nutritional quality of our food this year.
AGRICULTURE When MMS began in 1921, students, staff and faculty all worked in the fields to put food on our tables. We think it’s important to recapture that spirit and reconnect kids to the soil by gardening and farming in our new greenhouse.
New Tour Bus Needed We’ve been able to save a great deal of money by having our own bus to use for athletic team trips and out-of-state choir performances. (In case you didn’t know, chartering a motor coach for a week-long tour can cost $10,000 or more!) Even though we are diligent about maintenance, our old bus is becoming a lot less reliable, leaving us vulnerable to breakdowns, delays, and repair bills. Bus trouble can cause real problems when traveling to tournaments and performances—but we’re even more concerned about our kids being stranded out on the road. If your church, group, or organization would like to discuss the possibility of helping us replace our worn-out bus, please contact Jayne Duehring at 276-645-1457.
Repaying the Blessings and Investing in the Future.
After being abandoned by their mother, Mary Ann DePoalo and her siblings found themselves at Mountain Mission School. They lived here from 1942–1953. She says that everything she has accomplished has been possible because of the strong spiritual strength Mountain Mission instilled in her. “I wouldn’t be alive if my father had not put us here. It was a blessing in disguise.”
“I wouldn’t be alive if my father had not put us here. It was a blessing in disguise.” To honor the donors who sustained her as a young girl, Mary Ann and her husband Gerry have included Mountain Mission School in their will. Mountain Mission can help you fulfill your legacy. There are many ways to include Mountain Mission School in your estate planning so that your vision lives on.
For more information, please contact: Jayne Duehring Director of Advancement | 276.645.1457 | jduehring@mmskids.org
Christmas 2016
1760 Edgewater Drive Grundy, VA 24614
Give a gift that will never, ever end up
in a closet. This time of year, it’s not unusual to see ads “for the person who has everything.” And it’s true: so many in our country already have an abundance of material things.
There’s one gift that will meet a very real and significant need for kids who do NOT have everything. In this season of giving, please consider a tax-deductible gift to Mountain Mission School. When you contribute to MMS, you’re contributing to the care and spiritual development of kids in true need. It just might be the most impactful gift you give.
Visit us online at mmsKIDS.org