MONTANA CONFERENCE NEWS
EDUCATION
MEA Flips and Shares Blessings FAITH. IT’S THE STUFF THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS, AND IT’S SUCH A LOADED WORD.
As the smoke from all of the wildfires from the Pacific Northwest settles into our valley, our beloved mountains that frame the Gallatin Valley have disappeared behind a gray-brown blanket of smoke. Even though I can’t see the mountains, I know they are there. Faith is like that too. It is belief in things unseen. In their 2007 hit song “I Believe in Love,” the music group Barlow Girl sings, “I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. And I believe in God, even when He is silent. …” For many, 2020 has been a year where they’ve felt God has been silent. It has been said Mount Ellis Academy in Bozeman is a miracle school. For much of our 118-year history, we have been in need of funding. Year after year, God shows up and His voice can be heard echoed in the laughter of our students, the counsel of our teachers, the support of our alumni and the prayers of our administration. Is MEA a miracle school? Absolutely. MEA is also a school carried on the wings of faith of its constituents, alumni, parents and staff. This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Kohl’s Care Campaign, through which we
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were the recipients of $500,000 that went toward a much-needed new septic system on campus. Whenever we have a need, God shows up in big ways. In March, when our world fell prey to a pandemic that wrought physical, emotional and financial devastation nationwide, MEA was staring down a financial crisis that felt insurmountable. God showed up once again through our alumni and friends and provided for our needs so we were able to resume inperson learning in August. We had an unprecedented three months of giving that carried us through the end of the academic year, and we continue to bear witness to God’s hand over our school through the generosity and stewardship of our friends and alumni. What do you do with a blessing? According to pastor and author Mark
